What was your favorite steam and/or diesel locomotive(s) in the 40s and 50s

[Gunns]

Dropping by to say hi...
I'm still Biased, The 2926 <G>



Gunns

[Anonymous]

I think anything with smoke coming out of it was really nice but I did like the UP Bigboys, under full steam crossing the prairies. While visiting the Cheyenne roundhouse I backed a Bigboy out and across the turn table and under the coal chute for reloading. Will never forget that.

[Anonymous]

Favorite steam:
SP GS-4
N&W Class J
UP 4000 Class
NP Z-7
NP A-5
CP T-1c

Favorite Diesel:
AT&SF F-7
CB&Q E-5
MILW Erie FM (for Olympian Hiawatha)

[Trainnut484]

I'm bringing this back to the front pages for new people here at the Classic Trains forums. Again, this is not a locomotive bashing, and "Mine is better than yours" bickering thread.

Here are a couple more of my favorites: D&RGW PA's and F units in the Yellow/black paint scheme.

Take care,

Russell

[Anonymous]

Gents, this is my first day here, but either way, I have always liked English Electric locomotives and this is a fine example:

Bob

[Anonymous]

As a kid I only saw Missouri Pacific and really liked their PAs in blue and grey. Looking back from today I like ATSF and UP PAs in their respective livery, UP's 4-8-4s, Santa Fe's 4-8-4s, Most MoPac steam, and virtually everybody's F3s and F7s. UP's Big Boys are top notch, too.

[grayfox1119]

My favorite is the Berkshire 2-8-4 that ran from Boston to Albany NY on the old B&A main line through the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. I wish LifeLike, Bachmann, or BLI would make one in HO gauge like the original one with Elesco water heater over the headlamp.

[Isambard]

My vote goes to the CPR's T1C 5900 series 2-10-4 Selkirks, massive and good looking steam!
See one via this link: http://www.railroadforums.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=19834&cat=500&page=3

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by espeefoamer

Steam. SP GS4 Daylight 4-8-4.
Diesel SP FP7.

Ditto with the following provisos.

The Daylight's been deskirted and painted black.

The FP-7 is in Black Widow is has been outfitted with icicle breakers.

Andre

[Anonymous]

My favorite steam is a New York Central's Hudson.
My Favorite diesel is an F7.

[twhite]

I grew up along SP's Donner Pass route, so I was used to the AC Cab-forwards. Always liked them, didn't know that they were 'backwards' articulateds until I saw my first WP 2-8-8-2 in the Feather River Canyon.
But I've always liked heavy articulateds. Favorites? Rio Grande L-131 2-8-8-2 and L-105 4-6-6-4, Missabe Road M-3/4 2-8-8-4, C&O 2-8-8-2 and 2-6-6-6, and the gorgeous NP/SP&S/GN Z-series 4-6-6-4.
Diesels: EMD's E-2 as used on the City of San Francisco, and Alco's PA series in SP Daylight scheme. Yummy!
Tom

[DavidJ611]

Wow, so many awesome choices mentioned already...

Of course, my obvious personal fave is the N&W J-Class 4-8-4's. [^][^][^]

...but oh how I love all N&W "modern" steam, including not only the J's, but also A-Class 2-6-6-4's, Y-Class 2-8-8-2's and K-Class 4-8-2's. I also have a soft spot for the M-Class 4-8-0 "Mollies" last used on N&W "Virginia Creeper" and "Huckleberry Branches".

I also love the Lima Superpower locos of the C&O Railway (H8 2-6-6-6 "Alleghenies" and K4 2-8-4 "Kanawhas")

For diesels, I like EMD E6's and early Geeps, Alco RS's, and FM H-16-44's.

-Dave

[Anonymous]

I like the shay's. just beacause of the looks and power they had to climb the mountains when logging and coal mining.

[Anonymous]

Nickle Plate Road 2-8-4 Berkshires made by Lima. Santa Fe EMD E-6 in red, silver ,yellow and black Warbonnet (like the Cambells soup can, lol).

[Anonymous]

STEAMI love the Wabash Northerns (2900 class / Baldwins {I THINK}, but I'd also have to vote for the ATSF Northerns like 3751 (Those stack extensions look sooo cool)
DieselFor a diesel I'm surprised that nobody has voted for the FT. The little engine that could.

Being an Aussie I have to vote for some locals too:
(Both of these are worth looking for pictures. I got pictures but their all slides)
The 38 Class Pacific (38000 lbs TE, around 2400 Hp, and 220 T, which was heavy here in Australia {the idea of superpower was just starting to catch on when WWII started}). Built in 1943, they look like somebody kitbashed a K4, with bits from a NW J and a New Haven I-5. Their little 69" drivers could still get up to 90 - 95 MPH
The 43 Class Diesel. Built a year or two after Alco-GE split. They combined an Alco 244 with GE electrics and body...Sort of looked a bit like an Eire-Built and one of the Black Moria demonstrators. Weak, gutless but they sure looked good.

