tell me your favorite train

[arkansasrailfan]

My has to be the 3985 and the 844

[trainboy414]

Any 2 footers.

[Trainmaster.Curt]

Well, i'd have to say for passenger the VIA Rail/CPR line Canadian before 1990, and even the CNR line one which runs today. For short lines my fav is the Central Manitoba Railway, which uses 85lb rail on the branch through North Transcona to Pine Falls, i have some good videos on You Tube for everyone to watch. http://www.youtube.com/TrainmasterCurt   And i have some links to other good rail vids

[blade]

steam engine 4-8-4 northern

[tomikawaTT]

Not a name train.  Not even a particularly noteworthy train.  Just a DMU schedule that ran several times a day from Hachioji (eastern suburb of Tokyo) to Takasaki in about three hours.  The countryside quickly turned to forest, there were some significant grades and a number of junctions where other lines interchanged.

Why is it my favorite?  I could stand at the windowed bulkhead at the head end, right behind the duraiba (proper Japanese for the position,) and watch the action ahead - action which included freights powered by coal-burning steam, catenary freight motors and staff-and-ticket operation with lower quadrant semaphores.  The ultimate, though, was a real-life Lionel-style tunnel.  The route crossed the approach to Yokota Air Base about a kilometer beyond the end of the runway.  To keep misdirected aircraft from adding one of the frequent pasenger trains to the accident the Kokutetsu had built a long concrete culvert, then bermed it over - the only high spot in an almost level piece of pastureland.

That was more than 40 years ago.  The line still exists, and the trains still run, but the scenery has undoubtedly changed beyond belief.  Then again, so have I.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

[blade]

AS REGARDS TO STEAM ENGINES ,MY FAVORITE TRAIN IS THE NORTHERN 4-8-4 ESPECIALLY THE G CLASS DAYLIGHT 4449 A 4-8-4 NORTHERN.AS REGARDS DIESEL ENGINES ARE CONCERNED I LIKE THE ES4400CW,THE AC4400CW,AND A REAL CLASSIC FRIEGHT ENGINE THE ONE AND ONLY GP40-2.

[sffoamer]

    AT&SF Chief. Understated,quiet service

[dabug]

Erie-Lackawanna's Phoebe Snow, after the Erie-Lackawanna Limited had been renamed - essentially, Phoebe was extended from Buffalo to Chicago over the old Erie RR.  Privileged to ride that train - albeit only once - from Marion OH to Elmira NY in August, 1964.  That trip revealed that the old Erie RR, from Youngstown OH east, traversed some of the loveliest, most unremarked scenery east of the Mississippi. 

[Anonymous]

"The City of Los Angeles"

    A few years back, I think it was 1948,

I lived for a time in the town of Yermo,

on the Vegas side.

Within spittin distance of the U. P. main line.

Seems I had an internal clock that told me when to run outside

and watch for the "City of Los Angeles" to roll by.

What a beautiful sight.

[Ishmael]

Frisco's Sunnyland in its last year. (1965, I believe.) Ran through my neighborhood so fast that if you blinked you'd miss it. One red E-8, a standard green baggage car and a standard green coach.

Southbound at 9AM, northbound at 4PM and you could set your watch.

[CMSTPP]

The 1950's afternoon Milwaukee road Hiawatha. Either with the FP7 units or the Erie Builts leading the train. Thats the only way to go!!!

 

James

[Tom Curtin]

The New Haven' Merchants Limited  (Note, no apostrophe!).  Unquestionably the classiest day train ever.  And even in its final death throes, the New Haven did everything in its power to keep it classy!!!

[rkmorf]

I'd say the 20th Century Limited departing from Track 34 at Grand Central Station NY with the long red carpet on the platform (my Dad was a dining car steward for the NY Central)

[Anonymous]

I am brand new to this forum as of this afternoon. I know I have revived an old topic --hope that is ok.

I have a category I called "sentimental favorites". they would be the two trains most integral to my childhood( in Chattanooga, TN. (I am 61). They are the Dixie Flagler and the Georgian.

Sure, I know there are and were other trains fancier and faster (though these were not slackers!!) but this is my emotional vote.

[Anonymous]

Agree with ya totally GN-Rick except I would go with the Mid Century EB and Milwaukee Road 261.

[daveklepper]

I would rate the North Shore's Electroliner as next in line after the CZ and RGZ and then would come just about any of the premium New Haven trains during the Bucky Dumain era, with possibly the best being a Merchants Limited with an I-5 Hudson between Boston and New Haven and an EP-4 between Newe Haven and Grand Central with me being able to afford a parlor seat and a top dining car meal. But then what about the Saanbte Super Chief and the UP's City of LA Dome Diner?

