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I must agree that especially in the 20th century it is impossible to say which is the best steam locomotive without specifying the exact service. While the Y6b was a magnificant machine for moving large amounts of coal across the road, it just would not be suitable for switching the docks in a port city. If it could make it around the curves, which I doubt, it might very well cra***hrough the pilings supporting the docks. But then again if we were to take the stubby 0-4-0s and 0-6-0s that were designed to switch these areas and use them to move large amounts of coal over the Blue Ridge they would look ludicrous. If we would take the same Y6b, fine machine that it was, and put it on the C&NW 400 passenger train it would fail miserably. There is no way the Y6b could move that train at the 100+ mph necessary to be competative in the market C&NW was in. MILW and CB&Q would have eaten C&NW's lunch. So unless you specify the exact service, I do not see how you are able to declare that one particular design of locomotive is better than all others. Most had a unique set of conditions for which they were designed, making them unsuitable for many other tasks. My favorite service is switching the docks in a port. And I will hold up the Reading Company's 0-6-0 Camelbacks as the best steam locomotive in that service.
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