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 Posted - December 08 2015 : 3:25:38 PM
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Greetings, I am looking to get a 20th-century moderne deco/streamlined locomotive and tender.
I have never owned a steam engine this large, and I am wondering how the models with 4 large wheels on each side perform around 18" radius curved track.
I run the trains at slow to moderate speeds.
If the 4-wheel-per-side models are too large, how about the models with three large wheels per side?
Thanks in advance.
Edited by - ShockControl on December 08 2015 3:26:50 PM
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Posted - December 10 2015 : 08:57:33 AM
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Most 8 driver locos would have a hard time with 18 inch radius curves. The only ones that I can think of that would wor is a 2-8-0 consolidation, but that is not streamlined, or if you can find an engine that has blind flange less middle drivers, that could work. 4-6-2 locomotives would work just fine on that radius, and streamline ones were available from IHC, and some other companies. If you have the space, I would change your track to 22 inch radius if you still can. A lot of larger diesel and steam don't work on the smaller radius curves, and your trains will look better running on them. That is what I did to run my 4-8-4 daylight.
-Peter
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Posted - December 10 2015 : 10:23:43 PM
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A lot depends on the total wheel base even with blind drivers. I have a Bowser Consolidation and a Mantua Mikado that do 18" radius curves just fine. I also have an MDC consolidation (the big one, not the old timer) that was converted to blind drivers and still has problems with 18" radius curves. The wheelbase is long enough that the blind drivers on the outside of the curve can drop down inside the rails and catch their outer edge when they try to move back onto the rail at the end of the curve. Before it was converted to blind drivers, it just wouldn't flex that much.
An 8-coupled engine with large drivers would have a long wheel base, so unless it was designed with a lot of end play on the wheel sets, it would probably be too stiff to make the turn.
Rivarossi had a trick on their 0-8-0. They made the last drive axle able to shift far from side to side, and up and down. The thing is really an 0-6-0 with another pair of drivers sort of tagging along for cosmetic reasons. They may have incorporated this on some of their bigger 8-coupled engines, as well, since I think many of them were advertised as being compatible with 18" radius.
Still, if you can find a Pacific or Hudson to your liking, it would be more flexible by definition.
Carpe Manana!
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