Check out Spookshows site. His locomotive encyclopedia reviews every N sclae locomotive ever made. He pulls no punches and tells you the good and bad about each engine. His URL is:
http://www.spookshow.net/locolist.php?diesels=6&steam=1&traction=2&nonbrass=3&brass=4&sortby=4&Submit=Submit
Using Google, I easily found the MR staff review of the HO scale version. Are you 100% sure there was one for the N scale version?
On another forum (forum rules prevent me from quoting), someone wrote this about the n scale version:
Performance-wise is quite good. I've heard that the initial runs of the Light Mountain suffered from poor traction tires, however my particular engine is a 2012 revision, so I have no issues with pulling power (I've tested it with 14 cars at a crawl and it handled it no problem). The one issue i do have with it though is derailing. The model can handle 11" radius track, however this is the bare minimum it will except. Any tighter, or if the track is poorly put together, and the driver wheels jump constantly. This really is a main line steamer, and the smoother the curves and inclines the better.
Simon
PS: I look up things on these reviews very often. Thanks MR!
I can't work out what has happened to the Model Railroader website. The Model Railroader product reviews seem to have gone to Trains.com, and to have acquired an impenetrable indexing system. I have been searching in vain for the review of the Spectrum N-scale USRA Light Mountain 4-8-2. I am sure there was one. In particular I was looking for the minimum radius curve it can handle. The Bachmann website / product docs unhelpfully don't specify this, but I am sure the MR review did.
And while on the subject of the website, why do I get at the top of the page a message "You have 7 views remaining"????? It was 9 views earlier today. My credit card says I'm still paying Kalmbach $2.70 a month for something. I assumed it was for access to the stuff on the website.
Bill