Does the MTH Triplex look good on a 22 inch radius?
Luke,
The 2-8-8-8-2 Triplex is a long beast. It may work on a 22" radius. However, I don’t think it will look good doing it though. I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t have a 24" minimum radius.
Tom
As I once said to the infamous Mark Huber “Stop spending money on loco’s that you don’t need, and won’t look good on your curves, and invest in your scenery and rollling stock!”
Whistles…
New Haven–
According to the current MR review of the Triplex, it will negotiate curves as tight as 22" since both engines under the boiler are articulated. Funny thing about articulateds–especially the current crop with double-articulation–they will go where long-wheel-based non-articulateds wouldn’t dare, LOL! I don’t know about the total length of the loco,but if you kind of ignore the driver set under the tender, you’re really only looking at a 2-8-8-0 as far as total locomotive length. It’s when you add that third set of drivers that makes the loco look so ferociously BIG. But we’re definitely not talking Big Boy or Yellowstone, here.
Please don’t think I’m carping or anything, but I know you and I have discussed big steam on your radius, before. Is there a chance that you could expand to 24" radius at all? I think it would open your model railroad up to quite a few more possibilities as far as big steam.
Just a thought.
Tom [:)]
I would like to expand to 24 inch, but my 22 inch radius is close to the edge. I orginally planned for a 24 inch radius, but couldn’t find it in section & didn’t want to deal with flex track. I might get one & if it derails, I’ll sell it.
New Haven–
I think the only sectional track that comes in 24" is the Bachmann EZ track, which is pretty darned good stuff if you replace the connectors with Atlas (the EZ connectors seem kind of flimsy). One problem is that the height of the EZ track doesn’t really mate with Atlas without shimming. Actually, I’ve used Bachmann EZ 34"-36" wide radius on certain sections of my own MR (cliff-sides, where I don’t trust trying to curve the Atlas) and it’s worked out just fine. I can mate it with the Atlas and Sinohara that I use by just shimming it with a short section of Woodland Scenics N-scale foam roadbed. Works out fine.
But you may not end up with a problem with the Triplex, after all. As I said, Articulateds tend to go where long wheel-based non-Articulateds wouldn’t dare, LOL!
Tom [:)]
Thanks! Now, I need to get a DCS system http://stores.channeladvisor.com/trainz/items/item.aspx?itemid=11031090 to get all of the functions. Then it will be worth the big cash!
Is this a good price for the Triplex? http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?Scale=HO&Item=laxd3gfs&ID=200501516 This also might help because it tells how big & how long it is.
The best price I have found for the Triplex is http://www.tonystrains.com/locomotive/mth.htm
So they are out finaly?[:D] I have day dreaming about one for sometime now. One thing I want to see before I throw money at it is some reviews from owners here at the site. With the hinge point of the engines drivers I wonder how much over hang there will be in a trun?
For a Mallet, the Y6-b PCM is hard to beat.
Cuda Ken
Ken–
The more I look at the Triplex, the more I think the overhang on a curve isn’t going to be much more than a 2-8-8-2, because of the ‘triple’ articulation. Just consider the free-rolling drivers under the tender as ‘trucks’ rather than drivers. The loco is articulated at the second set of drivers like most current articulateds, and the tender is just along for the ride. Actually, I think because of the third set of drivers, the loco looks much bigger than it actually is. I’d be surprised if it’s much longer totally than a Y3 or Y6 2-8-8-2. And if MR says that all of that can fit around a 22" minimum, then I’d say go for it. As I said before, I don’t think we’re talking Yellowstone or Big Boy here as far as just the loco length itself.
Tom [:)]
Go for it. [tup]
Aggro, I will go for it after you review your! [;)] May do a search on U-Tube and see if there is anything there.
Then there is the USRA 2-6-6-2 Bachmann.
Cuda Ken