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What are your favorite locomotives?

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Posted by steamage on Tuesday, March 4, 2014 5:19 AM

For now Athearn's new SDP45 just arrrived yesterday and running on my layout.

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Posted by Bob Schuknecht on Monday, March 3, 2014 3:16 PM

The picture in my above post is a BQ23-7.

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Posted by Bob Schuknecht on Monday, March 3, 2014 3:12 PM

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Posted by Texas Zepher on Monday, March 3, 2014 1:19 PM

the North East Rail Modeler
I may wind up having the most unusual picks.

I'm sure I'm the only ones to like these:  BQ 23-7, CF-7,

BQ 23-7 is that the one Amtrak came up with as a gap filler?

CF-7, I just happened to be in Glen Rose Texas on a fossil dig when they were clearing ground for a new nuclear power plant and uncovered a bunch of dinosaur foot tracks.   We took a day off from out dig to go over and look at them.  That trip just happened to take us past/through Cleburne.  At the time I had no idea that there was one of AT&SF's major shops were there.   I saw a string of  "brand new" CF-7s at the shops.  I believe they were getting ready to depart the shop yard and head out to their first assignments, but  I couldn't talk my fellow geologists into stopping to get pictures.   That was when I realized the fate of all those F7s that had been slowly moved into service around Wichita Kansas and lines south a few years earlier.

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Posted by E-L man tom on Monday, March 3, 2014 9:48 AM

As for me, I'm like most people here when it comes to diesels. I would say, though, that mostly first and second generation diesels are my favorites, mainly GP7/9's, SD7's, SW1, 7, 9 and 1500 Alco S2's RS3's, FT, F3, F7, E8/9's, Alco PA's, GE U33/36C's, U25B's, C424/425, also SD45, GP35/38. Probably my most favorites are the GP7/9 and SD45. I don't deal in steam, so I wouldn't know a J class from a Chevy Nova!

Tom Modeling the free-lanced Toledo Erie Central switching layout.
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Posted by fwright on Saturday, March 1, 2014 5:00 PM

Shays, Climaxes, Heislers, other geared steam, 4-4-0s, 2-6-0s, 2-8-0s are my favorites.  Have narrow gauge and standard gauge Shays (back-dated MDC and Keystone).  For other geared steam, I have only the MDC "sort of Climax" and the AHM Heisler (too big for my taste).  Have the HOn3 2-6-0, working on the 4-4-0.  Have the famous Mantua/Tyco General, Model Power and MDC 2-8-0s, and some other assorted small steam.

Have a strong desire to end up with models of Baldwin logging 2-4-2Ts, and something similar to the Little River 2-4-4-2 for an articulated. 

Fred W

....modeling foggy coastal Oregon, where it's always 1900....

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Posted by kbkchooch on Saturday, March 1, 2014 3:19 PM

For me, my favorite steam are the Western Maryland's 4-8-4 Potomacs

 

 

Favorite diseasel?

Maryland Midland GP-9

Karl

NCE über alles! Thumbs Up

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Posted by Marc_Magnus on Saturday, March 1, 2014 3:07 PM

I must admit, I didn't really like diesel, just may be first generation of switcher like V1000, S2 or H44.

I am a steam lover and fan of N&W and C&O steam power.

I like switcher from 0-4-0 (old Rivarossi) or 0-8-0 from Walthers-Life like.

Mallets are my first love like the pocket mallets of C&O H4, H6, H8.

First N&W articulated like Z1 but also the Y class ending whith the famous Yb6.

But my favorite in all these articulated are the N&W class A, because of his style but also because of his level of engenering; she was the most powerful 2-6-6-4 ever built, she was more powerful than a challenger.

Iam so glad to see Big Boy 4014 returnning to live, but I hope so much for You to see N&W 1218 returning to steam again.

I am an Nscaler and unfortunately many of these models don't exist in Nscale; just the class H is represented by Bachmann Spectrum and also in brass by Key.