[Anonymous]

SNCF TGV
Daylight
Hiawatha

[Anonymous]

The original City of Denver
Midwest Hiawatha in steam
North Shore Electroliner

[Anonymous]

Without a doubt, the Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy.

[Anonymous]

Without a dought, it would have to be the Hiawatha's of the 50's and 60's.Seeing this beautiful yellow streamliner tearing through the countryside at 90+mph with its green tinted windows on the full length superdome and Sky Top lounge on the rear,would leave an impression no one would ever forget !!! I'm proud to say that I'm old enough to remember "THE GOOD OLD DAYS".

[Santa Fe buff]

I would have to say the Santa Fe Chief. I rode on one as a kid from Pasdena Ca to Barstow, CA. Second would be a switch engine that came by my house as a kid to deliver and pick up box cars from a Burlington Cotton factor in Sherman, TX.

[Anonymous]

IC city of new orleans!

I also like all the short Chicago Great Western passenger trains.

[daveklepper]

I rode the State of Maine many times in a lower or upper birth, mostly between Grand Central and Concord< New Hampshire. The sleeper was dropped off at Lowell and picked up by an early morning Boston-Concord (possibly continued to White River Jc. or Wells River) which meant a reversal in directioin. I also rode it once in a lower form GCT to Portland. This was all in the heavyweight era and I rode only to and from summer camp as a youngster, sometimes by myself, but more often as part of a camp group. Once, Concord - GCT in September 1939 with my parents.

[DeltaEagle]

The Missouri Pacific Sunshine Eagle from St. Louis to Dallas. My absolute favorite is the Missouri Pacific's Delta Eagle which ran from Memphis to Tallulah, LA (1941-1954). My grandfather was the engineer on that train. I got to ride in the cab many times from Helena, AR to Memphis. The Delta Eagle, though having a consist of 2 cars, was the Missouri Pacific's most profitable passenger train.

"Delta Eagle"

[Trainmaster.Curt]

The VIA CP line "Canadian" for sure, cause i was on it in one of it's last years, 1989, on a trip to Virden, Manitoba and back for Christmas. Simply unforgettable with the F7A's and the scenery, VIA should honestly bring back the real Canadian sometime, i think Greg McDonnell would agree.[:I]

[Anonymous]

My favorite train of all-time has to be the first long-distance passenger train I ever traveled on as a youngster, the State of Maine from NY(GCT) to Portland, ME via NYNH&H/BM trackage, circa 1948.

This rattler left NY at 9 pm (coach and sleeper; we couldn't afford anything but coach) and travelled through the night until making Portland early the next morning. I wouldn't sleep a wink. At Portland, we would change to a MEC train for the short run to Lewiston, ME where all my Mom's family was.

Those were the days, my friends! I understand that Maine now has passenger service in the form of a Boston-Portland run called the Downeaster.

[daveklepper]

Gumby4: Ah, you are being practical, the one that takes you to work in the morning and brings you home with dependability, comfort, safety, and economy. Hats off to you for being so practical.

Or was that the Penninsular 400? I rode it also.

My favorite trains will always be the Rio Grande Zephyr for the wonderful times I had on it, the good food, the guts of management to continue running it, the scenery, and of course the excellent CZ heritage.

[Anonymous]

Back about 1966 I was traveling from Lousiville Kentucky to Oakland California with a show horse stable in a private horse car (SP). At Chicago the CB&Q put us on the fast postal express train. That train loaded at the rail post office which had to be the biggest operation I had ever seen. We were told to be certain that everything was battened down as the train would be traveling in excess of 80 MPH. They even took our crew on a tour of the five unit locomotive power used before coupling up. So it was us, twelve horses and ponies, and about what appeared to be a mile of mail sorting cars. That had to be my favorite train, it was the scarriest darn ride I ever had. That train left the yard limit and you could actually feel it accelerate, it pushed you backwards! Commuter stations went by so fast they just made a poof sound! Our car was 75 feet long, but switch points rattled by in less than a second. One good thing - we made Omaha in record time. How those mail sorters managed to work while that train ran at speed is a miracle in itself. It's all gone now no doubt, but oh what a ride.

[JanOlov]

1. Hiawatha with a Class A 4-4-2
2. Hiawatha with a Class F-7 4-6-4
3. Olympian Hiawatha (Steam)
4. Empire Builder (Steam)
5. North Coast Limited (Steam)
6. Daylight (Steam)
7. 20th Century Limited (Steam)
8. Merchant Limited (Steam)
9. Sunset Limited (Steam)
10. Florida Special (Steam)
and
11. Panama Limited (Steam)

I know that it's a few of them, but hey...... They were some wonderful trains around back in the day.