Favorite Locomotive

[ClinchValleySD40]

1. Atlas GP38
2. Kato SD40
3. Atlas GP40
4. Kato SD45
5. Atlas SD35

[Anonymous]

Shay

[aloco]

As far as appearance goes, I like ALCO switchers the most. I've painted and detailed ten Atlas ALCO switchers in CN and CP Rail. Performance-wise, my Life-Like GM switchers run the best . I've got five SW units painted in CN colours.

[electromotive]

My favorites are the newly released SD70 & 90 Mac's from Kato (BNSF Heritage 2)
They run like jewels and pull great, I'm now waiting for the AC4400"s to be released.........

[Hawks05]

i got a new favorite. the CB&Q "Zephyr" GP7 or GP9. i want to find one of those things so bad. i bought a GP CB&Q. the body is red with Burlington on the side. great looking locomotive. until i can find some of the CN, CP, or CSX i'm going to stick with BN. anything BN i'm going to get i think. hopefully get some BNSF and more CB&Q and BN locomotives.

[trainfan1221]

I am a fan of the SD 40-2 myself, especially the Kato n scale model. But I do have many favorites. For a model thats just amazing to look at the detail and admire it, especially in a small scale, I have to go with the Atlas -840B.

[Anonymous]

I love my Proto 2000 2-8-8-2, my Kato Dash 9 BNSF, my 2 Atlas RS3 SP&S, and my Bachmann Shay

[Anonymous]

The loco that I want to build a copy of is Illinois Central RR number 1000 ( i think, though it might be 1001!)

It was built by Rogers as a parerie in 189something and used in a competition on pulling power with an atlantic. It lost and was the only pararie on the system for quite a few years until it was stretched by 30" and turned into a pacific to nearly match the ICRR's harriman pacifics.

Then, when it should have been retired WW2 started and it was rebuilt with 61" drivers and cylinders off of a mikado giving it two and a half times the power it had when it was first built.

The history of it intrigues me so one of these days I'm going to make a model of it in the later condition with the small drivers and big cylinders.

This is all in the Steam Locomotive Cyclopedia for anmyone else who is interested.

Neil.

ps. go to kbfcsme's web site above - it is really good!

[Anonymous]

My favorite diseasels are my pair of D&H PA's. Style and power in one package.
I built them a few years back with Athearn chassis and shells, a pile of detail parts and helix humper motors and NWSL wheels and gears. They are better detailed that P2k's and run better too![:D]
As far as steam, my PFM Western Maryland 4-8-4 Potomac gets the knod.

[Anonymous]

The C420 is one of my favorite alco units along with the C424 and the C420 high hoods Monon were very cool , like the RS-11 but better looking , I can't decide all of the alco's are units I like . RS-1's to RS-3's there is just something about alco's that differ from the rest .

[adrianspeeder]

ALCO C-420, and C-628. Lehigh Valley had them, and they just looked good.
Check out my profile pic, because the shirt i printed in a graphic arts class is a screen print of LV C-628 # 637
Adrianspeeder

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure whether you mean the black widow or the "bloody nose" paint scheme - I've got an Athearn SD9 in the "bloody nose" scheme and the handrails for this are supposed to be black, but the handrails next to the steps (the ones you'd use when climbing onto or off the loco) should be white - hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

my fav loco is a SD 9 Southern pacific black widow it wasnt to expensive and works superb but does anyone know what colour hand rails are on the black widow do u think the shop colour silver is right ??????

cody

N.Z

12 Y/O

[Anonymous]

Steam were still around when I was a kid in Illinois but the change to the D/elect was just coming one strong so They are my favorite , I model in HO and anything that is alco or baldwin and many EMD models fill the bill , most are F unit's or some sort of rebuild like the baldwin /EMD locos C&NW had or the RS-3 hammerheads and the highhood second generation geeps by EMD , most of the older switchers SW-1 NW-2 VO -1000 H-10-44 "s all are great loco's and FP-7 's with the longer body . I have built or kitbashed many of these loco's in HO and have many out of the box , everytime I finish a kitbash a year or so later some manufacturer has come out with one except the rebuilds , VO 1000 with the four tall stacks is hard to beat . A must is the correct width hoods , nothing can ruin the look of a loco more than an over scale hood , the athearn S-12 is one of the first loco's I cut in half and built new walkways just to get the scale width hood and to make some of my first VO 1000's out of four sections , I'm even into the SD-40's in high and low short hood versions with the short length being the favorite plus the tunnel ports . So I would have to say there are many and I can't choose just one or my pocket book would be much better off . Now since I'm 54 I am starting to feel the need for a lighted magnafier , it is a sad thing when I realized I can't see close for long periods of time anymore .

