That's an easy question to answer. The one in my avatar.
Having H U G E problems posting pictures here, so the avatar will have to do until I figure out this computer thing...
Van Hobbies H1b, K1a, T1c, D10g, F1a, F2a, G5a. Division Point: H24-66 Hammerhead, Alco covered wagons A-B-B-A, C-Liner A-B-B-A, EMD FP7A A-B-B.
H1b modified to replicate modern day 2816. All with Tsunamis.
Well I see it is three years later since this was originally posted. I confess I have changed my favorites since then.
It is a toss up between my Overland Great Northern 4-6-0 E-15 and a PFM Great Northern 4-6-2 H4, both are painted in the Glacier livery. Fantastic detail and great runners. Will pull anything I give them.
My favorite steam engine is also my favorite overall in my fleet. It is a BLI Paragon Norfolk and Western Class J #611 as used in normal service.
I model modern day so this engine does not see alot of track time but I do take her out and streach her legs every now and again. Her main consist is the Powatan Arrow made up of some Spectrum heavyweight cars. I have a Con Cor Powatan arrow set that I am needing to assemble and detail the interior of. I will get on that here some day.
Massey
A Veteran, whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve, is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."
The weiner man I have 4...... and it's the hardest choice i'd ever have to make to say i have a favorite. all ho 1: a bachmann spectrum 3-truck climax 2: an IHC mogul (i've repaired her so-many times.....) 3: a life-like 0-4-0 4: a bachmann 0-6-0
I have 4...... and it's the hardest choice i'd ever have to make to say i have a favorite. all ho
1: a bachmann spectrum 3-truck climax
2: an IHC mogul (i've repaired her so-many times.....)
3: a life-like 0-4-0
4: a bachmann 0-6-0
Make it 5. i got a rivarossi heisler. she's just as good as my climax if not better
Planning a 1940's logging road in HO scale.
Ah, I see someone's perusing the old threads.
My favorite stream locomotive that I have is my Bowser K4 I built almost 40 years ago.
Enjoy
Paul
Hi All,
Can anyone tell me why my photos are not showing up?
I used the "Insert Media" option and posted the URL I wanted to post and nothing has shown up yet. I was shown a page that said my changes needed to be approved. That was early yesterday. Am i still waiting or did i do something wrong?
I'll try again with this photo of my most recent restoration project locomotive which is right up there with my favorites. This time i will just copy and past it.
Thanks in advance,
Sean
I have several of each class shown here, but the pics don't come out well when I move the camera back. I love all of N&W's articulateds for different reasons.... The early Y's for their great performance, so early in history, when other roads were double-heading smaller engines.... the later Y's for their absolute refinement of the mallet type locomotive and the exact, purpose-built design for mountain hauling, and the A's for their beauty and grace.
I love the M's because they are different. No one else really had them. SP's were a completely different engine. This little Sunset Model gem runs impeccably.
Well if you reaally try to pin me down best I'll be able to do is my PFM Great Northern N3 2-8-8-0 and her older cousin no.1973 a smallish Challengers models M2 2-6-8-0 seen riding the table here.
I have a few steamers that I like, but the one that I'm especially proud of is an old brass Van Hobbies/Samhongsa CPR H1b Hudson.
It's been re-geared, re-motored, and re-drivered with Greenway drivers,and the appliances have been changed to accurately model CPR Hudson 2816 as it runs today.
This engine was bought off of Ebay, and it took quite a few months, and the help of several friends to get it 'just right'.
It now runs like a dream, and as a result, it is operated more than all my other locos combined.
It has a Tsunami "heavy steam" decoder with the USRA 6 chime whistle, of course, as it used during 2007-2008, although my wife tells me that the Southern Railway 3 chime sounds closer to the "original" CPR whistle.
It's been out of service for 3 weeks now, getting rebuilt (again). I chased an intermittant short for 2 weeks until I figured out that the springs had sagged and the front driver flange was shorting on the crosshead. So it get's new springs and a tune up.....
