Postwar 736 Berkshire Question

The experts over here agree with my personal findings:

"All of the Berkshires that Lionel produced were designed to run on the standard O Gauge tubular track of the post war years and will not operate properly on the tighter curves of O27 Gauge track."

http://www.tandem-associates.c..._trains_736_loco.htm

mine handles O27 fine.

This thread will quickly turn into a all-day-sucker. Lionel tried to clarify this part of the equation. All one needs to do is turn the locomotive upside down. Does the collector plate have two sliding shoes and say,"027 or does the plate have two rollers and read "O-Gauge". It has been a well known and accepted practice not to question this. To help everyone tandem-associates has charts explaining track requirements. There has always been those who know more than the manufacture. Try is, at normal speed attempt the smallest circle of 027 track.  

I can only speak for myself, all my O Gauge engines,671,675,736 all run fine on my O27.

my 736 handles 027 curves and switches without a hitch.

The 736 is listed as "O", but I haven't had any type of problem with running it on 027 track or 027 curves.  It is in the same realm of the S2 turbines 671/681/2020 locos.  IF you follow the numbering standards that a three digit number loco is strictly for "O", and a four digit number loco is "027", the answer would be that the 736/726 wouldn't handle 027 curves.  Take the 671 & 2020, and they are identical, with the ONLY exception being the number on the cab.  So why wouldn't the 671 run just like the 2020??  Everyone's layout is different as far as track, switches, etc., and the only problem that I would forsee is traveling through switches, that may cause problems.  If your layout is all 027, and switches, you could possibly see if you could borrow, or have someone with a 736, try it on your layout, and see if there are any issues.  If you can do that, and find no issues with linkage problems hitting switches, etc., then you know you can add a 736 to your roster.  Just a suggestion.

On the board my dad built in the late 50s he used 1122 and 1121 remote switches; the pair of 736s he owned ran (and still run) just fine on 0-27 switches.

Okay, since everyone here says it will work, I actually took my 736 out. In terms of O-27, this is what works for me with my very own eyes:

• Standard 0-27 Circle/Oval - no issues, just keep the speed low so she doesn't fly off the curve.
• 1122 Switches
• 1122(E) Switches

What doesn't work:

• 1121 Switches - the eccentric crank collides with the switch machine (and this is why she was banned from my O-27 lines)

Note that the 736 was introduced in 1950 when only 1121 switches were available.

Now, I have not tried all track configurations, but I believe this gives a good idea that O-27 is not completely out of the 736's operational envelope as I had initially thought.

hmmm...mine has never had a problem with the 1121s on my layout.

Same here - as long as you're not going at warp speed, 736s will go by 1121s (F units are a bit more of a challenge).