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Best lines on a non streamlined non articulated steamer

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Posted by cjcrescent on Friday, February 19, 2010 11:34 AM

 Southern's 4-6-2 Ps-4

 Southern's 2-8-2 Ms-4

 L&N 2-8-4 Big Emma.

Carey

Keep it between the Rails

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Posted by UncBob on Friday, February 19, 2010 8:24 AM

 Here is a pic of the Lackawanna Pocono

Nice clean lines without a lot of extra piping etc

 

Pocono 

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Thursday, February 18, 2010 10:14 PM

I like smaller, older steam. In particular, I like the CB&Q 2-6-2 Prairie type.

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

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Posted by UP 4-12-2 on Thursday, February 18, 2010 9:39 PM

Hi Tom--

I'm not personally real fond of boosters located anywhere.

However, many years ago RMC had a nicely weathered Custom Brass DRGW M-78 on the cover, and I have wanted one ever since!

Never got one; never even saw one that was painted (I live in PA), and now I have a family with small children, so MTH is about as rich as I can get (couldn't afford to have a fine paint and lighting job done on a brass M-78 by one of the painters I find acceptable).

I once bought a mint PFM Crown DRGW M-75 4-8-2--and it had never been run, so with the open frame motor, it growled quite a bit.  Once I found out they exaggerated the boiler by 10% to make the engine more "impressive" in HO, well, between that and the open frame motor I sold it.  One of the very few engines I ever made an immediate turn-around profit on...

Should've kept it and just ran it in and used it.  They were built to last.  I also miss a Westside SP 4-10-2...

The M-75 is also a very well-proportioned 4-8-2.

Best Regards--

John

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Posted by twhite on Thursday, February 18, 2010 6:45 PM

UP 4-12-2

I'd say the individual who chose the Rio Grande M-64 4-8-4 has impeccable taste!  For me, too, it is the ultimate, most beautiful 4-8-4.

I find the huge sand domes and some other appurtenances on the big Lima Berk and Texas Types to be a visual put off.

My choices:

1. DRGW M-64 4-8-4

2. UP 4-12-2

3. DRGW M-78 4-8-2

4. SP 4-10-2

5. UP rebuilt 4-10-2 5500 class

In my opinion, any of those 5 engines epitomizes what I consider to be the "classic look" of steam power--some exposed piping, but not too many external appurtenances as to look like a rolling plumber's nightmare--and overall good, clean proportions.  I love the big non-articulated steamers.

John

my definition of a plumber's or pipefitter's nightmare:  WP 251-class and 257-class 2-8-8-2's

John: 

That was me, and thank you.  As to the Rio Grande M-78, were you thinking of the Alco 4-8-2's with the 'booster' trailing truck?  Even though they had the main rod connected to the 3rd instead of the 2nd main driver, they were extremely well-balanced and even with only 63" drivers, they could really get up and move when they wanted to.  And I like their clean lines, very much.

Here's a shot of one of my three:  She's a Custom Brass model, and it took a little work to get her running well, but she does a very nice job on the layout. 

 

Tom Smile

 

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Posted by Burlington Northern Rails on Thursday, February 18, 2010 5:39 PM

My two favorites are

1. Milwaukee Road S2 4-8-4

2. Chicago Burlington & Quincy O5B 4-8-4

Kon

Modelling the BN 1970-1995

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Posted by UncBob on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:34 PM

ATLANTIC CENTRAL

Well, I like Mountain types, especially the USRA Heavy and its clones/rebuilds, and those built by the B&O.

Second might well be the Detroit Toledo & Ironton 800 series Mikado, which does look very much like a C&O or NKP 2-8-4, just a little smaller.

  .

Sheldon

 

I just checked out a pic of that DT&I Mikado and except for the rear of the cab it could pass for a Nickle plate Berk 

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Posted by R. T. POTEET on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 6:49 PM

Uncle John's 5001/5011 2-10-4s hands down.

