It's a toss-up. I have a BLI Santa Fe 3755 Northern 4-8-4 and a BLI Blue Line UP "Big Boy."
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Thank you, Charles.
When I built it, my freelance road was the Western Minnesota, which explains (I hope) the graphic.
Ed
7j43k D. Starr, with his very nicely done B&M version of the Mantua Pacific, inspired me to show my version of detailing that same model. I added a Belpaire firebox. I attempted a slope front cab. And the tender is a modified Varney, with Cal-Scale trucks. Ed
D. Starr, with his very nicely done B&M version of the Mantua Pacific, inspired me to show my version of detailing that same model.
I added a Belpaire firebox. I attempted a slope front cab. And the tender is a modified Varney, with Cal-Scale trucks.
this looks amazing wow!
Charles
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Modeling the Santa Fe & Pennsylvania in HO
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLb3FRqukolAtnD1khrb6lQ
Instagram (where I share projects!): https://www.instagram.com/trainman440
Pruitt My favorite loco is hands down a PFM brass GN P2 Mountain. I wanted one ever since I saw it on the back cover of MR in the early 70's. Finally was able to buy one in the mid-80's. I haven't run it in many years - it's not DCC equipped, and the thought of trying to convert it is intimidating. Besides, my layout is CB&Q, not GN.
My favorite loco is hands down a PFM brass GN P2 Mountain.
I wanted one ever since I saw it on the back cover of MR in the early 70's. Finally was able to buy one in the mid-80's.
I haven't run it in many years - it's not DCC equipped, and the thought of trying to convert it is intimidating. Besides, my layout is CB&Q, not GN.
Not my favorite, but I can CERTAINLY see why it's yours. I think Northerns are great, but Mountains just look a bit more balanced or something. And the GN one is a beaut! I'm also quite fond of NYC Mohawks!
I'm pretty sure you could run it on your layout when no one is looking. I hear that kind of thing happens a lot more than you might think.
Yeah, I'm also intimidated about DCC/sounding my brass steam. But the reward when/if I pull it off is quite an incentive. Those darn Vanderbilt tenders sure don't help!
PS: I've got a Burlington Blackbird Geep that's gonna go out for a spin every once in awhile! It's just gotta happen.
snjroy Well done Ed. It looks stock! Simon
Well done Ed. It looks stock!
Simon
Thank you, Simon.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
snjroyThat's what I did for my Oriental Powerhouse Mikado.
That looks good Simon.
My "up-detailed" Oriental Powerhouse mikado is mated with a Tenshodo "clear vision" oil tender. I originally wanted to get more of this tender for my brass USRA 0-8-0 locomotives, but the prices of that tender shot through the roof.
I guess wealthier modelers had the same idea!
Sorry, no finished pictures of my re-tendered Mikado. I just have a few old in-process pictures of the project.
Remember those "good old days" when we stored our hobby bits in old 35mm film cans?
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 The tender on the Proto 0-8-0 is a work of art. I hope to someday find a pair of them to use behind my brass 0-8-0 locomotives. -Kevin
The tender on the Proto 0-8-0 is a work of art. I hope to someday find a pair of them to use behind my brass 0-8-0 locomotives.
20200927_135150 on Flickr
cats think well of meFor my shelf layout, I absolutely love the P2K/Walthers USRA 0-8-0, the detail is excellent, it runs super smooth and quiet. I'll convert to sound and DCC one day.
Alvie,
That one is fairly easy to convert to DCC & sound. I used a TCS Wow101-Steam decoder and there was more than enough room for the speaker. I also switched out the front & rear headlights for warm-white LEDs. IIRC, you'll need to solder a resistor in series to do that.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
My favorite locomotive.
A Mantua Pacific, painted up as a Boston & Maine P4. The dimensions of the Mantua model match the P4 dimensions to a couple of inches in length, height and width. The P4's oval smoke stack and the racy sloped cab front fell into my "too hard" basket.
