Really big train and LEGO's track

[Lego Otaku]

LEGO's track has a much tighter curve radius than a regular train track so building a really big engine can be extra challenging. Often time both leading and trailing trucks have to be articulated, even if they originally didn't move as much side way on the real thing.

I was looking at a few monster steam engines like 2-8-8-8-4 and 4-14-4. Both of them never got out of prototype stage because they were simply too big: 2-8-8-8-4 couldn't get past 5 mph (8 kph) because the cylinder used more steam than the boiler can generate and the 4-14-4 couldn't handle the track at all.

I don't have the knack like some people have for making good looking engine that is very close to actual real engine. But it'd be interesting challenge to make either of the above engine work on LEGO track. LEGO did release a crocodile style engine with 2 sets of drive wheels but one of the steam engine above has 3 sets and weren't articulated like crocodile

Anyone brave enough to test and see if the monster engines could handle LEGO tracks?.

[Barduck]

The 2-8-8-8-4 was a Mallet type loco, that means articulated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-8-8-8-4). I build one (http://www.flickr.co...157632561306642) and Shuppiluliumas did the Erie one, a 2-8-8-8-2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34338074@N06/sets/72157620948870261). As for the 4-14-4, I've been thinking about trying it on for size but I don't think it'll be more than a display model. Both Shuppiluliumas (http://www.flickr.com/photos/34338074@N06/sets/72157619466871350) and Jayhurst (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jayhurst/sets/72157622490861128) did a working 4-12-2

Edited October 20, 2013 by Barduck