Favorite Engine

[therailnut]

I loved the looks of the SD70M and SD70MAC's they have to be my favorite locomotive.

[corwinda]

You must be referring to the 133 rebuilds MK did for SP. No; they didn't have Cat engines. They started as SD40s and 45s. No 50s.

As far as I know they have more or less vanished into the UP fleet via renumbering/repainting.

[Jackflash]

You are probably right, I am probably confusing
two seperate events, I do remember Cat engines
installed in locomotives, the mech. dept made
a big deal about it(comming to look at them, ect)
I must have thought it was the MK re-builds
when actually it was something else. At the
time I could have cared less, and wouldnt have
known what was powering the locomotive. jackflash

[dt8089]

For passenger engines. E-8's
For freight. SD-40-2's

[Anonymous]

I'm a hoghead and a fan, so you get both opinions for the price of one! Hands down, for the time being, SD70M's. They are quiet, reliable, comfortable, respond when you want 'em to (not 3miles later like a GE), pull good, good dynamics, ride pretty well (not quite as good as an SD40 though), and look good too. I also like the SD60's, GP60's (fast engines, but a little slippery with a heavy train), SD40-2's (much higher on the list if the horn isn't over the cab roof), SD90MAC's, and I suppose I have to include Dash9-44CW's (they are ok I guess, don't really like 'em though, rather trade 'em all in on some more 70M's!!!)

[Anonymous]

F7, F7, F7.
Any Questions?
Patrick/Texas

[Anonymous]

As for being An engineer on the BNSF this argument of EMD VS. GE is laughable !! 98 % of the engineers could care less what engine they are running ! All we care is that it is clean and has all the supplies. Most engineers can't even tell them apart! Virtualy all yard and local engines are EMD's and 90 % of the time on the road A new 'Dash 9' is on the point. No matter what the 'foamers' think the Dash 9 is an excellent locomotive. They are quiet, smooth riding and reliable. This rumor going around that they are unreliable is untrue ! There might be A lot in the shops but it is because there are thousands in use on several railroads. Most of the newer EMD's we get in our consists are 'dic' meaning dead in consist, going to the shop for repairs. The GP 60M is A total piece of s**t !!! Although the SD 40-2 is undoubtedly the finest loco EVER built. We have hundereds over 30 years old !

[markzee]

The fact that most engineers don't know what they are running is laughable, but I can totally relate being that I work for CP. My guess is that most pilots know what they are flying, but engingeers don't know/care what they are running.

Also a favorite locomotive has a lot to do with what type of service is performed. Many engineers I know love the MP15AC's we use, due to their good visibility from the cab, even though they are older units and tend to be a little dirtier/well worn. Most road engineers I know are happy with a AC4400...

[wabash1]

roflmao..... there you have it spoken from a true engineer. thanks for the laugh. i dont know of any engineer that doesnt look to see what power they have in the consist. if i dont recognize the unit number i look them up. the dash 9 is junk. ge engines always have been always will be junk. they rattle,shake,vibrate dont load and your lucky if you get there with them. as far as supplies go i take them with me to the engine its better than waiting for the shops to come out and do it. as far as the sd 40 goes it was a good engine but so was the model -t .. engines made today are just as good as the old 40s.. a ge engine is for the guys who cant run. they dont have enough power to pull a train apart, and if something goes wrong they shut down, a emd can have something go wrong and keep on working.

[Jackflash]

A Hoghead may not know what he is running,
but an Engineer does know what he's running

[Anonymous]

I grew up in the 70's era. Still, I like the first generation diesels, the venerable EMD F7 and the early Geeps (GP7, 9, 20). I also like the old Alco PAs.

[Anonymous]

amen to your comments about GE's. Generally I can't stand 'em, same reasons as you, rough riding, vibrate everything, won't load until friday and it's only monday, generally have so many faults in the computer they are only doing about 3000 hp anyway (if that)! Like you, most engineer's I know (myself included) usually know whether it's a GE or an EMD (although sometimes they play dumb and act like they don't). I change the way I run depending on what type of engines I have, GE's I do a lot more stretch braking to keep 'em loading, EMD's more dynamics because you can load 'em up the way you need to to stretch smoothly back out again. Just my preferences. I really hate having a GE ahead of 1 or more EMD's, 'cause those EMD's will load up long before the GE, and it causes the darn wheelslip system on the GE to get confused so it takes it even longer to load. put an EMD in the lead and you don't have that problem. GE's wheelslip system is actually a lot of their problem. It sucks, EMD's GP60 and GE's B40-8 are roughly equivalent units, but the GP will stick to the rail and pull a lot better than the GE (provided they have sand!!!)

