I know all we talk about is model trains. But what if we sit back and think about the trains we are modeling. What i am asking her is what your favorite locomotive is and in what paint scheme. As one famous man said, "You can tell a lot from a trains paint scheme, where they go, where they been. I've seen a lot of trains, I bet if i think real hard i can remeber my first train." (What if Forest Gump actually said that?)
Mine would be a F45 in Santa Fe's freight scheme
I have two--any Virginian articulated---for sheer gall and sw1200's in CN colours---branchlines rule!
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
There are a lot of answers to this question... I could say that a Conrail SD-40-2 stands out as an icon, based on the fact that I cut my railfanning teeth around the Middle Division in the mid 1980's. But at the same time, I really dug the "rainbow" era of CR, and in particular the Reading GP-30 paint outs I saw on coal drags into Baltimore.
But then again, while I didn't have much direct experience watching them, the second generation power on the WM, black speedlettered GP-35's and SD-40's stand out as modern power on an efficiently run railroad, but just as iconic were the surviving WM F-units, and what might be my all time favorite, the rugged old BL-2's that handled switching duties at Hagerstown, along with their tag-along slug units.
So which is my absolute favorite? Yes!
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
Well, mine would be steam. If we're talking about the locomotive that made the first impression on me, I'd have to say it would be the Southern Pacific AC class 4-8-8-2 cab-forward, which is really one of the first locmotives I remember, when I was a kid in Truckee. In fact for the first years of my life, I thought that ALL articulated locomotives ran cab-first, LOL! And of those AC's, I think that my favorite was the AC-6, which was the last 'flat-faced' of the series, and the true transitional cab-forward of that wheel arrangement between the 'utilitarian' AC 4/5 and the more 'streamlined' AC's of later classes. They were brutes, and spectacular to watch.
Later, when I found out that most articulateds ran boiler-first, my favorite articulated became the huge Missabe M-3/4 2-8-8-4's. But those SP AC's are still a REALLY close second.
Other favorites: Rio Grande's L-131 2-8-8-2's and L-105 4-6-6-4's. And those big, hunking handsome Z-series Challengers from Northern Pacific and SP&S (Alco's finest hour, IMO). And C&O's 2-8-8-2's and 2-6-6-6's.
As far as diesels, I always liked the "Black Widow" scheme of the SP F-units and the "Daylight" scheme of their PA's. I sorta lost interest in their diesels with the more simplified "Bloody Nose" scheme EXCEPT for their spectacular "Tunnel" motors.
My absolute favorite diesel paint schemes though, are Rio Grande's. First their black and yellow scheme, then their later Aspen Gold and silver, and finally the really business-like look of their black and orange hood units.
Tom
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!
Diesel: any Alco FA, PA, or RS, or a FP45 or F45.
Steam: Souhtern Pacific P-8 4-6-2.
- Luke
Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's
Diesels: F45 in BN
Steam: GN S2 Northern
Electric: Milwuakkee little joes
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
Always like the green and orange on the GN GP-30's, something about the colors and the GP30's was always eye catching.
BIG BOY
DD40X
UP, OF COURSE!!
Diesel: Santa Fe's F3 with the elongated warbonnet; FM Trainmaster in demonstration scheme
Steam: Big Boy; Chapelon's 242 A1
Electric: Sweden's 101; the wood looks like in a million $ yacht Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/se/electric/historic/5.jpg
Pretty tough question, and if I re-read this tomorrow, I'll likely disagree with myself. Three answers to favorite locomotive.
1. Any T&P locomotive with the Elsco feed water heater, sitting on the top of the smokebox like the roll of hair pulled back from the forhead on some late 40s movie star in a Bogart movie. Reminds me of standing trackside in the Union Terminal in Dallas, as the Texas Eagle/Louisana Eagle (likely a Class 700 Pacific) brought my grandmother back from a visit to Jefferson, Texas, c.1947, and I sometimes got a little steam bath--not too hot, but smelled of machinery. Nothing like it.
