Best steam locomotive

[cp1057]

The larger steam locos are certainly exciting, no denying that. Even the Hudson class were majestic. I was lucky enough to see the CP 2816 pull away from a station near me on excursion service recently. Those 75" drivers slowly turning were awe-inspiring.

My sentimental favourites however are the smaller Mogul and Ten-Wheeler engines that survived into the late 50's on smaller branchlines with lighter rail and bridges. They existed in a sort of time-warp as the world dieselized around them, often pulling out-dated rolling stock. I have many pictures of them in books but was born too late to see them in revenue service.

Charles

[Anonymous]

Heck yea Dave! I'll second your "second" choice for sure! See, I grew up in Battle Creek Mich. where the GTW 4-8-4 6325 was displayed across from the GTW depot in the 1970's. By that time it was badly vandalised, and rusting away, but as a young railfan I would occasionaly slip through a hole in the fence and sit in the cab. Never did I dream in those days that the engine would be restored to operation. It was always a fantasy of mine to get the 6325 running again, but I thought it to be impossible given the state of the locomotive. Fast-Forward to the year 2000, and what do ya' know? the 6325 is Totally restored and running. Now for a "not-so-pleasant" fast forward, the corporate greed of the insurance companies has once again sidelined the 6325. After who knows how much labor and money went into the 6325 project, she now sits a prisoner of the stockholders and V.P.'s of the insurance industry.
I've never been much of a U.P. fan, but at least they have the wallet, and the "kohonas" to stick with the steam program. Now, with C.N's "big wallet", how about competing with C.P., and using a freshly restored GTW 4-8-4?
Just some "food for thought"....
Todd C.

[Anonymous]

Bob,

Can I ask you how you managed to resurect this thread from off the bottom of the message board?

This one is an oldie, and has been "long gone" as far as I can tell. And I've often wondered how to browse any "oldies" that are no longer among the "living" threads presented for reading here by default.

And it would appear that how to do so, must not be a mystery to you...;-)

Just curious

[cp1057]

Hear, Hear!

Those are probably the same insurance VP's that put the insurance for airshows sky-high (bad pun) and grounded most of them (bad pun again!)

I'd love to see CN become more active in steam restoration. I think they may run 1 steamer out West but that's all.

Charles

[foamer4000]

Todd, I am originaly from Battle creek. The GTW 6325 was the first steamer I ever saw. The C&O 1601 was the second. I do remember the 6325 as being in desparatly bad shape. I have looked at the photos on the Ohio Southern page, what a wonderful job they did. It is a shame that an insurance company can crush a steam program like this!
David

[Anonymous]

My vote goes to the Pennsy T-1. As long as both sets of drivers were kept running in unisom, this could have been the best steam locomotive on the system.

[JoeKoh]

it's might be in this list but the J-611 is the best.I wish I was born earlier to see it and Nkp berkshires in action.Its sad NS doesn't do rail excusions anymore.
stay safe
joe

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by TheAntiGates

Bob,

Can I ask you how you managed to resurect this thread from off the bottom of the message board?

This one is an oldie, and has been "long gone" as far as I can tell. And I've often wondered how to browse any "oldies" that are no longer among the "living" threads presented for reading here by default.

And it would appear that how to do so, must not be a mystery to you...;-)

Just curious

[Anonymous]

Boy, I'm a bit confused with this new format... I'm not even sure how to use it now. If this DOES go through, my reply to "the anti-gates" is such, I really don't know any secrets about bringing up old topics, and I certainly know much less now, with this remodeled forum.....

Todd C.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Being new to this illustrious group I though I'd stick my oar in.

I don't think there is a "Best steam locomotive" except in certain very limited senses. Here in the UK there have been engineers who were employed by railway companies throughout the age of steam and some have used the best international practice (George Jackson Churchward, for example) while others have been great innovators (O. V. S. Bulleid). The two men designed very different locomotives for much the same purposes and one wasn't better than the other, just different.

But there are favorite locomotives.

The Vermont had some charming locos, the Reading too, as have many railways the world over. Amongst my favorites are the delightful Manning-Wardles, used for railroad construction and light railways and the Fairlies (there were some in Mexico as well as Venezuela and on the Denver and Rio Grande).

But my favorites are the engines (all extant and working) built for the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway in Kent, UK. At 14 miles long it is the biggest toy train set in the world!

[Anonymous]

Phil, I have one question.
Almost 20 years ago, I was in the US Army, and picked up a temporary duty assignment in the U.K. at a small reserve base in a town called Hythe.
Now, this was just across the river from Southampton. At the time I was there, (only a couple months), I was not aware of the R.H&D. I wonder if there are more than one towns by that name? I had read of the R.H.&D in the 1970's in Trains magazine, but never put 2 and 2 together during my brief stay there. I did see a branchline in the town, but it was standard guage. (besides, I was spending most of my free time in "Drummonds Pub"! )
I did take the ferry across to Southampton a few times, A beautiful city is is. I really liked the occasional monument of an old bombed-out church kept as a tribute to those lost in WW-2. As a "Titanic" fan, I found particularly fascinating, a monument erected within the confines of just such a destroyed church, dedicated to the crew and passengers of the Titanic.
You folks over there were WAY ahead of us in realizing the importance in preserving some of the past, so as we might better see the future.
But, off the soapbox for now. Please let me know if I was on top of the R.H.&D, and didn't know it, or if it was miles away.

W. Todd Cline
Wayland, MI USA.

[Anonymous]

If you have ever seen N&W 611 top a steep grade with a heavy 22 car excursion train on her drawbar you know the 600's win this contest hands down.