Which one do you prefer RK Big boy, Challenger or other large engine?

I'd go buy the Legacy LionMaster Challenger. Whistle steam, looks better than the MTH, better wireless drawbar set up and within the same price range. 

I've heard the lionmaster does not come equipped with speed control...is this true? 

Lionmaster has more detail I should know between  3 guys in our club we 4 out of the 2015 models and they are beautiful

Todd Knoll posted:

I've heard the lionmaster does not come equipped with speed control...is this true? 

The recently released Legacy model? No way. It has cruise control.

I have an older RK challenger in WM livery. I don't have any other large articulated engines, but I really love this engine.  I have used this engine extensively for years as on of my favorites.  I ran it on o31 for a long time without an issue so o36 should be fine.   I think if you go to anything bigger in real life you end up with the K-line style product that is very nice but closer to 3/16" scale instead 1/4".

I have the first run/first issue of the MTH RK Challenger #30-1108. Looks great, runs and pulls better than any other engine I have, takes 031 curves with no problem, climbs Lionel Trestles with ease, and some research showed that it's ALMOST a scale copy of a real 4-6-6-4 on the Vermont Central RR (if I ever wanted to do a repaint). It came out at a time when the only other option for a tight radius (042) 3R Mallet was ROW brass for $$$$. At the time, I wasn't sure if Mike would stay in business for long, so I ordered it at York and paid $500 early order price, waited what then seemed a long time, and finally got it and still couldn't be more pleased with it.

I suppose you could say I like it.

Dave I never ran mine on anything less than 054 so I cant really tell you how either would perform on a tighter radius...

here are some pics of my RK Challenger...

Here is a pic of my early version RK Big Boy originally PS1 but has been converted to PS2 and weathered ...this locomotive runs great and I have videos of it getting the snot beat out of it...

and finally here are some comparison pics of a later Imperial version...I don't run this one much...but note the size of the Imperial tender verses the earlier one the locos themselves share the same casting...the Imperial has a few more details.

MTH N&W Y6b Cab#2195 30-1163-1 PS2. Two motors and the best puller I ever owned. Regrettably not scale and got culled a few years ago. There is a RK Imperial version that is better detailed. 

Thanks guys for your thoughts. 

I buy mostly railking scale or imperial and like the engines to look good. I never did like the truncated look of earlier issues of the larger engines and was wondering if the newer versions look better. 

I will second Gilly on the N&W Y6b. I have the Imperial from 2007. I love this engine and it pulls everything.

RK N&W 2-8-8-2 locos more scale to me...great proportions. 

I have the legacy lionmaster big boy and challenger,plus the tmcc lionmaster cabforward and the n@w class a. I highly recommend all of them. I owned a rk imperial big boy it was a nice engine, but imo the legacy lionmaster looks better,runs better and the quillable whistle is hands down the winner. I run all my lionmaster locos on 036 fastrack with no issues either. 

I would be very concerned about the overhang of the engine on your 036 curves, and the scenery that may be wiped-out. Not long ago, I bought an AC12 Cab Forward. The Cab Forward's overhang on 042 curves made it necessary to reallocate a lot of track-side scenery.

The Lionmaster Challengers are the best looking IMHO. A close second is the Railking Allegheny. Either one will pull whatever you put behind them.

David, I too was limited by smaller radii and always regretted not being able to run any of the bigger engines that were coming out.  To redo my 8x8 layout at the time was out of the question due to the cost but I did want an articulated, even considered some of the K-line articulateds that were closer to S scale.  I finally pulled the trigger when Trainland was blowing out MTH PS1 engines, including new batteries and bought the Y6b.  It looked good on the smaller layout.  The layout has been down for some years now or I would take some pictures.

The brutes on my railroad all run through 031 curves and switches. As a matter of fact, the articulated engines are the best runners through tight curves and switches, but the substantial overhang of boilers and cabs needs considerations.

Rail King AC 12 Cab Forward, PS2Rail King USRA 2-8-8-2, PS2Rail King Y6b, PS2

I have had both Railking and Lionmaster versions of all those named. For me Lionmaster has the edge - but the imperial RK versions are very good indeed. The Imperial Y6b is one of my favourites 

Having 036 curves can save a lot of money. I know. I have 072. Everything runs on it. Dangerous.

Great little locos. I do buy the little RK 2-8-8-2's for bashing projects when a bargain comes (came - I have enough projects) along. I use them to make (nominally) 1:48 models of smaller prototypes, like this NYC 0-8-8-0 hump switcher (the NYC had about 14 of these) that started out as a RK 2-8-8-2.

Fairly accurate, actually. About 3 scale feet too short, as I recall. 3/4". Meh. Scale, accurate tender for this loco (old AHM). T/A Studios TMCC, electrocouplers F/R. Still proud of it, but, boy, do I see things I could do better today when I get close to it! Maybe a re-visit someday...series wired, but it needs cruise.

At one time or another, I've run the RK Challenger in D&H livery (youthful attachment to that railroad), the RK C&O Allegheny (close to my all time favorite engine but didn't care for the banshee whistle), and the N&W Y6b (which saw very little run time but was a nice engine.  Recently sold it on this board).  I have larger radius curves than you but they still looked great and saved me major $$ over the scale models.

This is an an easy one the Allegheny.

What other articulade can make the same operating claims as this machine?  

get both!!!  and lash em up

The Allegheny models from Lionel, MTH & 3rd Rail were all excellent models (scale).   The Railking, though diminutive in size also runs well.

I love my Lionmaster Challengers and Big Boys.  I have Rail King triplex and Allegheny.  MTH should lengthen the tender on the Rail King Allegheny to give it better proportionality.  The Lionmaster Challengers and Big Boys have very accurate semi scale proportions and detailing.

david1 posted:

Thanks guys for your thoughts. 

I buy mostly railking scale or imperial and like the engines to look good. I never did like the truncated look of earlier issues of the larger engines and was wondering if the newer versions look better. 

They're all from the same tooling, so they all look the same whether a new release or older.

I'll third the railking y6 as it is shorter than the UP models. As far as porportions are concerned the from of the y6 is a bit shorter than it should be, but it will have less swing through 0-36 than the bigboy and challenger.

I owned the PS2 Railking y6 in my early "semi scale" start to the hobby. It has without a doubt the BEST version of a N&W hooter in the hobby, period, possibly in model trains of any scale.

Heres video of 30-1438 ( Not mine)

L.I.TRAIN posted:

get both!!!  and lash em up

You can't without some work as they only come with one operating coupler.

David - Nicholas Smith has the RK Big Boy on display and it looks impressive to me.  When you go through the upstairs doors make an immediate 180 degree right turn and its in the case on the right.

I don't think you cango wrong with whatever you choose to get.

-Greg

With all this desire for articulateds of small size and curve radius, except for a couple of obscure (to me) Calif. logging 2-6-6-2's, no smaller articulateds, such as the Little River 2-4-4-2, have been offered (in spite of my lobbying). With smaller layouts outnumbering larger ones, you'd think they'd sell out?