As far as size is concerned, this is up there near the biggest but it's not quite the biggest. The Big Boy gets done somewhat frequently and is a little larger, by Lionel's own specs (32" versus 31"). I'm sure other items like the PRR S-1, T-1, Challenger, Allegheny, maybe even the Cab Forwards, are in the same category with respect to size (30"+).
What makes this engine special is that it includes all three of Lionel's greatest-hits special effects (smoke coming out of the whistle, steam coming out of the cylinders, swinging bell).
If you like it, go for it. If what you want is the biggest steam engine ever, I doubt this is it. But that doesn't mean it's a bad engine and it doesn't even mean it's not a great engine. It's its own thing. It is a very large, hopefully highly-detailed, very tricked-out piece of model machinery.