The class Z could be kitbashed from some early Walthers-Life Like Y3 or if You could fine one a Micro-Ace 0-6-6-0; the second run of the Walthers-LL Y3 is an handsome model.

The Yb6 was produced years ago by Atlas-Rivarossi but is now obsolete by N steam standard of today; Y5, Y6, and Yb6 where produced in brass in extremely small run, and when one appears in auction you must run and have money...

As far as I know the class A was never produced in Nscale.

In all respects, the N&W steam articulated where probably the most economical whith efficiency and sure footed extreme steam power ever produced,  one of the reason I like these machines.

 

 

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Posted by Jimmy_Braum on Saturday, March 1, 2014 2:43 PM

Pennsy K4s  and Anything PRR steam.

I also have a soft spot in my heart for the EBT mikes.

 

(My Model Railroad, My Rules) 

These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway.  As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).  

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Posted by the North East Rail Modeler on Saturday, March 1, 2014 2:40 PM

I may wind up having the most unusual picks.

   Like most: GP/SD-7/9, SD 40-2, SW1500, GP 30, CSX slugs, F/FP-45 and SD 80 MAC.

I'm sure I'm the only ones to like these:  BQ 23-7, CF-7, GP-7U, and any other "home-grown" re-builds

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Posted by twhite on Saturday, March 1, 2014 1:09 PM

Mostly steam.  Just about any articulated except for UP--never liked their lines,  too clean and uninteresting.  Missabe 2-8-8-4, NP 4-6-6-4, Rio Grande ANYTHING, lol.  SP--especially their Mountains and 2-10-2's.  For eastern roads, C&O and N&W. 

Diesel:  PA's, F-3's, E-6's, E-2's (yah, try and find one, lol!). 

Tom

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Posted by willjayna on Saturday, March 1, 2014 10:04 AM

I live in Norfolk Southern country here in central PA. I love the new SD60E locomotives mainly due to the new Crescent cab. I Have already kitbashed 1 of these with the second currently under construction. 

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Posted by caldreamer on Saturday, March 1, 2014 9:50 AM

For diesels the SD45's.  I remember watching up to 10 pulling Southern Pacific trains over the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Even though I am not a steam person, it has to be the C&O H8 Alleghenney's.  The most powerful steam engine ever built.

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Posted by BPoi on Saturday, March 1, 2014 9:07 AM

BPoi
BPoi wrote the following post 14 hours ago: narrow gauge nuclear but my ultimate favorite is the coal burners with the D&GRW K-27 (mudhen) and K-28 (sports model) mikes. Love all outside frames with the whirling counterweights coupled with the monkey motion.... I thought the whirling counterweights meant they were "inside frame"?

 

I stand corrected.  I wasn't thinking too clearly after happy hour with coworkers.

 

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Saturday, March 1, 2014 2:20 AM

BPoi

 

 
narrow gauge nuclear
but my ultimate favorite is the coal burners with the D&GRW K-27 (mudhen) and K-28 (sports model) mikes. Love all outside frames with the whirling counterweights coupled with the monkey motion....

I thought the whirling counterweights meant they were "inside frame"?

Bruce

 

The mudhens have their counterweights outside the frames.  Inside frame locos have counterweights integral with the drivers.

As for my favorite locomotives, anything 4-coupled with (approximately) 550 x 660 mm cylinders running on 42 inch gauge rails.  (JNR classes 9600, C50, C51, C52)  Also the Kiso Forest Railway Baldwin 0-4-2Ts (762mm gauge) and the unlikely 'critters' that replaced them.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

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Posted by Burlington Northern #24 on Saturday, March 1, 2014 1:31 AM

THe F unit, the E unit, and for steam only two locmotives of the same 4-8-4 Wheel arrangement have managed to make me a steam fan, THe SP&S E1 Northern and the SP GS4.

SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.

 http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide 

Gary DuPrey

N scale model railroader 

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Posted by peahrens on Saturday, March 1, 2014 1:13 AM

Steam: , 0-6-0, consolidations, mikados, mountains, northerns, challenger, big boy

Diesel: Sw7, NW2, RS-2, Gp-7/9, F's, and E's.  Plus SD7 and SD-38/40's

Paul

Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent

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Posted by Curt Webb on Friday, February 28, 2014 7:01 PM

PRR K4s and RS1

Curt Webb

The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad

http://s1082.photobucket.com/albums/j372/curtwbb/

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Posted by BATMAN on Friday, February 28, 2014 6:47 PM

Canadian Pacifics Selkirk

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by alexstan on Friday, February 28, 2014 6:35 PM
Most favourites- Steam-Anything articulated+ Mikados and Berkshires. Diesel, F40PH's, FP45's, SD40-2's.

Modelling HO Scale with a focus on the West and Midwest USA

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Posted by BPoi on Friday, February 28, 2014 6:28 PM

narrow gauge nuclear
but my ultimate favorite is the coal burners with the D&GRW K-27 (mudhen) and K-28 (sports model) mikes. Love all outside frames with the whirling counterweights coupled with the monkey motion....

 

I thought the whirling counterweights meant they were "inside frame"?

 

But I agree 100%.  When I rode the Durango & Silverton in 2012, I lucked into 478, a K-28.  I'm super happy to see 463 is back in action, though I'll be even happier when I manage to see the 315 in real life instead of youtube.  When I rode the Cumbres & Toltec in 2013, it was really cool too (the scenery was much greater than I expected, though I preferred the D&S), but looking at my photos of K-36 487 from that trip, it looks like a mid-sized standard gauge mikado, albeit with the inside frame.  It just looked so big compared to the narrow track and old-fashioned rolling stock.  The smaller mikados and consolidations are where it's at, for me.

 

Bruce

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Posted by j610 on Friday, February 28, 2014 5:03 PM

N&W Js As and Ys

J610
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Posted by angelob6660 on Friday, February 28, 2014 4:57 PM

My favorite trains would be in steam era are the NYC Hudson J3a, Mikado                        

The early diesel era is the F3-7,E7-9

Modern diesel era are the GP38-2, SD40-2, C44-9CW, ES44AC.

Modeling the G.N.O. Railway, The Diamond Route.

Amtrak America, 1971-Present.

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Posted by up831 on Friday, February 28, 2014 4:33 PM

I hope this is the right area to post. 

For diesels, GP-30s and tunnel motors are my hands down favorites.  Although I also like GP-7/9s, DD-35s.

For steam, most UP SP locomotives, Pennsy I-1s, C&S 2-6-0s, 2-8-0s.

Less is more,...more or less!

Jim (with a nod to Mies Van Der Rohe)

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Posted by b60bp on Friday, February 28, 2014 4:20 PM

FT, E7, GP7/9, Baldwin VO 1000 early, Reading Company P7 Atlantic.

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Posted by Guy Papillon on Friday, February 28, 2014 4:12 PM

EMD GP7/9, Alco Ss, 

Guy

Modeling CNR in the 50's

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Posted by dominic c on Friday, February 28, 2014 4:02 PM

Bershires! Just the name sounds awesome. Big UP Steam. Big Boys, Challengers, and FEF"s

Joe C

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Posted by narrow gauge nuclear on Friday, February 28, 2014 3:51 PM

If you are talking kerosene burners  RS-1, but my ultimate favorite is the coal burners with the D&GRW K-27 (mudhen) and K-28 (sports model) mikes.  Love all outside frames with the whirling counterweights coupled with the monkey motion....

Richard

If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed

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Posted by dstarr on Friday, February 28, 2014 3:43 PM

Mantua Pacific kitbashed into a Boston & Maine class P4. 

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Posted by gregc on Friday, February 28, 2014 3:26 PM

i'm fond of camelbacks -- Philadelphia and Reading I-5

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

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