Anyone know the minimum curve a Lionel 18001, 4-8-4 will take. I cannot find any information on the box or the instructions. I vaguely remember hearing O-42, but I can't confirm that.
Thank for any input.

The Lionel Rock Island 18001 will go over O-31 radius curves fine, but it doesn't like the Lionel O-42 switches very well. It won't derail, but you just have to give it more power. If you have this engine, I hope it doesn't have the problems with the defective motor bearings and the closely spaced wheels, which some of the earlier engines had. This is OGRR's Jim Barrett's favorite problem child. A great looking locomotive, but it had a lot of manufacturer's problems mentioned above, including tender trucks coming apart. I take it you're from Texas and model the Rock Island. Me too. I love my 18001. In neutral, the e-unit buzz sounds like a real steam engine's boiler. Today, I was pulling some Atlas PFE orange reefers with it.

Thanks Mike

I think I have one with the bearing problem, which I will have to fix (runs a little rough). Bought it off of ebay knowing they were prone to that problem...just could't resist a RI 1501 series 4-8-4.

Yes, I too model the Rock Island...grew up in Iowa which was big RI country at that time.

You may or may not have a bearing problem. With or without this problem, the engine is very noisy (growls). If you are up to it, take the engine apart, and look at the armature. If it has no up and down play, your engine may not have the problem. Also, look at the worm bearing and the gear. If it looks good and lubricated with white grease and not worn, your engine again probably doesn't have a bearing problem. The situation was, Lionel's manufacturer wrongfully put an out of round bearing on the motor shaft in some of these engines causing worm and gear wear. That is why you see so many of these on sale on ebay for about $150. My engine had a smoke plunger problem that was binding and slowing up the engine, so I disabled it. Also, the tender coupler needed a wire wrap to keep it from opening. But other than these problems, it is a very good looking engine. Look at it this way. We Rock Island fans have to put up with the challenges that the RI employees did at the time just before shut down in 1980. We make do with what we had.

There is a RI 4-8-4 at Papa Ben's in Houston, but i did not want to spend $$$$$over it!

If one does SP, you have to keep your even on the Rock, because the two interchanged a lot of stuff on the Golden State Line.

I bought the Lackawanna new, it ran but growled and groaned. I replaced the armature bushings and now it runs smooth as a new sewing machine. A very big difference.As for the track its the same chassis as the N&W J, so it should go through 031 switchs, no problem.

I have the Lackawanna version and it runs pretty well, all things considered. Mine does fine on O31 switches. Has anyone taken the ElectricRR sound commander to the tender to elliminate that "sound of scratch"?