Do you have a favorite engine?

postwar 1948 2332.

You have very good taste, Eddie. That GG1 is one of my favorites too.

I think it's probably, just by the looks of it, the Southern F3 2356 (A+B). I don't have one, but I'd definitely like one.

Tough one...

I think the Southern was one of Frank Sinatra's favorite Lionel engines. Beautiful green livery.

Whichever big Pennsy steamer I'm currently running. 

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I think the Southern was one of Frank Sinatra's favorite Lionel engines. Beautiful green livery.

He had good taste ... even though I'm more of a Dean Martin fan.

c.sam posted:

Tough one...

Very clever railroad name. I tend to be gullible so I looked for it on Google because I wanted to see what it looked like. I learned that the Appalachian, Tampa and Santa Fe was, and may still be, exclusively in your basement, Sam.

It's a no-brainer for me, the Lionel GG1s.

 I do have to agree with Arnold, however, on the post-war early NW-2 switchers.  They are excellent at doing what their name suggests.  They don't mind tight radius curves.  They have good slow speed and fitted with an electronic E-Unit, the slow speed is even slower.  

Deuce posted:

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I think the Southern was one of Frank Sinatra's favorite Lionel engines. Beautiful green livery.

He had good taste ... even though I'm more of a Dean Martin fan.

Everybody loves somebody sometime!

Dan Padova posted:

It's a no-brainer for me, the Lionel GG1s.

 I do have to agree with Arnold, however, on the post-war early NW-2 switchers.  They are excellent at doing what their name suggests.  They don't mind tight radius curves.  They have good slow speed and fitted with an electronic E-Unit, the slow speed is even slower.  

I totally agree. And as much as I love the 6220 Diesel switcher, I would change my vote to the Lionel Pennsylvania GGI (Tuscan red or Brunswick green is a toss up) or New Haven EP5 provided these electrics are running smoothly from overhead catenary, which is way beyond my modeling skills. I think making them run well from overhead catenary is the ultimate modeling achievement.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

I think the Southern was one of Frank Sinatra's favorite Lionel engines. Beautiful green livery.

 I agree!

I somewhat echo Ron that it depends on the PRR steamer I am running and what it is pulling. I really like running my Atlantic with 3 coaches and an RPO, but when I get around to engaging in an operating session (which is infrequent because it takes quite a bit of time), then my two B6s switchers provide a lot of action especially the Legacy version.  And then of course, the post war pilot K-line Pacific pulling the fast mail is great.  But I can't neglect the pugnacious Decapod that hauls a string of nine tankers or a string of mixed freights, alternating those duties with the M1a, while the H9 takes water, coal and sand at the engine house before taking its turn.

I don't know...I haven't run all the ones I have yet

---PCJ

Any F cab unit or FA unit.

Lionel's first Legacy versions of NKP 765 and UP 844.

For me, it's a toss up between my 773 and my 2321 Lackawanna Trainmaster.  Both are brutes when it comes to pulling power and reliability. 

george posted:

For me, it's a toss up between my 773 and my 2321 Lackawanna Trainmaster.  Both are brutes when it comes to pulling power and reliability. 

George, here's the 2321 Lackawanna Trainmaster:Very good choice. 

Don't have the 773 Steam engine yet. 

Of course....

 My model of Klickitat Log & Lumber (ex J. Neils Lumber) #5:

Because I learned the fine art of firing a steam locomotive on it's prototype.

Rusty

My NYC 2-8-0 is fast becoming my favorite engine to run.

The sound set is great, smokes great, and just looks darn pretty.

Hard to say. Depends on the day, but right now my MTH Railking ACL E8s.

always have a favorite, and, it's always changing. Right now...... this shiny-old 262.

great looking engine Timothy! sure miss mine.

Postwar 646.  Almost as old as I am and runs better.

Pete

ps - I know that's not the correct tender, but for what I paid I'd be a fool to complain.

I like smaller engines. My favorite Post War engine is also an NW2.

I have a few modern era engines I like a lot. This is my current favorite.

Pete

Texas Pete posted:

Postwar 646.  Almost as old as I am and runs better.

Pete

ps - I know that's not the correct tender, but for what I paid I'd be a fool to complain.

The 646 Hudson is also one of my favorites.

