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[Anonymous]

it's the up challenger 4449,4-8-4.in my opinion the 4-8-4 is a piece of art,poetry in motion.

[Anonymous]

The EBT 2-8-2 probably would do it for me. Amazing how a itty bitty engine can do so much work.

I like the Alleys as well. But in this age of AC and DC power anything that is under steam warrents celebration.

[Anonymous]

My other favorite is the Pennsylvania M1A 4-8-2. They had the power of a northern and the speed of a Pacific. Awesome machine.

[LWales]

Nickel Plate berk 765 was the first 'fantrip' steam engine that I got a chance to see and ride behind, so that one is a natural. Especially when we paced along side her at 70+mph on the deadhead down to Brewster, OH out of Bellevue--WOW. Hope to see her in action again sometime.

Living in the midwest means that MILW 261 crosses my path frequently now too, so that one will be second.

[Anonymous]

milwaukee road 4-8-4 #261 hands down

[Anonymous]

I remember when the Milwaukee Road 261 was at Steamtown, I loved it. I'm happy with the replies, ( especially the one with the Nickel Plate Berkshire) as most of you know I love the NKP Berkshires

[Anonymous]

Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 Challenger

[Anonymous]

Hey.
I am just young guy and I love steam locomotives! Give me a steam loco over any of these high tech, thorw away locos any day. I love Espees cab-fowards, western pacifics mallets and many more.

[Anonymous]

Opps, forgot to mention Colorado and Southerns locomotives with there snow plows and spark aresters, there every mans narrow gauge locomotive![:D]

[Anonymous]

Like many people SP's 4449, & UP's 4014 are my favorites. The BIGBOY
certainaly wasn't as powerful as the C&O allengy 4-6-6-6 series, but they were
certainally more lovable.

[Anonymous]

I must submit Southern R.w.'s Ps-4 Pacific (4-6-2). The graceful contour of the boiler (U.S.R.A.), position of Elesco feed water sytem, Walschaert valve gear, pumps, injectors and general "proportions" of this heavy Pacific must have impressed more folks than just your's truly. The Smithsonian Institution chose to diplay the SR #1401(Baldwin) in their Science and Industry Building (Wash. D.C.). A close second for me is N.Y.C.'s J3A Hudson (4-6-4) with it's massive boiler and over-all symetry, it is surely on of America's classics. I could never quite assimilate into Pennsy steam and their bell pyre boilers. However, their shrouded streamlined steam was second to none. In the larger class steam, I guess I would vote for Southern Pacific's cab forward articulateds (4-6-6-4 and 4-8-8-4), although it is in a "dead heat" with the Erie "Triplex." Strictly from an aesthetical view point, I chose the Nickel Plate Road's 4-8-4 (Lima) as the definitive example of mass "balanced" with motion.

[Locojunkie]

I am undoubtedly a southern steam locomotive fan. I do love all steam locomotives.
Living in Virginia I can say that some of the best locomotives once graced the rails in the Old Dominion. My all time favorite is Norfolk & Western Class A 2-6-6-4. Norfolk & Western Class J 4-8-4, Southern Railway 2-8-2 Ms-4, Southern Railway 4-6-2 Ps-4, Chesapeake & Ohio H-8 2-6-6-6, Chesapeake & Ohio K-4 2-8-4, Chesapeake & Ohio Greenbriars 4-8-4. To mention a few. I also love Union Pacific Big Boys, Union Pacific Challangers, New York Central J-3a Hudsons, Pennsylvania K-4s, Pennsylvania M-1b, Nickle Plate Road 2-8-4s, and Kregsloc 2-10-0. There were so many that were great for different reasons. I love them all.

[Anonymous]

Correction please: I mistyped NKP "4-8-4" (Northern class) for NKP 2-8-4 (Berkshire) in my Feb. 18 quick reply. I don't know where that came from...sorry. By the way, I haven't seen St.l.,S.F. (Frisco) locomotives mentioned. Frisco had some darned nice looking steam on their roster.

[n2mopac]

Of course who wouldn't love the Big Boy and the Challenger, but the real workhorse of 20th Century steam in my opinion was the 4-8-4 Northern. My personal favorite from an asthetic view point was the J-class streamlined Northern.

Ron

[selector]

I was lucky to have ridden behind 2-8-0 Consolidations at 15,000 feet in the Peruvian Andes back in the early 60's. I have a soft place in my heart for them.

However, their replacement, the J1 4-6-4 Hudson is, IMHO, a work of art in engineering. Sure later locos were heavier, faster, and stronger, but they merely doubled up the drive train on one unit. Nifty, and economical to be sure, but they were too much for my tastes.

Another favorite has to be the humble 0-6-0. I have a P2K model that is a real pleasure to watch, very nicely manufactured, and if anything like the prototype, must have been a 'comfortable' beast of burden.

There are my two cents.