The most famous locomotive in history

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M636C

Trainspotter,

Can I share your concern about forum members not reading posts!

I just listed all the details of the locomotives the Reverend Wilbert Awdry himself indicated were the prototypes for "Thomas" and people say it is "imaginary". Before the stories were "commercialised" and made "politically correct" they were all based on real events on real railways. All the locomotives were based on real locomotives and were used for the work the prototypes did.

I include you in this lack of reading, Dan!

Another candidate for fame in the USA is Pennsylvania streamlined K4s 3768 (Always assuming that I remember the number correctly - that's a real problem on the PRR who didn't always use consecutive numbers).

I mean the original Raymond Loewy streamliner which appeared in much of the publicity about the 1938 Broadway Limited. Unlike the NYC streamlined Hudsons it was competing against, it was unique and does qualify for consideration.

Peter

Peter, I read what you wrote, and will concede that Thomas was based in reality on the class that you described. You have a much better knowledge of that than I. My point is that based on the criteria being a single locomotive, not class, not train, nor American and definition of famous provided by the prof there, the most famous locomotive would be Thomas in it's current blue form. I would venture to guess that hands down, it would be the most widely recognized single locomotive, fictional or not, taking into consideration that most people are not railfans.

[IRONROOSTER]

I would also consider the K4 Pacific that was displayed at Horseshoe curve for many years by the PRR. If by most famous you mean the one most people would name if asked randomly, then the answer is Thomas. My guess is that outside the railfan community and a couple of historians, no one knows any of the other ones.
Enjoy
Paul

[BaltACD]

Tom Thumb was the fore father of all commercial railroading.

[Trainspotter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BaltACD

Tom Thumb was the fore father of all commercial railroading.

Maybe the grandson.

The first commercially sucessful steam locomotive was built and used on the Middleton (coal) Railway in Yorkshire England in 1812.* It was also the first railway authorized by Parliament (1758). The engines in question were in continued service until 1835. The Tom Thumb first ran in 1830.

* The Guinness Book of Rail Facts and Feats

[Anonymous]

Has to be the Rocket. It started it all.

[Modelcar]

....I believe the general public might answer: "The General" of Civil War fame....

[Trainspotter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Modelcar

....I believe the general public might answer: "The General" of Civil War fame....

Great choice, and if this was an American-only question, you just might be right. Although I think NYC 999 and the Jupiter (Promontory, 1869) might give it a good run.

But alas, outside of the US I doubt if many would know much about the "General."

My bet still goes with Stephenson's Rocket.

[Anonymous]

[bow][bow][bow]3751[bow][bow][bow]

[#ditto][#ditto][#ditto]

[Anonymous]

the engine at the joiningof the golden spike in 1869. in utah.dont know no.

[Anonymous]

I would have to say that the Flying Scottsman has to be the most widely-known locomotive in the world-both among railfans and the general public. Even railfans who know absolutely nothing about Briti***rains have heard of the Flying Scottsman.

In response to the previous posts about Thomas, the Rev. Awdry was a real stickler for prototypical accuracy in his characters. I read an article talking about it and apparently he had an extremely nasty relationship with the first illustrator of his books because he didn't draw the trains realistically enough. Henry was drawn so bady that when he got a new illustrator, he wrote a story about Henry being involved in a big wreck and getting rebuilt with a new firebox and then looking different for the sole purpose of him being able to look like an actual locomotive type.

[M636C]

To add to the previous post, in later Awdry books the "Flying Scotsman" made a guest appearance on the Sodor railway. I think it was illustrated in such a way that it didn't have a smokebox "face" (presumably so children would not be disappointed on seeing the real locomotive).

So if "Thomas" is the best known, and the "Thomas" creator included "Flying Scotsman" in the stories, I think we have an indication of the most famous real locomotive. The "City of Truro" was also included in the "Thomas" stories, but is by no means as well known.

Peter

[trainfan1221]

I would say the Flying Scotsman, but maybe because I just saw a tape on it.