[Anonymous]

Wow! I'm really surprised. Only one vote for Alco PA's! Unfortunatly, I've never seen a PA in the flesh, but in all the photos of 'em, be it in SP Daylight colors, Rio Grande Gold or in Samta Fe's Warbonnet, I've never seen an ugly PA. I have seen Alco FA'a and they look okay, but a little too stubby for that great nose. If a PA is long and lith like an E unit, I bet it's a sight to behold!
I grew up seeing a lot of SP SD9's in the SF Bay Area, so they have a special place in my heart.
As for EMDs over GEs, all I know is WP had a lot of trouble with their U30Bs and after the merger, UP didn't want anything to do with them. They kept most of the GP7s and 20s and 35s. There's only one WP U30B around...in a museum!

[Anonymous]

I would have to vote for the SD40-2, as my favorite, with the SD45-2T tunnel motor of the Espee as a close second. Then I would go for the SD70MAC. And I couldn't leave off the GP60 from a favorites list either. If you haven't guessed by now, I am an EMD man! RG

[Anonymous]

i havent seen anyone say... "Big Boy"

and i "challenge(r) anyone to say differant :)

[Anonymous]

i havent seen anyone say... "Big Boy"

and i "challenge(r) anyone to say differant :)

[wabash1]

well i hate to bust your bubble but i never did like steam. and maybe that is why most railfans like ge engines as they sound like one chugging along. slow , putting out exsess smoke. nasty engines. but at least they are a diesel

[edbenton]

are you guys forgetting the bl-2 me give me the turbine's UP had in the 60's first 8500 hp then 10000 hp clean a yard out and move it and guess what they were built by GE now just give me the AC6000 for freight old time passenger give me the PA's and now I'll take the P32AC

[Anonymous]

GP40-2...

SD40-2...

Both great at what they do...

LC

[zardoz]

SD40-2.
Predictable, comfortable, dependable, nice ride, and fun.

When running light engines (no train) they accelerate real quick (better be sitting down if going from stop right to run 8), and deccelerate equally as quick (full dynamics will stand you right up).

Ah, the good old days....................

[Anonymous]

I guess my all time favorite diesel would have to be the ALCo RSD15. That long low short hood and notched corners just looks good to me. I just wish i knew where to find one to look at up close on the west coast . Not many museums to pick from out here. [}:)][:D][8D]

[Anonymous]

I have to admit a fondness for the Royal Hudson, and the Jubilee 4-4-4 not far behind. Of course an n-gauge version of bullet-nosed Bertha 2-10-4 would be a keeper...

[Anonymous]

Passenger----E-8
Freight----SD-40-2

[enr2099]

General Duties: Baldwin DRS4410
Passenger: Budd RDC

[Anonymous]

I had several favorites. B&O had a batch of SW1's built in the early 40's; you could overload them, but if they couldn't pull the load, there was no drama with wheels spinning and such; they'd just sit there and hum. I also liked the Alco S2's and S4's. But the S2 was really special. I had a regular industrial job at the time. We'd get an S2 for three or four days straight. All the sudden, we'd be assigned an EMD SW9 for a night; we wouldn't realize how crummy the track was! We got so used to gliding over it with the Blunt trucks on the S2's, and now we're rocking on the same track with AAR trucks. Sorry, boys, I didn't care for the F7...I worked B&O as well as WM F7's; they were okay for travelling up the road, but if you had any work to do en route, they were lousy to switch from. I liked working the coal jobs with SD7/9's. They sounded like nothing else EMD ever made. All this new stuff I couldn't care less about; as long as they have all their fingers and toes, they're just something to do my job with.

[Anonymous]

Passenger: Any of the F series, perferably trhe F 7's

Freight: the AC 4400 or the 6000

[Anonymous]

I would have to say, that I have a real warm spot for the ALCO DL-109 and the EMD E Series Loco's. It was great to hear that some else on here grew up with German Rail Roads in thier lives. My fondest memories of Germany, 53-56 were those fantastics steam loco's. Big power, it was really amazing. When ever we were around electrofied trackage though, those huge electrics ruled the day.[:D][:D][:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

Electric - GG1
Steam - Pennsy T-1
Diesel - Alco C636

[edblysard]

If you mean which one do I perfer to work with, then I will take a SD40 or SD40-2 over just about anything else. You cant break em, they will run as long and as hard as you need them to. Put 3 or four together, there aint much you can't pull.

If you mean which locomotive do I "like" the best, well, I got a cab ride in UP's 3985, and .....
Wow, all that from hot water!
This baby pulled 14 passenger cars at 60 mph, and never ran hard.
If it was hauling freight, that must have been a sight to see.
And it looks excatly like what you would want a steam locomotive to look like, its form does follow it's function.
Stay Frosty,
Ed