I'm itching to get a pic of it up, and I will as soon as it's back in service. (Within a week, I hope, depending on work)
I'st runner up is a little Van/Sam CPR 0-6-0 yard goat. It's not sexy or fast, but it runs like a champ
I've posted this one in this forum before, but my favorite of my 50 or so is this Hallmark Midland Valley Mike:
Got it in 1970 or thereabouts. open-frame motor (replacement - I wore out the brushes on the original) runs super-quiet, extra "Templow" weight poured into the boiler, and she'll pull the plaster off the walls.
---
Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com
===================================
"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins
http://fhn.site90.net
My C&O Allegheney H8 as well, as it was arguably the "biggest baddest steam engine ever produced." ;)
It is hard to say with mine. I have so many and so many of them are very different.
It would be a toss-up among a few in this set of three photos:
The 2-8-0 at the bottom left if the photo shown in the link above is an all brass Mantua 1939 Pre-WWII consolidation. I like it very much, but the fully restored Tenshodo Signature series 4-8-8-4 Brass Big Boy is nice as well in this picture linked below:
]
In this photo, it would have to be the Winton 2-6-6-6 all brass Allegheny, but the Pre & Post-WWII Mantua brass Atlantics are nice too:
The two super detailed vintage Varney locomotives that I have and am really impressed with, however are these:
Super Consolidation:
Economy Pacific:
Surprised this thread is still alive. Since I don't own my original entry, I swap it for my Paragon 2 NYC Hudson that I have for club use...
- Luke
Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's
Hmmmmm, I thought I had replied to this thread back in 2008 when it was frist posted but I don't see it here.
I have a hard time choosing between the original Varney 0-4-0 dockside that I had when I was 6 years old, the AHM 4-4-0 Reno I got for Christmas when I was in 4th grade, the Powerhouse 2-4-4-2 from 1987? or so, the smooth running Trix 2-8-2, or the Monster Brass 2-8-8-4 DM&IR Yellowstone (repowered with a super can motor).
So I'll have to go with - the 4-4-0. Don't run it much anymore but it looks good sitting on the shelf.
My Bachmann Spectrum Mikado DCC OnBoard. WOuldn't trade it for the world.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
Not a tough one for me! it´s this one:
It´s a Japanese National Railway D51 made by Kato (N scale). Not only good looking and well detailed, but also a smooth runner!
Did I say it is my one and only N scale steamer
Hmm, this is tough, but for a long time it had been my Athearn Mikado that I reworked a bit to better resemble a B&O Q3. I still have it but it is not in prime aesthetic shape, though with a bit of work it could be I imagine... than I got a model of my favorite steam engine of all time, N&W J 611, a Spectrum model that I loved much until I picked up BLI N&W J 606, which I've done some work on, including a sound unit, figures, coal load and eventually a little weathering.
Alvie
Lillen wrote: Well it would be this: Magnus
Well it would be this:
Magnus
Mine would be the very same, except one, that has blueline sound, no smoke, and a different color LED.
My Allegheny H8 is my favorite Steam Locomotive.
twhite wrote: Shayfan--Ah, the Brass Basket Case, right? Those are two little beauties, and aren't you glad you took the time and effort to get them running? And really, when you come down to it, isn't brass forgiving to work with? It's almost like it says, "Hey, I can DO this, just help me out a little." I'll add two Basket Cases here--one is a Yellowstone I got about two months ago, had to take apart and re-do, re-build and re-'cosmetic' (still in THAT process), but finally got it together enough to try it out this last weekend, and it's just a HONEY! And it's almost 50 years old. The very nice guy that sold it to me at a swap meet said, "It needs a LOT of work," and boy, did it! But it's just about there. Runs smooth and pulls like a team of oxen. Right next to it at the right of the photo is my first 'Basket Case', a PFM Santa Fe 2-10-2 that I got for $25 about 20 years ago and kit-bashed into a kinda-sorta Rio Grande F-81. Took a lot of work, but it's a really sweet loco and I use it a lot. So I guess these are pretty 'favorite' steamers on my roster, too. Tom
Shayfan--
Ah, the Brass Basket Case, right? Those are two little beauties, and aren't you glad you took the time and effort to get them running? And really, when you come down to it, isn't brass forgiving to work with? It's almost like it says, "Hey, I can DO this, just help me out a little."