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by M636C

To add to the previous post, in later Awdry books the "Flying Scotsman" made a guest appearance on the Sodor railway. I think it was illustrated in such a way that it didn't have a smokebox "face" (presumably so children would not be disappointed on seeing the real locomotive).

So if "Thomas" is the best known, and the "Thomas" creator included "Flying Scotsman" in the stories, I think we have an indication of the most famous real locomotive. The "City of Truro" was also included in the "Thomas" stories, but is by no means as well known.

Peter

I second Peter for the Thomas/Scotsman ticket.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BaltACD

Tom Thumb was the fore father of all commercial railroading.

And this morning's vote for US-centric post of the day goes to....

Come on guys

Kev UK

[Anonymous]

Being that I must admit to a U.S. leaning on such things, I would vote Flying Scotsman, that excellent example early 20th century British mechanical engineering , but only after U.P.'s Big Boy and the N&W's Y6b's, greatest heavyweights of the rails, hands down

[Trainspotter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by piouslion

Being that I must admit to a U.S. leaning on such things, I would vote Flying Scotsman, that excellent example early 20th century British mechanical engineering , but only after U.P.'s Big Boy and the N&W's Y6b's, greatest heavyweights of the rails, hands down

The Big Boys and the Y6b's are locomotive classes. My question pertains to an individual locomotive - a single unit. e.g. the Flying Scotsman or the Rocket.

Good start, poor finish. Pay attention, class!

[Anonymous]

Very well Locomotive 4100 U.P. Big Boy # 1 and the EMD FT Demonstrator #1. Please forgive my loss of propriety and breach of etiquette.,

[Anonymous]

Dear piouslion,
The first Big Boy was no. 4000, not 4100 (sorry) [:(].

[Trainspotter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by piouslion

Very well Locomotive 4100 U.P. Big Boy # 1 and the EMD FT Demonstrator #1. Please forgive my loss of propriety and breach of etiquette.,

The EMD demonstrator #1 might raise some interest in the US, but is a non-starter world-wide. As to the Big Boy, well you couldn't even get its number right, so that says all that needs to be said.

Again, this is not a "my favourite locomotive" thread, it was started to try to ascertain the "most famous locomotive in HISTORY." Like many of the other posters, you are mostly off the topic.

[Anonymous]

wasatch mtn handlers-union pacific 4000 series-big boys!

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Trainspotter
Again, this is not a "my favourite locomotive" thread, it was started to try to ascertain the "most famous locomotive in HISTORY." Like many of the other posters, you are mostly off the topic.

Sounds to me like we have a question with no answer. I see a lot of mention of a few locos, but all of us are subject to our own experience. How does one measure the most famous loco in history? Number of people who have heard of it? Number of times it's been mentioned in print? Are there famous locos in other countries than the US and UK? Who gets to vote?

For instance, if sheer numbers are the measure, then the trolley on Mr Rogers Neighborhood (I know, it's not a loco, but bear with me) probably beats most everyone, including Thomas. Virtually every kid who has watched TV, at least in the US, in the past {how many?} years, and their parents, knows of that piece of rolling stock. For that same reason, Thomas would rate high in sheer numbers. How many 3 year olds have heard of many of the real loco's mentioned? But they know of Thomas.

For that matter, "the little engine that could" probably beats all of the locos mentioned so far in terms of people who have heard of it. I think my vote goes there.

Might be time to lay this thread to rest.

[Trainspotter]

Great post, Tree68.

But, of course, anytime one asks for an opinion on any topic, there is by definition no "correct" answer. So to that extent, this is a question with no answer. But that doesn't mean we can't ask it.

Actually, it wasn't really an "answer" I was looking for, but rather just a well-thought out opinions. Alas, I'm sorry to say that largely didn't happen here as many of the posters apparently misread the question - despite my restating it on several occasions. Others simply had to name their favourite locomotive (or class of locomotive, or train.)