The best looking Northerns/Niagaras/Greenbriars/Poconos/whatevers were Rock Island's R-67Bs followed by MoPac's rebuilt Berkshires followed closely behind that by Northwestern's post-WWII Class H-1 rebuilds. One cannot, of course, slight Northern Pacific's A-4/A-5 Classes.

From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 6:24 PM

UncBob

 On that converted Berk

It seems lower because there isn't much daylight between the boiler and the frame ?

UncBob, it must just be the lighting or the angle of the photo, because that part of the model is all stock.

All I did was add weight, cut off the drawbar post at the back of the frame, make a new drawbar that pivots from the orginal trailing truck mount, assembled and installed the brass trailing truck which is attached to the new drawbar, removed the DCC decoder from the tender and added weight to the tender.

A few more details will be done before I paint it. I will add some missing hand rails and a cab/tender deck plate.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by UncBob on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:54 PM

 On that converted Berk

It seems lower because there isn't much daylight between the boiler and the frame ?

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Posted by DigitalGriffin on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:31 PM

In no particular order 

C&O Texas class /Pennsy J1

UP FEF-3

 

And the NYC Niagra's

Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions

Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!

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Posted by ripvanwnkl on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 1:29 PM

The beautiful green Southern Railway Ps-4 Pacific 4-6-2, specifically road number 1401.  From late 1920's to early 1950's, the epitome of steam passenger power without the shrouding of streamlining. 

Dave

USAF (Retired)

 

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Posted by UP 4-12-2 on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 1:04 PM

I'd say the individual who chose the Rio Grande M-64 4-8-4 has impeccable taste!  For me, too, it is the ultimate, most beautiful 4-8-4.

I find the huge sand domes and some other appurtenances on the big Lima Berk and Texas Types to be a visual put off.

My choices:

1. DRGW M-64 4-8-4

2. UP 4-12-2

3. DRGW M-78 4-8-2

4. SP 4-10-2

5. UP rebuilt 4-10-2 5500 class

In my opinion, any of those 5 engines epitomizes what I consider to be the "classic look" of steam power--some exposed piping, but not too many external appurtenances as to look like a rolling plumber's nightmare--and overall good, clean proportions.  I love the big non-articulated steamers.

John

my definition of a plumber's or pipefitter's nightmare:  WP 251-class and 257-class 2-8-8-2's

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 12:40 PM

That model was a Berkshire, the trailing truck has been replaced with a brass one with a booster from PSC.

The model is the Bachmann NKP/PM version.

After doing much research on the DT&I 800, all the Lima super power Berks, and a number of the heaviest Mikados, it turns out that the NKP/PM Berks could just have easily been Mikados on a road with heavy trackage that could stand a little higher axle load.

Roads like the C&O, PRR and others could have easily handled such a loco. The GN O-8 Mikados had as much power, larger fireboxes and much higher axle loadings than the NKP/PM or C&O 2-8-4's. And, they had 69" drivers just like those 2-8-4's.

The DT&I 800 series Mikes look like the Berks, because they where designed and built at the same time Lima was building those Berks, and DT&I did not want the larger drivers or heavier loco. The DT&I 800's were in fact, super power Mikados, little baby brothers to the Berks with all the same features and refinements less the larger drivers and firebox, and the same looks, outside bearing lead truck, same boiler profile, same tender design, similar domes and placements, same feadwater heater, same valve gear, etc.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/dti/dti-s800.jpg

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/dti/dti-s804lba.jpg

So, on my freelanced ATLANTIC CENTRAL, we did order such a Mikado from Lima. Just like a NKP Berk but with a single axle booster trailing truck, placing more weight on the drivers and increasing TE even more. I am in the process of building four of them. There will be two pairs with slight differences to represent two different orders/subclasses. The one in the photo is waiting to go to the paint shop.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by UncBob on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:48 AM

 What model is that Mikado ?

