Best of The Best

I agree with Ace.  I'm sure there were bigger, faster, "brute strength" steam locomotives in the past.  But I think the best are the ones I can see, touch and photograph now.  I have no expertise on any steam locomotives.  I like them all.  I've been lucky enough to ride numerous times on the Southern Pacific 2472, a P-8 Pacific.  So I can identify with it.  It's not the biggest, but it has operating steam now and personality.  I also like the UP 844, which I've been lucky enough to see and photograph.  To qualify: just my humble opinion.  Matt

Yes, we are fortunate to have them around today.  How about some of the 765 from Trainfestival 2011.

The 765 pulls forward prior to the excursion to Bureau,IL and back.

Back in Rock Island,IL after a wonderful trip to Bureau,IL

Gee, I go to Trainfest, up in the Milwaukee area, every year and never saw the real 765 there. 

Dang it I forgot... Trainfest-ival. 

Ed, I didn't want to take up thread space by reposting everything.

Fasciniating information to say the least! Your posts are like a page (or 3) out of a good steam locomotive history book. I really enjoy learning the "stuff" about a steam locomotive and its design issues, i.e. the counterbalancing of the wheels. Yes  as an "average" steam locomotive fan I understand the wheels are counterbalanced  but never even had a clue/thought about the driver size in relation to the weight needed to counter balance rods of a certain size.

A great "long winded" read for sure