And the post editor is broken and I cannot edit anything below the P4 picture.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Ooh a favorite, that is hard to pick! I have locos from four different roads. In general, I agree, a favorite is usually the one we had to work the hardest on for one reason or another. I don't have one favorite, virtually all of my locomotives are a favorite. First, I'd have to mention, the least "stock" locomotive in my collection is a "hybrid" BLI Paragon K4s with a Sunset brass 130p75 tender. It has TCS-Wow sound which still works well after five years, and I'd combined loco and tender and painted it. Plus installed DCC myself. It's one I'd never part with. It can use a little work, maybe repaint one day, but it took me months to put together, so it'll always stay a part of the collection. I've often brought it to my train club to run long passenger trains that remind me of those seen on the New York and Long Branch commuter train runs from the '50s.
My favorite brass steam engine is a Westside Craftsman Series #6 NYC "Super Hudson" it came pro-painted, and runs well, and though it's not the most detailed or best running, two things that can be changed with some work. I just love how this thing feels like it'll last forever. I also love this era of Japanese made brass models, as the models are excellent and the prices though not cheap, are not through the stratosphere like some much newer ones. The mechanisms are solid too even if not the smoothest and quietest. I'd like one day to get a pro to work on the mechanism and install DCC and sound but that's a ways in the future for me. Owning the model as is, I find a lot of joy in doing so.
For my shelf layout, I absolutely love the P2K/Walthers USRA 0-8-0, the detail is excellent, it runs super smooth and quiet. I'll convert to sound and DCC one day.
And diesels, I like my P2K Boston and Maine Alco S3 a lot as it's great for my shelf layout.
Alvie
My Lionel 2-8-4 Berkshire which my father bought for me in 1953 right after I was born. Still have it.
I'll name a steamer and a diesel.
Steamer - MTH Hudson 5426 streamlined for the Empire State Express. I have four other BLI Hudsons including 5453 streamlined for the 20th Century Limited, but 5426 is my favorite. I also have a non-DCC Rivarossi version of both streamlined Hudsons but they have been the shelf.
Diesel - Athearn Genesis F-3 AB set with 3500 on the lead. Gray lightning stripe paint scheme. B unit is 3600. These had been equipped with steam generators allowing them to be used in freight or passenger service.
My Howell Day (Red Ball) CNJ 4-6-0 #774. It was my first brass model, given to me by my parents for Christmas 1966, when I was fourteen. The memories make it incredibly precious to me
DSC09873.jpg (1600×1200) (sirv.com)
Athearn Genesis F7's and F3's:
(ATSF/MKT)
Athearn Genesis SD75M's
ATSF Warbonnet)
As a Santa Fe aficionado with limited space, my favorites are the Division Point class 885 2-8-2s and 900/1600 class 2-10-2s. Compared to other Santa Fe steam engines with the same wheel arrangements, both classes of engines are small. Although brass is usually regarded as requiring large curve radii, the 2-8-2s manage 18" curves and the 2-10-2s do well on 22" curves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jjn2DpUJyvE
My CN U2g Northern is my favourite. I like the balance and clean lines plus the vandy tender. The model is by True Line Trains. They had some QC issues and I returned the first 2 as they ran poorly. I did get one near the end of the run and it runs great. Second would be my K5a Hudson, a brass one by Samhongsa.
CN Charlie
After my teenage years, I got back into the hobby seriously back in 2003, wanting to run a modern shortline.
The only locomotive I've ever really wanted to fit the theme was a GP15. Only now, in 2021, is there a proper GP15 with LED headlights and ditchlights. (I'm neither skilled or patient enough to have installed tiny ditchlights into the existing GP15 models of the day...Proto/ Walthers Trainline).
I'd have to say my Athearn Genesis GP15s with T2 sound are my favorites.
We'll see if the new Atlas MP15s with ditchights due to arrive in December compare. They may be my favorites.
After about 20 years of seriously being in the hobby, only now am I finding the two types of locomotives that I've really wanted all along.
My past favorites are favorites no more and are probably not going to be in my possession long term.
- Douglas
Have to say I've had a lot of favorites - all ATSF and a couple ICs.
For diesel, it has to be the PA ABBA consist in the warbonnet livery. Gotta be one of the most beautiful sets ever made.
For steam, the BLI ATSF 4-8-4 is the winner!
Ha, both of these units are in a sealed display case, along with some others I kept after selling off most all my HO stuff.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I'll give two answers:
The favorite locomotive I've ever owned is the Atlas HO Minnesota Commercial C424 #62 that I just received on thursday 10/21.
The best made model locomotives I've ever owned are the 5 ScaleTrains BNSF ES44C4 and ET44C4 units that I have on hand. They are virtually perfect in every way with great lights and great sound.