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Posted by UncBob on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:42 AM

 That 2-8-2 does look like a Berk just lower and maybe better

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Wednesday, February 17, 2010 8:48 AM

Well, I like Mountain types, especially the USRA Heavy and its clones/rebuilds, and those built by the B&O.

Second might well be the Detroit Toledo & Ironton 800 series Mikado, which does look very much like a C&O or NKP 2-8-4, just a little smaller.

Both are locos I have chosen to model on my ATLANTIC CENTRAL.

Third I would pick the B&O P7 Pacific.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by oo-OO-OO-oo on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 11:23 PM

Gotta love those chunky PRR steamers

How about an E6 Atlantic?

I wish I was a headlight

On a northbound train

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Posted by CNCharlie on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 10:46 PM

For me I think the best looking example is CNR's class U-2-e Mountain. They are a very clean looking loco especially with a Vanderbilt tender. 

Lawrence Stuckey, a fairly well known photographer of the CPR thought so too.

CN Charlie

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Posted by tstage on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 9:41 PM

mobilman44
I have to say the best looking steam loco is the NYC Hudson!

Bingo!  For me, a classy and timeless design.  I will say that the NKP Berkshires are not too far behind though.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by selector on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 8:53 PM

I can't decide betwen the C&O T-1/PennsyJ1 and the UP 9000 series long-boilered three-cylinder beasts with the flying pumps.  Eventually I'll have one of each. Smile,Wink, & Grin.  At least, that was the plan...BLI seems to have gone soft on their offer of the 4-12-2.

-Crandell

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Posted by UncBob on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 8:27 PM

 I vacillate a lot  the Nickle Plate Berk--the USRA heavy Mountain and the Lackawana Pocono

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Posted by nbrodar on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 8:14 PM

 Reading T1!

Nick

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Posted by simon1966 on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 7:45 PM

LNER A3 Pacific I love British trains  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygF5_98PTrQ  watch the first couple of minutes in HD, it is the new Tornado, wonderful stuff

 

 

Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum

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Posted by Packer on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 7:13 PM

I personally like the GN S2 a lot.

If BLI actually ever made it, I'd be tempted to get one and use it for excursion service or something

I'm suprised there hasn't been a nod to the AA 20-01 (4-14-4) or UP 9000 (4-12-2) locos 

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.

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Posted by CAZEPHYR on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 7:05 PM

UncBob

 What is your pick ?

 

 

My all time pick might be the C&O Greenbriar.  A very nice locomotive.

And it might be??   This is one of those questions that has about 100 anwsers!!

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Posted by CAZEPHYR on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 6:58 PM

mobilman44

As a diehard, lifelong ATSF & IC fan, I have to say the best looking steam loco is the NYC Hudson!

For the ATSF, their large Northerns (37xx) are their best.

For the IC, much as I hate to say it, those Paducah style box sand domes just kill the aesthics of the locos.  And to make matters worse, you can't even get a decent HO model of them!

Hey, the above is just my opinion, and I won't argue one way or the other with anyone that disagrees.

ENJOY !

Mobilman44

Mobilman

I agree the NYC Hudsons were very nice looking locomotives, but I was raised watching the 2500 and 2600 series Illinois Central mountains and the sand boxes looked just fine to me.  I was surprised to find other railroads had rounded sandboxes.

The trick is to pace them at 75mph to get action shots or up close.

CZ

 

 

 

 

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 6:51 PM

Japan National Railways C62 class 4-6-4.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

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Posted by mobilman44 on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 6:24 PM

As a diehard, lifelong ATSF & IC fan, I have to say the best looking steam loco is the NYC Hudson!

For the ATSF, their large Northerns (37xx) are their best.

For the IC, much as I hate to say it, those Paducah style box sand domes just kill the aesthics of the locos.  And to make matters worse, you can't even get a decent HO model of them!

Hey, the above is just my opinion, and I won't argue one way or the other with anyone that disagrees.

ENJOY !

Mobilman44

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

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