Quick question - on Lionel's early ALco PA's (SF & NYC)

Here is a video of one...looks like it might be 0-31:

 

The innermost wheel-sets are blind, so it should be able to squeak through.

Thanks for the video but the inner circle appears to be 031...

C.Sam......I believe these alcos were on the covers of the 97 catalogs....I suspect they have the diameter restrictions in the catalog. I will look later.

 

Peter

I have a set of Erie lackawanna pa's I run them on O48...

No mention of minimum track radius in the 1997 Lionel Classic catalogs in which the locomotives appeared and nothing in the operating manuals.  The locomotives are 16-1/2" long, about the size of a traditional streamlined aluminum passenger car.  

 

Don't own any 31" radius track but pulled out some 36" FasTrack we use around the Christmas tree and attached a photo of the Santa Fe version on the track.  Also pulled out some old 27" tubular, and the locomotive would not even mount on the track (surprise!).

 

Finally, I attached a photo of the trucks in maximum turn position against a scale.

 

Bottom line, my guess is the locomotives will navigate the 31" radius but look awful in the process.

 

Hope this information is of some help. 

Hi c. sam

 

I have the Lionel PA-1 loco and the original ’97 Lionel Catalog it was listed in. Although I run O72 & O54 curves on my layout, I believe the PA-1 will run on O-31 curves. I read the catalog listing for the PA-1. It does not mention anything about curve capability. I think back then there was a general expectation that the locomotives will negotiate O-31 curves.

 

Hope this helps...

FWIW, the new ones (Legacy, etc) state "0-31" on the website, so I assume (!) that the old

ones will, too. I have an old one with TMCC (NYC) that I got on Mr Bay this year,

and I spotted one today....with a familiar seller....

 

My old one was made in Michigan, which surprised me. I assume (again!) that the basic tooling went to K or C. Good runner, even w/o cruise. 

Would think you are correct as Lionel tubular O31 switch will pass an FM so these should work. Great locos for young (and old hands versus details crowd.

Yes they will Sam. May not look pretty but they do run around O31. 

So Sam - if you sold all your Right-of-Way PA sets and are now buying Lionel, tell us why you have selected the Lionel over the brass?  Is it just the mechanisms, or is there a visual difference?

Thanks for the input fellas. I have the NYC selling on eBay about 10:30 tonight and a person had asked me if it would handle Lione 0-31 track. I wasn't sure so I "asked the experts"! 

 

Hi Bob  No, was selling the Lionel as well. The ROW had large Pittman can motors but lacked flywheels. They were still great runners and pullers but you had to be careful when stopping...