# Which Steam Locomotive for tight radius track?



## SantaFeKid1 (May 1, 2016)

Greetings all,

I’m planning a simple, N Scale, DC, micro layout that will use KATO Unitrack and will have 9-3/4" radius curves. Any suggestions on a DC Steam Locomotive that can handle that tight of a radius? The rolling stock will be just a few 40' freight cars. 

Thank you in advance for the replies.


----------



## BrokeCurmudgeon (Feb 8, 2016)

I have one of these. They seem to work OK in DC although I use mine in DCC. I also use Kato Unitrak and have some in that radi.




The DC version is less money. Good luck!


----------



## SantaFeKid1 (May 1, 2016)

I'll looking into it. Thanx.


----------



## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Short wheelbase*



SantaFeKid1 said:


> Greetings all,
> 
> I’m planning a simple, N Scale, DC, micro layout that will use KATO Unitrack and will have 9-3/4" radius curves. Any suggestions on a DC Steam Locomotive that can handle that tight of a radius? The rolling stock will be just a few 40' freight cars.
> 
> Thank you in advance for the replies.


SantaFeKid;

Just about any steamer with 6 or fewer drivers would work, I would avoid bigger steam with eight or more drivers.

regards;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


----------



## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

traction fan said:


> Just about any steamer with 6 or fewer drivers would work, I would avoid bigger steam with eight or more drivers.


While this is sound advice, there are some 8-wheeled steamers that do fine on 18" curves. It depends on how the loco is engineered.

I have two Bachman Spectrum 2-8-0s that do fine on 18" curves. All four drive axles have some left-right play in them, which allows all eight of the wheels to stay on track at the same time. The wheels are also thinner than those on some older locos. This avoids shorting out at turnout frogs.


----------



## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

MtRR75 said:


> While this is sound advice, there are some 8-wheeled steamers that do fine on 18" curves. It depends on how the loco is engineered.
> 
> I have two Bachman Spectrum 2-8-0s that do fine on 18" curves. All four drive axles have some left-right play in them, which allows all eight of the wheels to stay on track at the same time. The wheels are also thinner than those on some older locos. This avoids shorting out at turnout frogs.


I would imagine that, in N scale, you can run just about anything on an 18" curve....

As with anything else, these thumb rules are just guidelines. The true test of whether a given locomotive will handle a given curve is to try it. Problem is, you can't always do that with a new acquisition before you buy it.


----------



## kevinh (Jan 26, 2015)

I agree with what's been suggested above--just about anything with a x-6-x (or shorter) configuration is probably good to go.

There are some locos with more drivers that will also navigate 9.75" curves successfully. (Spookshow's reviews, as one source, generally touch on minimum radius considerations; for an extreme example he notes that the Bachmann Spectrum USRA 2-10-2 (!) will actually squeeze through 9.75" turns.) Sometimes those big locos will require very careful fiddling with the track and or pilot trucks to run reliably over those narrow curves (again, very model-dependent). 

That said, some people find that big, long locos swinging around tiny curves just look a bit..off. (You also have to be much more careful about extra clearance with respect to trackside scenery.) If you're just hauling a few 40' cars, you're probably not planning to use a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy anyway. To each his own, of course.


----------