I'll add two Basket Cases here--one is a Yellowstone I got about two months ago, had to take apart and re-do, re-build and re-'cosmetic' (still in THAT process), but finally got it together enough to try it out this last weekend, and it's just a HONEY! And it's almost 50 years old. The very nice guy that sold it to me at a swap meet said, "It needs a LOT of work," and boy, did it! But it's just about there. Runs smooth and pulls like a team of oxen. Right next to it at the right of the photo is my first 'Basket Case', a PFM Santa Fe 2-10-2 that I got for $25 about 20 years ago and kit-bashed into a kinda-sorta Rio Grande F-81. Took a lot of work, but it's a really sweet loco and I use it a lot.
So I guess these are pretty 'favorite' steamers on my roster, too.
Tom
Tom,
Those two engines look really sweet. Nice work!
I acually shop for problem brass locos because I enjoy the process of getting them right; I buy them used and, like you, I find that often the price is pretty good because of the poor performance. Brass locos look so nice; I want them to run equally well, and you're right it is nice to work on them. Of my 15 brass locos, I only have 2 that I feel run the way they should, with no improvement possible; the other 13 spent a lot of time on my workbench.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
For me it's a tie:
Both of these were non-runners when I got them. The rear bolster on the NWSL shay was mis-located so it could not make it through #6 turnouts and the front truck bolster was too wide preventing the spur and crown gears from meshing. The open frame motor ran, but the gears were misaligned, so it struggled to even move. Over 2 years I tinkered with it - finally diagnosing its issues. Fixed it and added a coreless motor. Now it runs and tracks great.
The Forney ran, but it had two speeds: fast and stop. It would not track through a curve worth a darn. I finally figured out that it needed a centering spring on the rear truck. That got it tracking better; a coreless motor and NWSL gears fixed its speed issues.
I love these guys because I've invested so much effort into getting them right, they are two of my most reliable locos.
BTW, I scratch built that ground throw.
My Lionel Challenger.... (4-6-6-4)... dang she is SWEEEEEEEEETTT! Especially now that I have her tuned up, new LED front light, etc.... thinking of putting marker lights on her, but I gotta do some research on that first....
Brian
My Forum Name and Avatar, should give my favorites away, but here is a pic, both Lionel and both cab# 3980. If I had to choose just one though, the size and sheer mass of the O-Gauge model makes it impressive 28 inches long about 14 pounds and pulling my 8 car scale length matched heavyweight passenger train about 14 feet long.
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
NeO6874 wrote: The wording is such that he appears to be talking about the 1:1 challengers, and not his personal models. So, if you're around OJLAR -- which were you talking about?
The wording is such that he appears to be talking about the 1:1 challengers, and not his personal models.
So, if you're around OJLAR -- which were you talking about?
Hi Dan,
He mentions that he has the Athearn Genesis models of, Big Boy 4005, the Challenger 3985 and the FEF 4-8-4 #844. Then states his reasons for liking them is that the prototypes, the the Big Boys were the Biggest and Baddest Steamers built, the 3985 is the Biggest Steamer still operating today, and that the #844 is the only Steamer on a Class 1 Railroad that has never been retired. Then he says that they are all great fun to run, meaning his models.
Time I chimed in here. My favorite of my fleet would still be this:
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Bachmann 2-6-6-2 decaled for the SLOW. She is a great runner and puller and puts on a good show for guests!
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!