O-54 compatiable scale articulated steam engines

I just bought a used JLC Lionel C & O Allegheny. It has no problem going around my 054. I did have to do some tree trimming and landscaping so it wouldn't hit rocks and such.

George Flanagan 

One of the new legacy mallets would probably be the way to go. Keep in mind at 26 1/2" its really no longer than say, a scale berkshire,about as small a it gets for a scale articulated. Most of the more popular articulateds, ie challengers, bigboys, em1, class a, etc are all in the 32" range. Trainworld was "blowing these out" a couple of weeks ago for $1075.

I have the Lionel Legacy 2-6-6-2 Mallet.  I like everything about it: great sound, good runner, very good looking, smooth slow runner in conventional.    I have no 54" curves but my #2 loop is all 60" Fastrack and it negotiates this, including a double switch S, with no problems.  I imagine it runs just as well of 54".

This loco is only about 26 1/2 inches long, as RickO says, but its overhang on the 60" curves is very noticeable - well over one inch past the outer rail on 60" if I recall, but if you can live with this then it is a really good loco: it looks big and brawny, it has good proportions and all, it sounds good, pulls very well - just a great one.

Back when these were first released - I think I received them right after Christmas or the first week of the year, I posted a photo of the Mallet and some other similar size non-articulated loco side by side in the curves on my layout, the other was the new 3759 Northern that arrived with the Mallet, or the new Legacy Texas or something that size - just about the same loco length. Anyway, the mallet overhung more than the non-articulated but the point emphasized by the photo is that even non-articulated locos of this length will overhang unrealistically and that the Mallet is not that much worse - maybe half an inch more. 

Ken,

I have the N&W version of the Lionel Mallet, if you want, we can arrange for it to visit your Harpers Ferry layout and test out the clearances.

Mark.

Mark,

That would be great!  But I fear the results will be favorable and I'll want to buy a C&O version!  I'm sure you'll be able to advise me on what additional command control hardware I'll need to add to my DCS system to control Lionel Legacy engines;-)

Thanks for all of the replies.  The dimensions of the mallet sound similar to that of my Imperial Allegheny.  It too has a real large overhang on O-54 curves.  However, the overhang is in the back where the cab swings out relatively unrealistically.  So much so it has clipped trains on 5" parallel track.  I guess I've got to accept that since my layout has lots of tight curves and tunnel portals.

Ken

the Mallet's overhang is both in front and at the rear - never measured the rear but its not nearly as ba as the front.  I think the mallet might clip nearby locos at 5 inches, too.  I certainly would allow at least 5.5.

Ken,

It sounds like Mark might be able to help you with the clearance issue and running it on your layout I'm sure will be alot of fun.  Please let us know how things work out.  I hope that you'll be able to get a SCALE Lionel C&O 2-6-6-2 Steam Locomotive.   Good luck.