However, despite the beautiful orange and black BNSF paint, I found myself longing for Alco Century series diesels, and so I had to order the Minnesota Commercial C424. I also don't have to have the newest/latest/greatest thing anymore. The Scale Trains engines are marvelous, but I just can't 100% accept widecab diesels...they will get sold off.
There's just something that will always appeal to me about the Alco Century series diesels, going back to my childhood. I like the C424 and C425 probably the best of all of them, currently. To me everything else just comes up short visually, regardless of how excellent and how well detailed other models like those now made by ST may be.
John
Of the seven diesels on my switching layout my favorite engine is the Scale Trains Rivet Counter SD45 Road Switcher, six traction axels, 2 power capacitors, white, green & red class lights, LOK sound decoder W 2 suger cube speakers, front truck lights, Santa FE has a rotating beacon, it looks, pulls, & sounds like a beast. Bayway Terminal NJ
That's hard to narrow down but I'll try:
1) Athearn BB GP38-2 in NS colors - given to me by my late grandparents. First quality engine I owned.
2) Rivarossi Big Boy #4006 - given to me by my parents for Christmas.
3) Tie - N&W SD45 (run long nose forward, of course!) and a N&W Class J 611, first steam engine I ever saw in action.
Most of them have sentimental attachments in some way or another.
I was a teen when AHM introduced and advertised the Rivarossi-made N&W Y6b 2-8-8-2. I wanted that engine so badly (so did my best friend - both of us were pretty new to HO after having had Lionel) and I got it for Christmas. It came lettered PRR which was OK because that is the railroad I modeled (in the sense that my locomotives were lettered PRR). The Pennsy did have some N&W 2-8-8-2s briefly but they were Y3s with very different tenders than the Rivarossi model. I did not care.
While I do not run the engine and quite possibly never will again, there has never been a locomotive that I wanted more since that one, at least not with that same intensity. The only one that came close is when LifeLike Proto 2000 came out with the very C&NW switcher right down to the number that my best friend (the same one who also wanted a Y6b) would see switching our home town. By that time I was working, had discretionary money and it was simply a matter of seeing one, wanting it, and buying it. Somehow that lacks the emotional punch of opening that Christmas present years and years earlier and seeing exactly what I had wanted so much.
Dave Nelson
Nice Favorites!
This one is easy for me. It's my Spirit of 76 Seaboard Coast U36B my grandfather gave to me for my 11th birthday.
I've kept her all these years and she sits front and center on the fireplace mantel.
She doesn't work anymore because a young kid is prone to see how fast anything goes and I beat her up badly
You have no idea how many times I watched that thing bounce off the walls and tumble across the floor. Man that thing was fast! And I had lots of glue back then
Must be my favorite! Who needs one replacement when they can find three over the years? And all kept on the custom shelving where I can see them amongst the layout in the living room of course
Hey! ...I have my priorities straight here, dontcha think?
TF
My 2 favorites are at oppositte ends of the spectrum. First is my 4 Model 40 critters. I have 2 of them permanently coupled and wired together. I even modified the wiring so the headlights come on according to the direction of travel. I haven't done anything yet with the other two.
The other is the one I acquired this past Saturday at a train show in Beatrice, NE. It's the Trix version of Big Boy #4013. It has not turned a wheel yet while in my possesion. I will run it sometime this week but it is destined to become a shelf queen. I have wanted a Big Boy since i was about 15 years old and learned what they are. That was 50 years ago. Dream fulfilled.
Life is simple - eat, drink, play with trains!
Go Big Red!
PA&ERR "If you think you are doing something stupid, you're probably right!"
My favorite will always be the old Life Like F7 in Santa Fe warbonnet paint that came in my first train set. The kind with the old pancake motor sitting directly on the one truck it powers. Sadly, in all the wisdom of a teenager, I painted over the factory paint with a homebrewed road idea I had that never went anywhere. I've often thought about buying another off ebay just like it, but it wouldn't be the same.
If any locomotive I have has a chance to supplant that as favorite, it would be my BLI Niagara with a TCS WOW Sound decoder. I just need a bit larger layout. My modest size layout makes for small trains and it looks a little silly pulling an 8 car freight or a 5 car passenger train around.
Mike