Large Scale Central

Best Steam Locomotive for Display Layouts

What would be the best steam locomotives to use on a display layout.

Criteria.

  1. US outline

  2. DC Track power on brass rail

  3. 8 hours a day for 5 days and 12 hours on the 6th day

  4. unattended operation

Based on this I would assume that sliders for pickup would be mandatory.

Thoughts?

Stan

LGB Mogule.

Stan,

Hartmann’s museum always had an LGB mogul and and an Americanized LGB 0-4-0. Parts would wear out occasionally, but they had big hours and ran for years and years.

Other considerations…

What are the radii like? The 0-4-0 will obviously last longer on sharper turns.

What is the controller like? Will the trains run constantly, or will they be on timers or push buttons.

If timer or push button, be sure to use momentum to save the gears. If running constantly, be sure to use low-resistance LGB or Piko ball bearing wheelsets on all the cars to reduce drag to keep the motor from getting too hot.

I maintained an LGB 0-4-0’s for several years for a restaurant. Items that wore out were traction tires, sliders and the curved sections of the track.

Don’t overload the engine with a bunch of cars. They ran 4 two axle coaches . Twice in the ten years or so, the motors and gears were replaced due to wear.

Eventually the axles wore oblong holes in the motor blocks. Also the running gear (rods, etc developed oblong holes.)

These locos run 9 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Anything with Barry’s drive…

you did not mention how many coaches, put ball bearing on the cars no matter what loco… put ball bearing wheels with pickups on the tender.

Greg

Made 1 and maintained it for Dunn’s toys and hobbies for several years, ran a LGB 2017 with powered tender 3-4axel cars and 1-2 axel caboose. Ran 6 days a week from 8 to 6 and about every year had to change some drive wheels, and sliders, traction tires, curved rails (all was 1100) never had to change any motors or gears but did take down and lube every 90 days. When the store moved to a larger location 1600 track was used for curves and a LGB 2018s mogul was it’s power, again same 3 months maintenance, but never and rail changes or gear/motor replacement in 2 years at what time the store closed. Fun job getting paid to play with trains.