What kind of locomotive power do you like?

|
Want to post a reply to this topic?
Login or register for an acount to join our online community today!

What kind of locomotive power do you like?

  • alstom,

    Everything is going to be obsolete some day. Do you have some powerful straight diesels in US? Most European diesel(s) just did run a generator to supply power to electric motors and are now obsolete due to the increasing price of final reserviors of oil energy. The Swiss design, cheap, 9.000 hps all electrics are much nicer, getting their energy from nonpolluting nuclear plants, tidewater or windmills.

    BTW, all nostalgic loco colors are ok with me as far as they are black.

    Markku
  • I like all locos, but I suppose my favourites are the British Rail "Deltics" (from which I get my handle) and the Western region diesel hydraulics, especially the Hymeks and Warships. These were what I used to see when various members of my family used to take me to see the trains on our local railway line at Malvern in Worcestershire, England. By that time (the mid-late 1960's) steam had gone but a number of steam centres were opening up locally - The Dowty at Aschurch where they used to run 4-6-2 "Princess Elizabeth" along a short length of track, likewise the Bulmer steam centre at Hereford where 4-6-0 "King George V" could be seen hauling some old Pullman cars. In due course BR allowed steam on the mainline and the first steam special I saw was hauled by the preserved BR 2-10-0 #92203 now named "Black Prince". We also used to go on holiday on the Cambrian Coast line in Wales - that's how I got to love that line and the narrow guage lines it connects with. I used to always look out for the weekday freigh train and see how many gunpowder wagons were in it. Happy days!
  • Steam is much too scarce. For me ican get an ALCO-like fix by listening to an AC6000. pb
  • I'm a diesel guy.
    Regards Gary
  • there aint nothin like some good old santa fe power on a bnsf train
  • The most impressive is the CW60AC. It's an amazing motor. Pure strength
  • I like all trains but I have to say diesels are my favourite. It's what I grew up with and it is the most versatile form of traction. My favourite diesel are the Diesel Hydraulic locos which used to run on British Rail's Western region and the Deltic diesels which made the East Coast Main Line in Britain the nation's premier high speed route.
  • While Big Steam will always give me a buzz, and I must admit that I am fortunate in living near lines that see Big Steam every year or so (the Central Wales Railway and the Swansea - Carmarthen route), I can also look back objectively on how slow services could be back in the 50s and 60s.

    I can recall taking 5 hours to travel the 200.25 miles between Paddington and Llanelli back in 1958, behind one of Landore (Swansea) Depot's finest Castle Class locomotives, manned by a keen Top-Link crew, bulled up in Brunswick Green with burnished buffers, chimney and brasswork, whereas the HST Blue Riband time (admittedly in the opposite up direction) is 2 hours 48 minutes, and a like for like journey now should be something like two hours shorter !!!

    No contest then. Unless you're out on a jolly, give me an HST every time.

    My favourite "train" though, would be a Swindon built Cross Country, with underfloor 'bus engines driving through a four-speed gearbox.

    Why that train? Well you could sit behind the driver and see the road ahead, or sit at the back of the train and have an observation car view at no supplimentary charge !! It's a shame that that strong selling point on our scenic routes has now been designed out from more modern trains.
  • I am a steam man. Love the old theme. I curently run nyc/ pennsy. Any one from MS.
  • I missed steam by a couple of hundred years, so I'm a diesel fan.
    Ah, the sound of 12 16-645s rumbling up a 2.6% grade in notch 8!!!!!!!!!
    Wow, I missed that by a few years, too.
    Oh, well, I'll try to like AC4400s more now, because I'm stuck with them!
    trainboy

    Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296

    Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/

  • Since I had to pick just one and not rank them I picked diesel. The bigger the better.
  • QUOTE: Originally posted by boyman

    Electric because I ride amtrak trains in Cleveland, Ohio. And electric trains are fast![:p]

    Where does Amtrak run electrics in Cleveland?
    Ride Amtrak. Cats Rule, Dogs Drool.
  • Deisel SD45's and SD40's FOREVER!

    Alec
    Check out my pics! [url="http://wctransfer.rrpicturearchives.net/"] http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=8714
  • [#ditto] YES!