[Anonymous]

SD45's , SD45-2's and SDP45's...... These diesels with their flared radiators and 20 cylinder engines were beasts. Now flared out intakes are the way to go, and the da***wo's and P models were as big as sd60's..... quite impressive when I was a kid.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Ten Wheeler ( 4 6 0 ) lover myself. I have 5, old Varney's that I have rebuilt, with new Boilers , cabs, Tenders and can motors. I like anything steam however.

[Anonymous]

My personal favorite is the PROTO 2000 E6 diesels. There may be better detailed, higher quality replicas by other manufacturers but, for my money, the 2000 series were a great deal.

[FThunder11]

Of all the engines out there the number one best is the Dash-9 in eaither THe BNSF orange and black scheme or the Union Pacific Scheme. That and I also am obsessed with the Acela Express electric engine.

[Anonymous]

BN SD70 MAC in executive scheme Atlas released one in N Scale
and be Damned! if i cant get ahold of one just one!!

Larry

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Rabbidgerbal

Personally I try to respect everyones opinion but I don't see anything in the desiels... they don't have the style of the steam, and they don't chug and snort steam and hiss, even their horns are dull compaired to a steam train. the old steam trains are as if they are alive, like iron dragons fire in their bellies.

I agree[^]. I like diesels o.k., but there's just nothing like a good 'ole steamer, big or small, chuffing down the line with a frieght or passenger consist in tow.[:)]

[Anonymous]

Mine would have to be any 4 axle EMD Locomotive.

My personal favorite model is my newest one. An Athearn GP 35 in Chessie System Livery. Nice flywheel drive in it and even though she is definitely a growler she runs smooth as silk on the rails and starts and stops beautifully.

My other Geeps are made by Life Like (Non P2K) and they May go faster but they also do not have as fine a control as the Athearn at the same voltages. They are also truck mounted motors which is not so hot.

My Second favorite would have to be the EMD F Units. In our collection here we have an ancient Athearn B&O F7 that although she runs hotter than blazes will still out pull almost any other engine on the tracks other than the new Athearn I have. She is definitely on the rebuild list once the layout is up and operational.

[Anonymous]

Favorite? I always liked the E and F diesel units the best. Those Streamliners had some sharp engines. The Alco PA was a nice one too. And the new F59phi on the Amtrak Cascades train is good to see in the Seattle area, with an F40 on the end for power. Almost anything steam would be a big favorite though, big ones from a 2-8-2 to a 4-8-8-4. Seeing one of those up close is something else. There's an old NP steamer in Auburn rotting away in a park. What a shame. Still worth a trip to check it out though.

[Anonymous]

My favorite locomotive is the one im researching/working on at the moment. I get a huge kick out of buying a moderately priced mass produced steamer and bringing as near as I my current skills and knowledge will allow to what it looked like in service with XYZ RR.

[Anonymous]

The old GE U-boats are a fantastic looking machine, especially the U23B's. The EMD GP's are equally good looking--the best of that lot would be the GP38!

[CP5415]

my favourite? ones that i own --->My SD40-2's all eight of them
ones that I want ---> an Alco PA in D&H livery which
are on order

Gordon

[Hawks05]

my favorite locomotive is my only locomotive. a Burlington Northern GP40 made my Athearn. it has the orange and black front on it. looks awesome. hopefully i'll be able to test it on a track sometime soon.

i'm hoping to get a somewhat similar Canadian National GP40 in the near future along with a few ATSF, BNSF, CSX, CP, and maybe a Rock Island.

[Anonymous]

I really like the steam locomotives. I too got a Harry Potter 2-6-0 (that I donated to my church railroad) and I'd have to say that was my favorate. I personally have an 0-4-0 switcher, but I'd kind of like to get a 0-6-0 with a tender or even one of those neat shays or climax ones with the crazy side rods.

Personally I try to respect everyones opinion but I don't see anything in the desiels... they don't have the style of the steam, and they don't chug and snort steam and hiss, even their horns are dull compaired to a steam train. the old steam trains are as if they are alive, like iron dragons fire in their bellies.

[Anonymous]

I like the SD90Macs because they are massive diesels. But my favorite is the SD70mac's in BN' Heritage scheme and finally got one now that Kato brought it out.

Thanks,
Jeremy

[nfmisso]

Roanoke steam, especially the Y5, Y6, Y6a, Y6b, J and A.