Take a look at this one:Lionel 618 Boston & Albany, probably made in the late 1980s or early 1990s. Looks great, runs great and has a great sounding horn/whistle. Bought it at Westchester Central Trains in White Plains, NY around year 2000.

Norton posted:

I like smaller engines. My favorite Post War engine is also an NW2.

I have a few modern era engines I like a lot. This is my current favorite.

Pete

Pete, your 623 Switcher is perfect for those who find the bell ringer annoying in the 622 or 6220. I happen to love the bell ringer.

Who makes your gorgeous modern Pennsylvania steamer?

can't pick just one.

The Marx Commodore...my Grandmother paid $1 for it during WWll for my Dad, he passed it down to his brother, and I got it when he passed

Uncle Jim's Turbine I watched under my Grandparents Christmas tree...now it runs on the same platform under my tree

My 675...the first steamer I bought for myself

my 4-8-4 I made from a pile of junk box parts

My Mountain

225E...another junk box project along with the tender

and all the rest

My Father's little 1655 2-4-2 with whistle tender along with the rest of the set.  Has been with me since I was 12, under our tree as I type this and will get loaded up and set up at my parents place in Indy when we celebrate there with the rest of the family.        Mike the Aspie

You gotta be kidding me!!  No one has mentioned the 726!! The best of the best.

We can't forget this post war beauty:Notice the NY Central blinking billboard just in front of the F3 A unit.

Here's a close up of the blinking NY Central Billboard:

Just got it last week at a train show.

MattR posted:

You gotta be kidding me!!  No one has mentioned the 726!! The best of the best.

Good point, but what about the 700 E on T Rail? No one mentioned that one either.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Norton posted:

I like smaller engines. My favorite Post War engine is also an NW2.

I have a few modern era engines I like a lot. This is my current favorite.

Pete

Pete, your 623 Switcher is perfect for those who find the bell ringer annoying in the 622 or 6220. I happen to love the bell ringer.

Who makes your gorgeous modern Pennsylvania steamer?

Arnold, I also have a nice 622. The bell is OK for a short time. Actually the pawl is worn so it only makes a tink, tink. Not so annoying. I prefer the 623 for its much improved magnatraction. My 622 is a first year version and magnatraction is poor so maybe pulls 4 post war cars max.

The other engine is a Lionel NYC Mogul made in 2003. Runs like a watch. I added some detail and upgraded it to 4 chuffs.

Pete

The standard answer to the question "What's your favorite locomotive" is usually "Whichever one I'm running at the moment," and there's some truth in that.  But in my postwar collection, the hands-down answer is my Korean-War-era 2026 -- because it's the very first locomotive I ever owned, brought by Santa at Christmas, 1951.  Still looks and runs great.

Second postwar favorite is harder to say.  My 2032 Erie A-A diesels?  My 736?  The 2046?  681?  675?  Much harder to decide.

In my scale lineup, it's my Lionel 783 Hudson.  I never thought I'd be saying that, because when I bought it NIB, it would barely run at all, and I started to think I'd be relegating it to display-only.  But after sinking months of patient work into improving its performance, adding 700E valve gear and, of course, weeks of break-in time (no, I'm not exaggerating), it runs outstandingly well and is always an attention-getter on my layout.

Second-place favorite scale locomotive is probably my Lionel 6-18309 Reading Fairbanks-Morse that pulls my RDG 17674 caboose at the end of its trains.  No, the paint scheme  isn't colorful like most of the other Lionel FMs, but it's powerful, runs very well and has an all-business working-locomotive look that I like very much.

And, since everyone seems to be talking about them, I'd have to add my 623 and 6220 NW-2 switchers.  Smooth runners and nicely detailed.  And I disconnected the bell in the 6220.

There are too many scale honorable mentions to list here.

Tough question as it is hard to pick just one.

Enjoy the 1946 - 55 era of Lionel trains and the early box electrics 248-254e then there is our 156 electric 4-4-4.

Our 260E with chugger irks the Mrs and when running the 6220 with its ringing bell the wife asked one day "whats that ding ding noise".

The 1946 Berk 1 year only is special to me as well twin worm drive in "47" was changed .

This is really a tough one to pick from since I like all my engines. But if I had to pick one it would be the Lionel 8617 NPS Steamer . It is nothing special to look at but I was my first O gauge engine that my Dad gave me to get into this great Hobby.....