What's the Largest Engine Your Layout Can Handle?

[Fergmiester]

This is a continuance of "What Northern would you like to see manufactured". I was suprised at the low response to that poll figuring there would be a large call for the Northern's but I guess I was wrong, which lead me to think that people are more interested in running smaller stuff or can only run smaller stuff.

Then again How many N scalers and non-steam types that I have inadvertantly alienate?[:(]

[tomwatkins]

Fergie,
Good question. The largest engines I'm going to run are Spectrum light mountains and P2K E-6's. My minimum radius is 24" so I could get larger engines around the layout but they wouldn't look good at all. My most common engines will be consolidations, mikes and F-units.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[Anonymous]

Scale H0

I can handle near all: Bigboys / Alleghenys / Y6 no problem - A friend wanted to test his brass UP 8080 the extreme B unit had massive problems in curves! Was a very old ORION built model! Could never test a Overland 8080.

[Fergmiester]

I'm all over the place regarding curves. What I have found is that though I'm running a Big Boy (with help) it doesn't look good even on 28" curves. So I figure the Allegheny is as big as I dare go though I've looked at the Heritage 2-8-8-2 and it is a nice looking engine and would fit into my scenario as far as steep grades and lots of coal and ore cars.

[Anonymous]

Fergie,

Low response?? You had more than 150 views on that subject. I didn't vote nor reply as I model ATSF. Whether she looks good on 20", 22" and 24" curves or not I am looking forward to getting BLI's new Santa Fe 3751.

"There were 36 North American Railroads that owned and operated a total of 1,126 "Northern" type locomotives." http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/

IMHO you would have gotten a better response if you had approached it by model manufacturer rather than by road.

[Anonymous]

Our club's modular layout can handle anything. With a standard corner radius at 36 inches and our "inside-out" corner a whopping 57 inches[:0], thanks to 2 gradual "s" curves on each approach.
We regularly see Alleghenys and N&W Y's, never with a problem. We also see alot of my WM 4-8-4 Potomac, along with a whole passle of 0-8-0's and 2-8-0's. [:D]

[orsonroy]

My layout's got 30" minimum mainline curves, so I suppose I can run anything up to Big Boys. The largest steamers that will regularly run on my layout are NKP Berkshires (2-8-4), with an occasional run by a N&W Y (2-8-8-2) when no one's looking!

Fergmeister: I think you got a smaller responce than you anticipated because most of us die-hard steam nuts ARE fed up with the manufacturers making nothing but the rare big stuff. We've got three manufacturers making Challengers but only one making 4-6-0s with up-to-date technology. We've only got one 2-8-0. And it seems like manufacturers only think Mikados came from the USRA plans. There were tens of thousands of steamers made before WWI and the USRA, but we've got models of only 5-6 of them.

[CP5415]

If I was thinking brass, maybe a 4-6-2, Maybe!
Right now it can handle anything plastic.
I would have to agree with Ray in that it would be nice if somebody would make a smaller steam locomotive like say a decent Pacific or Hudson, especially in CP livery so that I would want one.
I have no need for Big-Boys, Challengers or even a Northern. Even though a K1a could find it's way onto my layout if someone did make a decent plastic one.

Just my 2 cents

Gordon

[ndbprr]

I can handle any engine ever made and prototypically ( as long as they stay on the straight sections).

[Anonymous]

Not being DCC, I'm slow to climb the grade to respond. I'm locked in at 22"but can fire up the mighty-most powerful 'Beast from the East", subject to EPA approval

[Anonymous]

I designed my layout to handle a DD40 - not realising at the time that the Athearn examples are rather tricky to find over here (I've only seen 2 on ebay, let alone in a store!). On the plus side, this does mean I can switch with an SD40T-2 without having to shuffle cars around too much.

[Jetrock]

My 12" radius curves can handle a Geep or F-unit at low speeds...heh.

[AggroJones]

My max radius is 24", so it can't handle much. Pushing the limits on my layout are the Rivarossi 4-6-6-4 and BLI AC-5. A BigBoy is impossible for me, now. I wish I had more room for wider curves. The largest ridged steamer I can handle is a UP FEF-3.

[Anonymous]

With 2 1/2x5 in N-scale, my radii range from 12" down to 9 3/4". Some older Geeps (older models, not older prototypes) visibly slow on some of those tight radii. A GP40 is the maximum length I can run in normal operations.

BTW, I didn't feel alienated. There are plenty of threads that don't apply, or even interest me, yet I don't feel left out or anything.

---jps

[cisco1]

My layout has minimum 24" radius curves with 28" easements but I doubt that there will be anything bigger than a 2-8-2 unless I can find a Burlington O5a (4-8-4) somewhere.
Did buy a 2-10-4 the other night . When it gets here I may end up rebuilding half the layout so I can run it![oops]

[Anonymous]

HI
Good grief how many acres have you guys got!!!
I normaly don't run anything larger than an 0-6-0 tender locomotive and have had layouts that even they are too large for.
regards John

[Anonymous]

My layout will have 26" radius curves, so I guess I could handle anything. I plan on getting a Big Boy soon, and, even though it may not look good on such sharp curves, I still want to have one on my layout. I've already got a Rivarossi FEF-3 4-8-4 that runs fine on my 22" curves AND 18" curves (though I wouldn't recommend it). I guess the only thing I couldn't handle would be something like a 4-12-2 or a 2-6-6-6-2 (I don't even think one is made).