Lionel postwar 2500 silver series Passenger cars.

[Michael6268]

Does anyone know the minimum curve that the Lionel postwar 2500 silver series aluminum Passenger cars can run on?

[Flintlock76]

They should be good for 031 diameter curves or larger.

You might  get away with running them on 027 curves, but I wouldn't count on it.  Some 031 products can tolerate 027 curves, some can't.

Here's a website that's a gold mine for Lionel post-war information.

http://www.tandem-associates.com/lionel/lionelident.htm

[Michael6268]

Thanks for the input Flint.

I use that site all the time too. Actually I looked on it prior to posting and it just said "larger O Gauge track."   So that could mean just about anything.

I'm with you. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work on O31 or larger.  I know it will have a lot of overhang on the curves, but that's okay.

[Flintlock76]

You're welcome!

And back when those cars were new overhang on curves is something very few people concerned themselves with. 

[pennytrains]

I run Williams (the real one, not WBB) madison cars on O31 and it's a bit dodgy at the couplers.  15" cars are about the limit of what I'm comfortable with.

[lionelsoni]

They will run on O31, but not on O27.  That is, unless you are willing to trim off the skirts.  I have done this and run a train of eight cars behind a Santa Fe ABBA lash-up on O27.

[ADCX Rob]

They were cataloged in "O" (and later Super O) sets, so the 14.14" radius of O track is satisfactory for these cars. They will awkwardly negotiate O-27 curves, but will not come even close to going through O-27 switches as they will hit the switch motor housings.

[Michael6268]

I'll be using 036 and larger so it sounds like I'll be ok.  Thanks everyone!