not all had that problem as a lot where made either O or O-27 with just a O clarrifcation on the bottom or O-27 sometimes the same engine would be in two different sets but one said O on the bottom and the other said O-27. Who knows why or what Lionel did back then.
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
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I have a number of O31-minimum pieces that I run on O27 with no problem from the rail height or ties. I have modified many of them in various ways to handle the 12.5-inch radius, but all have satisfactory flange clearance. I have one loop for unmodified O31 pieces; but it's Marx O34, which has the same profile as O27 track.
Bob Nelson
I am curious at comment indicating wheels on O gauge locomotives could not be accommodated by the height of 027 track. Locomotives like the turbine or 675 were also marked with other numbers and sold with 027 sets as well, indicating that they were identical.
What you describe would result in a “bump bump bump“ as the trains run down the track and I have never sensed that.
O gauge track also has a higher profile. and thats the main reason O guage engines require O guage track. I don't know if they get more contact with the track or not but I do know some will bounce per say down the track as they will hit the ties on O-27 profile track no mater what radius it is.
The track is 027 profile but bigger radii than that. At least Marx 034 or o42 by k-line. I have no true 027 curves involved.
The 736 was intended for use on 031 tracks, so the 027 trackage may be causing some of the problems, that is, the locomotive may be having trouble negotiating the tighter turns.
Just a wild guess on my part. I've got a 736 and it'll pull up to 14 modern boxcars with no problem, MTH, Atlas, or Lionel, all much heavier than the ones from the 50's. The Magne-Traction on mine still works, but doesn't do me any good since I'm running on nickle-silver track.
I should add I'm also running on a simple, level, closed loop. Take it for what it's worth.
Anyway, a 736 is a great locomotive to have, a Lionel classic!
One thing I just remembered. I've got two Williams Berkshires, basically knock-offs of the Lionel 736, which will negotiate 027 curves if you run them slowly, but I also have some passenger and freight cars meant for use on 031 curves that WON'T negotiate an 027 curve! Try doing so and they'll just bind up in the curve and stop cold.
I have gone over my layout with a ruler and a level, and found that improvement of performance was possible by improvement of my carpentry, which is really not the greatest. IN some places, my grade wasn't uniform, so the pct varied and gave rise to poor and uneven performance. The Berkshire"s magnetism is, in my mind, questionable, but I dont really know how to compare it to what it "should be." I also have a 2046 which performs very much the same as the 736, with the same 3 Madison coaches. But no question, better carpentry gives better performance. By the way I am using old fashioned Lionel 027 tubular track or a knock off on it with the same construction.
Your 736 shouldn't have a problem as it has magnatraction, unless it has lost most of it magnetic pull/power. What type of track are you using? This could also be a big part of the reason.
Edit: just read the 2023 had magnatraction also so I'm thinking it has to do with your track. ie nonmagnetic track as in gargraves, fastrack, etc.
I don't know about the 736, but the 2023 is not much of a puller. However, I found that replacing the dummy unit by a second powered unit made a great difference. I wired the new unit's motor into the original locomotive's e-unit, to avoid problems with synchronizing the direction control. I didn't bother to use a connector, but just ran the necessary wiring across the dummy rear couplers and secured it to them with Ty-raps. It now easily pulls a 12-car train of 2400-type cars (on the level--I don't have any grades).
i have a table 3’8”x 11 ft with a loop of tubular Lional track running the perimeter in a folded dog bone with the loops stacked one over top of the other. The loops are approx 5.5” vertical separation. On a rough basis the trains climb that grade in a distance of 18ft or 216”. I make that a about a 2.7pct grade. Should I expect a 2023 UP diesel to haul 3 2480series passenger cars up that grade. How about a 736 Berkshire and 2046 tender with 3 Madison cars? I have difficulty with both of these trains going up this grade. Comments?
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