[markn]

Steam- N&W J
Diesel- EMD E7

[Dr Leonard]

I assume this poll refers to locomotives actually seen during the 1940s-1950s. I never saw the PRR duplexes, but I saw plenty of the NYC Hudsons that have been mentioned, and even photographed a few. However, my favorite NYC loco would be the Niagara 4-8-4, which I also saw and photographed. But I saw many more of the GTW U-3-b 4-8-4s running in Michigan, where my family lived at the time. So I will vote for them this time around. Two of them survive, 6323 (Illinois Railway Museum) and 6325 (Ohio Central). For my photos, visit my web site, http://members.aol.com/rlsteam . -- Dr. Richard Leonard, Kirkland, Illinois

[trainboyH16-44]

CP T1c 2-10-4 Selkirk.
Second is the CPA16-4, and third is the F-series. Bringing up fourth is the H16-44
Trainboy

[Trainnut484]

This thread is doing great [tup]

I'll toss in another favorite, ALCO's RSD15s (gators). They were unique in looks, and the stacks of smoke they generated..WHOOOEEEEE.

Russell

[jlampke]

SP GS-4's and GS-5's in daylight colors...... Sure is sad more weren't preserved.

[daveklepper]

All three N&W modern classes, the A's, Y's, and J's best for their uses of any steam power ever built. The N&W J's, the New Haven I-5's, and the SP Daylight GS-4's were the best looking streamlined steam. The best looking non-streamlined Hudson was not in my opinion the NYC's J's, although I like them, but the Lackawanna and similar Nickel Plate Hudsons. Overseas, although shovel nose steam really didn't turn me on in the USA (Commodor Vanderbuilt, Aeoleus, Hiawathas), I liked the Gresley A-4, and it was also the best steam passenger engine in the UK for performance.

Most beautiful diesel CB&Q E-5. Most beautiful train anywhere for me today is the Nebraska Zephyr with its E-5 at IRM in Union. (Although the Electroliner is a very close second.)

The best electric locomotive in my opnion was not the GG-1 but the very similar (mechannically) but even more powerful New Haven EF-3 when boiler equipped for passenger as well as freight service. I certainly liked GG-1's though.

The K4 had a particular charm and got my admiration for essentially doing a job as well as much younger locomotives. The proportions of the E-6 made it better looking.

And to think that I actually did ride behind a Jersey Central camelback 4-6-0 on a fan trip in 1947 at the age of 15.

[Anonymous]

My favorites are NYC's hudson and F7's

[Anonymous]

Mine was the B&O E series passenger diesels. I actually believe as a very young kid that I may have seen an E6 on the point of a B&O passenger train as it stopped at the Oakley (Ohio) station during WWII, they were beautiful.[:D]

[PBenham]

Well tmcc man must be a pennsy fan. But- beyond the world class 5-stripe "brunswick" green or tuscan red schemes good ol' PRR's roster was dominated by an army of "brunswick" green dip jobs. As an example consider all those GP9s. The valley only had 300 and 301 but they looked great in all the paint schemes they wore,prior to the paint fading,or falling off. Now if a PRR enthusiast at the shop in Juniata can manage to talk management into doing it,how about an EV40DC with "brunswick " green and keystones on each end,and on the sides 3' from each end! I'd go after that. (To placate EMD fans, an SD70/2 wouldn't look bad,either. PMB.

[tmcc man]

QUOTE: Originally posted by PBenham

Well then on that basis permit me to nominate the ENTIRE Lehigh Valley diesel roster 1941-59. They almost all looked reasonably good (even the bombers-F units to non-Valley types). Granted, by 1959, even the queens of the fleet,the 14 Alco PA1s had begun to look a bit down on their luck. But whoever it was at EMD/GM styling group that applied that scheme for the first time to the FTA/Bs,perhaps unwittingly, created a classic. The striping appeared on B&M,MEC ,D&RGW and perhaps others. But the almost impossible to describe formula for Cornell Red, no matter how the Sayre alchemists arrived at the results , it was special. PBenham [;)]

I am a Valley fan as well it comes second behind Pennsy here is my order 1)PRR, 2)LV, 3)RDG, 4)N&W, 5)Chessie ,6) NYC, 7)B&O,

[PBenham]

Well then on that basis permit me to nominate the ENTIRE Lehigh Valley diesel roster 1941-59. They almost all looked reasonably good (even the bombers-F units to non-Valley types). Granted, by 1959, even the queens of the fleet,the 14 Alco PA1s had begun to look a bit down on their luck. But whoever it was at EMD/GM styling group that applied that scheme for the first time to the FTA/Bs,perhaps unwittingly, created a classic. The striping appeared on B&M,MEC ,D&RGW and perhaps others. But the almost impossible to describe formula for Cornell Red, no matter how the Sayre alchemists arrived at the results , it was special. PBenham [;)]

[tmcc man]

Forgot to add the VO 1000 switcher, the PA's, and the Sharknose units

[tmcc man]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rdganthracite

Hands down the RS3. Go anywhere do anything.

Yep i absoultley love that engine, as well as the C-420, GP7 and 9, RS1and the F3s for diesel

Steam the K4s, T1s, N&W J.

[TomDiehl]

For steam, I'd have to say the Nickel Plate Berkshire. I rode behind the 759 in the late '60's between NYC (actually electrics took us to Hariman) and Niagra Falls.

For diesels, the Baldwin RF-16 shark nose. Especially in Delaware and Hudson paint.