Post 36a
Medium Weight Steam Engines Used on the Layout
I have reported on the small regular engines like the 2-4-2 type like the Lionel 247, 248, Marx 999, 333 and 666 at ( https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...a-027-layout?page=2, post 12). Also included are 0-4-0 switchers. Some had plastic bodies and some had metal. I started operating these the first several years of the layout. I needed at least four good steam engines as the original layout stared in 1977 had a homemade working turntable and had two loops wired for two trains per loop operation requiring at least four engines.
Next I added medium size engines to pull more cars or heavier cars. These were the 2-6-4 engines like metal Lionel 2016, 2018 and 2026 and I needed at least four engines mentioned as above. I ran these, starting around 1989, mostly for several years.
I then moved up the heavier 2-6-2 Lionel 2025 and especially the 2-6-4 Lionel 2035 with Magna-Traction starting in 1998. At least four steam engines are needed as above. These last two are still my overall favorites and usually at least two are on the layout, pulling especially trains with several heavy operating cars.