One wonders if the denizens of dialectical dialogue who seemed to populate this thread, would answer the New York Yankees, or the American League, if I’d asked them to name the “most famous” baseball player in history.

Two thumbs down, I’m afraid.

[dharmon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Trainspotter


Actually, it wasn't really an "answer" I was looking for, but rather just a certain degree of well-thought out opinions. Alas, I'm sorry to say that largely didn't happen here as many of the posters apparently misread the question - despite my restating it on several occasions. Others simply had to name their favourite locomotive (or class of locomotive, or train.)

One wonders if the denizens of dialectical dialogue who seemed to populate this thread, would answer the New York Yankees, or the American League, if I’d asked them to name the “most famous” baseball player in history.

Two thumbs down, I’m afraid.

Helloooo, darling is that you?

How'd you get your own Trains.com account???

Who would have thunk you'd try and find me here?

Can't a guy have any escape from his wife?

Be home soon. Yes I know, milk, bread and eggs.

Love,

[Anonymous]

Tree: You are what we call in my part of the country "A true Gentleman of Note. Kindest regards and I do beg the forgivness of my fat finger in typing 4100 rather than 4000 it seems that I mistook a Manatwoc crane number 4100 (200 ton rating) from another life for the ultimate Alco on the UP property. Regards - Roy

[Anonymous]

If we can count them, then my votes would be for Mr. Rogers' trolley and Thomas the Tank Engine, for the reasons mentioned above. I believe that since there are now many real-life incarnations of Thomas the Tank Engine, those can be counted for it.

As for locomotives with true prototypes, I will begin thusly:
The Rocket--to those who follow early steam locomotive development, this is a quite well known locomotive. However, at least in the US, few members of the public have ever heard of it. The same in my judgement applies to Locomotion, Stourbridge Lion, Puffing Billy, and Best Friend of Charleston (not many Californians care to know about George Stephenson's locomotives). To railfans, Mallard is fairly well known, but its fame ends there. The General and Tom Thumb are fairly well known in the US (I can't speak for other countries), but I am guessing that the world's most famous locomotive is Central Pacific's Jupiter, for two reasons:
1. It was at the very famous Golden Spike ceremony
2. Most people find the name Jupiter easier to remember than the other locomotive's number, 119.

See you around the forums,
Daniel

[Anonymous]

Stourbridge Lion.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by trainjunky29

Dear piouslion,
The first Big Boy was no. 4000, not 4100 (sorry) [:(].

[#oops][banghead][B)]

[Anonymous]

at the risk of fanning the flames again:

1) I consider myself a railfan.

2) I recognise pretty much all the locomotives and classes named above, in that the name evokes an image in my mind's eye.

3) nowhere in the original question did I read the phrase "must be a real locomotive."

4) the *MOST* famous ones are by definition the ones that spring immediately and un-prompted to the minds of the general public, not the one most picked by railfans (after careful thought) from a multiple choice list.

5)so: if someone were to spring this question on *me* by suprise and at random (a 'la Jaywalking) it's even odds that *I'd* have said either "Thomas the tank engine" or "the Little Engine that Could."
By no stretch of the imagination is this scientific, but I think that many of you would probably said the same if Jay Leno jumped out at you with a microphone and a camera crew.

(I wonder how many of the dumb answers he gets are an artifact of a "deer in the headlights" reaction from people startled by simultaneously meeting a celebrity and having a TV camera pointed at them?)

(though I might have said "4449" if you caught me thinking railroady thoughts, as that was my first experience with the living, breathing reality. . . my dad took me to see her in '75 and managed to wrangle a cab tour for his 5 year old son. Pulling a whistle cord and making noise leaves an impression. . .)

(note: my personal favorites are all geared locomotives and yard goats, so don't land on me for favoritism. . .)

[cpbloom]

ZZZ...

[Anonymous]

F7 hudsons Selkirks or maybe the Cenntinels or even the sd40-2