The curves on my branch line are less than 10½" radius and it goes round with no problems

How about this beauty ?

http://www.katousa.com/N/GS-4/index.html

I promise you it's a stonker - if you don't like it i'll buy it off you ! How's that for confidence...? 

  Yes we have seen this classic NSE liveried loco featured before!

Quote from: 4x2 on December 01, 2013, 11:12:11 AM
How about this beauty ?

http://www.katousa.com/N/GS-4/index.html

I promise you it's a stonker - if you don't like it i'll buy it off you ! How's that for confidence...? 

It is a nice loco but I like it better in its original livery 

[smg id=8654 type=av]

cheers John.

Thanks for all these suggestions guys,

As a starting point I had a look on e-bay for a second-hand Minitrix 9F, A4 or "Brit" - thought I might get a real bargain - sadly mistaken!! 

The Tornado suggestion is another good one, as I could run it on "Lofthole" assuming it will get round 8.5" curves (!) 

But all are under consideration, especially if I can find a bargain (apart from the UM ones as it really can't be tender driver for technical reasons, he says mysteriously.........)

Thanks again  Jon   

If you are patient and keep looking you should get a "Brit" eventually.

I saved a search on eBay for the Evening Star and after a few months of watching I won one for £33 and it runs very well 

cheers John.

Quote from: PostModN66 on December 01, 2013, 12:52:33 PM
But all are under consideration, especially if I can find a bargain (apart from the UM ones as it really can't be tender driver for technical reasons, he says mysteriously.........)

It may depend what you need the loco drive for. The loco drive doesn't necessarily mean there is space in the tender for sound or other electronica. The old Farish ones have big open spaces but that is actually quite unusual.

And if you are planning on modelling it running on a load testing bank or similar just buy a dummy and motorise the rollers!

Best running big steam loco I've seen on my layout is the Graham Farish Standard 5.  A friend bought two and, as he doesn't yet have a layout, brought them round to mine to test.  Smooth, quiet and powerful, better than anything by Dapol, better even than the Ixon Manor although that is a nice runner and the 28xx heavy goods loco isn't bad either but a bit noisy.  The 28xx is happy on Settrack points where the Manor isn't.

one of my best running steamers is the Kato GS4 Southern Pacifics ''Morrning Daylight'' smoth and powerfull - haul's the full 18 car consit up the grades and will take 9'' curves , crawls at a sleeper a time or will cruise at Kato's known high speed's 
the other good runner is also a Kato GS4 in North American Freedon Train livery .

Your 8.5" curves effectively rule out Dapol's big engines, though my Britannia managed the 8.5" curve on Parnhams in one direction.  Shame that, otherwise I'd have recommended all three pacifics.

Of the big Farish locos the WD is a beautiful runner, though some have a problem with traction tyres not touching the rails (the cause of all the early fuss about haulage), and I can recommend the new Ivatt 2MT.   I have no experience of the 5MT as it is inappropriate for my area.

Going tender drive, I'm the poor sod who has had endless problems with locked-up valve gear, but I CAN recommend the J39. 

Going secondhand the Minitrix A3 and A4 still generally run well and don't run too badly for their age- and being Continental in origin they're happy with silly curves..

All the very best
Les

WD getting a lot of votes - I will definitely look at this possibility!

Thanks  Jon   

Quote from: PostModN66 on December 02, 2013, 03:48:12 PM
WD getting a lot of votes - I will definitely look at this possibility!

Thanks  Jon   

Love my weathered version. Tempted to get another but when, not if found out, it may cause my early demise! 

Dave G

Not tender drive? You are putting batteries in there? Plus a tiny radio receiver!

my opinions....black 5 always a garunteed good runner...farish b1, dapol b17?  standard 4mt, standard 5mt....i have the lot and the best i would say is farish all the way, wasnt too impressed with the wd if im honest...

Quote from: davecttr on December 02, 2013, 11:32:24 PM
Not tender drive? You are putting batteries in there? Plus a tiny radio receiver!

Oh Dave....what a great suggestion - but a little more ambitious than what I'm actually thinking of!

Cheers   Jon