2. Souther Pacific E8 (?) in Black Widow paint featured head-on and at speed in the opening scenes of the 1957 (?) movie "Bad Day at Black Rock". If you're a train buff, especially SP, and havent seen it, then move that to the top of your list.
3. On any given day, T&P GP-7s, NW-2s and SW-7s in Swamp Holly Orange and Black.
Mike
A high nosed SD40-2 in the classic Southern RWY Paint scheme , tied with this ALCO RS3 in any paint scheme .
Mine has gotta be an EMD F7A in the Canadian Pacific tuscan and grey paint scheme.
Well, i might as well tell yall my favorite steam loco to.
Has to be the N&W J-class loco. The most elagant steam loco.
Southern Pacific Daylight GS4
Jeff
One of my favorites is a CN M636 in the Stripe scheme. As luck would have it I just bought an undecorated Brass M636 on ebay and I can't wait to paint it in CN colours!
"Madam Queen" and Uncle John's 5001 and 5011 Classes--THE BIGGEST OF THE BIG!
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Mine is hands-down Michi-Cal Lumber Company Shay #2:
http://www.trainweb.org/foothill/images/micaltbm.html
It's a classic Lima class A (2 truck, two cylinder) Shay.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
The Allegheny of course and the Mallets of the N&W and the Clinchfield for their sheer massive size and pulling power Big Steam rules the rails and made this country what it used to be not what it has become
As far as steam locomotives go, there's nothing like a Berkshire. Beautiful machines.
Call me biased, but for paint schemes, I just love the Monon's black and gold. It's simple yet striking, matches my collegiate alma mater's colors, and helps to preserve dim memories from my childhood. Plus, it's also a very cool herald.
"I am lapidary but not eristic when I use big words." - William F. Buckley
I haven't been sleeping. I'm afraid I'll dream I'm in a coma and then wake up unconscious. -Stephen Wright
I like the Burlington stainless steel E5 A and B units.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Little Joe
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
As far as deisels go I love the BNSF paint scheme on a AC 4400 or a Dash 9. A close second would be the same two locos with the balck Norfolk Southern scheme.
Steam-No doubt about it the BIG BOY 4-8-8-4
N&W J's. Hands down best looking and operating locomotive. I even like the N&W K's that they made (but they modeled them after the Js). I like the N&W A's too. I have a soft spot for any steam loco, but I like Diesels too.
Modeling the N&W freelanced at the height of their steam era in HO.
Daniel G.
hands down is the N&W Y6b, but I have too many other favorite locos also that run after it also...
FM Trainmaster in CNJ livery.
Alco S-2.
For me It has to be the little known Great Northern class N3 2-8-8-0.
I am gonna have to go back to the days of my youth. Born & raised in Arizona, i got to see a lot of the Southern Pacific back when it was *just* SP. I used to watch in awe as a huge train rumbled by. Never gave too much thought to 'Road Names' or 'Locomotive Types'... just wanted to watch :)
Later, I would come to find that the SD-45T tunnel motor was the loco I saw the most frequently and as such, it goes down in my history as "My Favorite Locomotive"
Paint Scheme wise, I like the Grey and Red simplicity. The Speed Lettering that was born of the D&RGW/SP merger is neat, but I still prefer the pre-merger simple block letters.
Dave Loman
My site: The Rusty Spike
"It's a penny for your thoughts, but you have to put your 2 cents in.... hey, someone's making a penny!"
Never ceases to shock me as to the incredable differences in opinion on whats the "best" What a boring world it would be if not for all the differing opinions.
As for MY favorite
on the Diesel side it is a tie between the C&NW SD40-2's, and the DRGW SD40T-2's for steam there is but one... a DMIR yellowstone.
Growing up on the NE Corridor it has to be anything from the "perfect railroad" (PRR). Number two & three are the Great Western and London, Midland & Scottish Railways in Britain.
Charles Sanchez