EMD E6A, SANTA FE #14. When I was about 5 (1951) there was a passenger train wreck outside of Ottawa, Kansas and the loco was E6A #14. I'll never forget seeing that huge locomotive off of the tracks with a hole it it's nose. It hit a tractor-trailer carrying a bull dozer at 100 mph. The entire train jumped sideways off of the tracks, but all cars and #14 stayed upright and in line. Quite a sight for a kid.
I agree, switchers on branch lines are my favorite
but i love steam...any 4-8-4, PRR K4, or Challengert is my favorite when it comes to steam.
SD FanMine would be a F45 in Santa Fe's freight scheme
rock island D-L 109 #621
For Diesels - It has to be the RSD15
For Steam - Cab Forward
Both of them are just beautiful engines
Jeff
Two countries, three flavors
Japan:
United States:
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan - with all locos listed above - in September, 1964)
Well, this is sort of an easy question to answer. First of all any second generation diesel that was owned by SOUTHERN Railway would qualify as my favorites, but if I had to choose one particular model, it would have to be the GP38 family. Southern had several hundred standard GP38's, GP38-2's and the GP38AC's. My second favorite woudl be the GP50's Southern had, and coming in third would be the 6-axel SD40 and SD40-2 series Southerns. Southern also had some odd-ball locos, including most of their GP35's which were built on ALCO trucks from trade-ins. Southern also had six GP39X's (later renamed GP49's). I'm not sure if any other railroad had this model at all. Southern had 3 of the dozen or so GP40X's as well. Naturally all these locos were high-hood models.
So basically, all second generation high-hood Southern's would be my favorites...including the GE models Southern had as well.
I'm partial to EJ&E SD38-2's and Southern High Hood SD45's. Been around "The J" my whole life and I just like the looks of those big SD45's with flared radiators and the high short hoods, especially when they run long hood forward.
I like them 44 tonners too. I used to watch them work at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in the 60s when I was stationed there. I also like the Milwaukee little Joes, just interesting I guess. Probably because of their looks(businesslike), and that they were regenerative. Their way downhill paid for the way up.
My favorite type of locomotive are electrics, especially those of the NYNH&H. Specifically the NH EP-5s, numbers 370-379.
For all intents and purposes, I do like all "sparkers". There's something about a big motor running beneath complex catenary. It also makes for interesting modeling.
For me, in order of my favrates:
Diesil: Alco Rs-3, PA-1 Fa-1, EMD F/E-unit in EL colors. Dash-9 in BNSF.
Steam: 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, NKP Berkshire, Pacfic.
Electric: PRR GG-1, PRR E-55, Milwakee Road Turbo-Liner, Amtrack Acela.
Honorable Mention: SD-45-2 In EL, Geep-38-2 in Soo.
NYC Alco-GE P-1a
Alco RS1's, 2's, and 3's
Electric: The Pennsy GG1
Diesel: F7A
Steam: N&W J Class; NYC Hudsons ( art deco, or not ); UP Northerns
Absolutely, my favorite is what I remember as a kid.
Southern Pacific cab-forwards, the AC's. Of those the flat-faced AC-4 - AC-6 are favorites, I guess for the same reason I root for under-dogs. The flat face isn't as pretty as the streamline cab, but it just implies "harder working!!
For styling I have to vote for the backward cab-forwards, the SP AC-9 with the conventional boiler in front. The 2-8-8-4 wheel arrangement is the classic among big hard-working articulateds, and with the skyline casing and the proportion of size, length and wheel diameter, it's just perfect.
Diesels: got to be the streamlined E units in all those great streamliner paint schemes.
Folks:
I can't decide. There are too many nice steam locomotives out there. I do prefer the earlier designs to the superpower types, except for some late-steam favorites such as the Challengers and the PRR duplexes, but except for a few freakish types, any steam from any era and any country is good steam. Give me any given Pacific and a rake of standard cars and I'm happy.
Maybe it's hard to pick favorites because steam is so individualized. It's like picking your favorite orchestral piece.
When I was 8 or 9 in the 1930's my Dad took me to the State Farm Show in Harrisburg, PA. On dispaly was a GG1. I got up close and personable. Fondness for this engine contiues (albeit in Z scale).
Diesel Alco PA in Warbonnet colors
Steam Blue Goose
Electric Swiss Crocodile
I'm partial to high-hood GP's in general, but if I had to pick one locomotive it would be the venerable GP7. There's just something about those road switchers that I really like.
Incidently, my avatar to the left is a photo of me at the controls of a GP7. It happens to be ex-C&O CNRY #55.
mines a mix and match, again as with many too many to decide.
diesels: F7's, Alco Rs's, FM H15 (one of the first old trains i ever did see, couldn't tell you where or when though), and Alco S-6 (I was DEFINETLY influenced by a cab ride)
steam: easy, the Big Boy, i live fairly close a train musuem with one, but i'm too scurred of crawling in the fire box for a photog in fear of being banned for life. before i moved to Tittletown i was there once, now i go there at least i'd say 3 times a year
electric: dunno. only one i've been close to is the musuems GG-1, but i do like the look of the MILW Lil' Joe that i've never heard of before. now i want one. for reals
i know i tend to be like most of the rest, influenced and biased by ones i've been close to. there is one more of mine i couldn't add it to the list, because i don't know what it was. it was some little attraction thingy, in some far off state beyond the horizon, when i was evidentally too little to remember. all i remember is it was a steamer that pulled a few passenger cars and a little yellow wood caboose. the short maybe 2 mile ride was going the one way when they operated the train backwards, and even funner on the way back when i rode in the caboose. ok so that was actually 2 train rides but still. i think i might have been the only kid actually sitting enjoying the ride and not just jumping from one seat to the next over the walkway in the coupala. oh sure i did that but not when the train was moving. i'll really think about it this weekend and maybe come up with more info. i know i wasn't older than 8 or 9.
I'd like to second Tom's choice of the DM&IR Yellowstone. If anyone happens to be near Duluth, MN, be sure to stop at the old GN train depot where they have a working mockup of that granddaddy of the steam era.
the goat
Boy, everyone's interests bounce all over the map on this one. No single locomotive seems to be standing out. My all-time favourite locomotive has to be the Alco PA-1 in Delaware & Hudson colours. A close second would be EMD's E8 in CP Rail action red livery with multimark. My favourite steam locomotive is a NYC J3a Hudson.
Cheers, Marty - modelling the Maine Central on Vancouver Island