What's the smallest available engine in O?

Lionel has a speeder that may be shorter. Are you looking at wheel base or overall length?

Great question Bill. Overall length. I have a short section of track where I'm using a reversing circuit, and I'm trying to make the most out of it.

 

Plymouth switch is 6" long. I checked out the lionel speeder (Thanks Bill) and it's 3 3/4". Just what I'm looking for.

 

Thank you, Terry

What about some of RMT's beeps?

Thanks ogaugeguy. I should have thought of that. I'm headed to the basement for a measurement! Thank you, Terry

The Plymouth is way shorter than a Beep.

Allan is correct. Beeps are 9 1/2 inches long. Heading in the wrong direction.

Perhaps there is a trolley or MU car truck that will work? What is the wheel base you need?

Thanks Bobby. I'm just trying to get the shortest overall length from coupler to coupler. So far, Billshoff had the best best. Speeders at 3 3/4 inches. Terry

Of course, the speeder has no couplers, so it's not going to be dragging anything with it.

Ummm.

 

Howsabout one of these?

 

 

Rusty

Trackmobile?

 

Ha! beat me to it!

Trackmobile is a great idea. I'm going to check it out. And yes, speeder with no couplers or now maybe a trackmobile. Thanks for all the ideas and comments. Terry

I think we had this discussion not long ago, it was for a locomotive and a single car, the Trackmobile won the contest then too.

There is the Atlas Industrial rail handcar, 4" long, with slotted holes each end for the link bars like those used by K-Line ore cars.  One of these linked to an ore car has a consist length of 8".  Great fun!

 

http://www.atlaso.com/IR/irhandcar.htm

The Trackmobiles are pretty darn cool.  I have the U.S. Army version, and it has a lot of features for something its size.

I would like to know what is the 3 rail STEAM engine with the shortest wheelbase, and the smallest diameter SPOKED wheels?  I have a project that has been on hold

for years because I haven't found anything from parts dealers that will work for

this.  And I will kitbash the heck out of it.

 

 

Probably the Lionel 0-4-0 "shifter."  I'd love to bash one into Reading A4 camelback, but they're pricey. 

K-Line/Lionel Porter.

Thanks for the comments. The porter and the trackmobile are both 6" long (coupler to coupler). I ordered a MOW speeder for this project. However, several of you mentioned the trackmobile. It had been a while since I'd looked at them and you are correct. Fascinating. At the same time there was another post about making new handrails for the trackmobile so I think one project and purchase just caused another. Thanks again, Terry

How about a small Koef 2 shunter from Germany? It might be a wee bit longer, but is a great small loco with DCC and sound etc.  I love my one

 

I have the K-line porter. Very nice smooth runner. In MHO the Trackmobile can't be beat for its small size. Remote couplers, good puller and just flat out cool. Plus the price on them has been dropping especially on certain road names. Awesome to have for yard work and just plain fun.

Since he obviously has a 3-rail setup, how exactly can he use this one?

What a fun thread!

 

It can't compete with a 6" long Plymouth for shortness, but at 8" long, should overall performance be an issue, it's hard to beat the Railking Docksider that came in an RTR set in about 1999.

One question, is this command or conventional operation?

 

 

I have one of the Railking Docksiders that I converted to command, TMCC in this case.  It is a nice little locomotive, and will smoke you out of the house!  The nice thing about that model was it was very easy to add electrocouplers, just connect pop in the hardware.  When I did a Lionel Docksider, it was a nightmare to add electrocouplers.