If You Could Only Own One Steam Engine...

Lionel vision line challenger. Best of the best, hands down.

IMO, considering you have broad curves, and if you could get only one steam locomotive, and you wanted it to be "cool", it seems like it would have to be the Big Boy. Kids love its name and all those wheels.

Although my vision Challenger is certainly the best steam loco I have in terms of detail, running, quality, I love the to run and look at ATSF 3751 Northern more - I'd choose that.

As RickO said- hard to go wrong with that one.  Kids will love all the smoke also. Sounds awesome too!

I own all the engines mentioned above, and they are all excellent.  Can't go wrong with any of them.

Lee hit a point, the 4-8-4 would probably look a little better.  It's a matter of taste though.

Another popular engine: Legacy FEF #844

Some of the Rail King steamers I've owned in the past have been excellent also.  A great bang for the buck!  All depends what you are after...

"I'll buy only one"......it'll never happen 

This is splitting hair because it's a Steam Turbine Electric. If I could have only one, it would have to be my 3rd Rail N&W 2300 Jawn Henry.

Thankfully, I am not that limited in my collection. I have a hard enough time just staying on track with my self imposed all command control N&W scale steam.

Gilly

Both the Challenger and the Northern would be near the top of my list, but IMO you can't go wrong with a Dreyfus Hudson or a GS4 either.  If I could only have one steamer, I'm not sure I would want it to be an articulated.  As cool as they are, they are BIG.  I've had my battles with my RK Allegheny (still a pretty big engine) and I think I'd prefer something smaller and a little more flexible.   

Now, if I were limited to choosing from what I actually have (RailKing),  I'm guessing it would be the Mountain M1a.

N&W 611

My Lionel Daylight...

Premier or JLC Allegheny is the one for me.  Given your curves though, the railking might be a better fit.

I believe the best steam engine Lionel has ever produced is the Vision Line ATSF 3000. Because of this statement, it is very difficult to find on the secondary market. But since you asked what is the best in our opinion, the 3000 is on the top of my list.

You might consider the new LionChief locos if cost is a factor.  They will run on Legacy and DCS, and the kids seem to love the LionChief remotes.    They are reported to smoke well and have good sounds, remote couplers and other good features.   Lionel has Hudsons, Pacifics, and Mikados coming this spring.   If $1000 plus locos are in your budget, then get a top of the line loco from either manufacturer, but otherwise these look to be worth considering.   I have two on pre-order, but have not had any in hand for personal inspection.

Right now, I DO only have one steam locomotive, and if I never get another I won't mind because the one I have is spectacular. (IMHO)

My Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4 U4b Streamlined Northern in brass by Weaver Models.

Lionel JLC Norfolk and Western Y6. My favorite looking of all articulated steam engines.

My Legacy ATSF 3751 Northern.

Steve, Lady and Tex

If you are only going to have one (for now..)  and it is geared toward your son I would actually stay with something recognizable like a pacific or hudson.  Based on your original description stay away from streamlined engines as the won't have the same "old-timey" look. 

A Big Boy, because it's my favorite locomotive.

But for me, steamers are like Lays potato chip, you can never just have one (I have 7 in O currently, with more purchases planned.).

For me just one would have to be a Hudson.

My second choice would be a Berk.

Lionel would be my brand of choice but of course there are others in both engine types.

Sorry. I should have read your post first and not just responded to the thread title.

This looks like a good deal on a steam engine.... Just came up on the For Sale forum.

C&O 4-8-4

If you're at "ground zero" with steamers, a scale version of the Polar Express with the extra Pere Marquette tender would be a popular choice for your son.

Gilly

MTH Triplex. All those drive wheels. Smoke from the tender. Pretty much no gap between engine and tender. Sounds aren't quite Legacy. But it more than makes up for it once it's  rolling with all the action and smoke.

If I could keep only one, it would be my first scratchbuilt - an SP MM-2 2-6-6-2.

I run MTH on minimum O72 and would be hard placed to choose only one.

My favorites:  Scale N&W J

         Scale SP Daylight (passenger sounds are terrific)

          Scale Allegheny

          Scale Hudson

         Scale N&W Class A  (my overall favorite)

I have the Lionel Vision Line UP Challenger,best of the best.

Doesn't take up a lot of space.   This Weaver Pennsy A5

I would love one of the 3rd rail N&W 4-8-0's.  The logging articulateds look pretty sweet too! 

I have been lucky to have owned many of the best.

My choice?

Easy !

A Lionel #2025 from 1952.

It sits on my shelf and will go into the earth with me.

Eliot "Scrapiron" Scher

It would be hard to choose, and even seeing a picture of that GTW U4b makes me want one. But, if I could only have one it would have to be a scale Lionel Hudson.

Jeff C

Right now my favorite is the Lionel Legacy Blue Comet with the steam whistle effects, great smoke and sound...

I can still get them below MSRP as well.  Another one is Legacy Crescent.  Now if money is no object, Lionel has that new Legacy Big Boy coming out...

Why not just ask your son what he likes best so he will be happy.  That may become his favorite engine of all time.

Although I am a big legacy fan but if I could only have one it would the Lionel SP AC9. It is big, sounds great and very well detailed and it looks cool.

If I could only own one engine?

It wouldn't be O scale, I have to admit...

I'd sell my right testicle to be able to purchase the new

Accucraft 1:29 Live Steam Dryfuss Hudson.

http://www.accucraftestore.com...x.php?productID=1518

Dave

I think pmilazzo brings up a good point.  Why not ask your son what he likes?  That way he will have investment into the decision making process and will perhaps have a deeper attachment to the locomotive.  Just a thought.

My favorite steamer is my Lionel J class 611 tmcc version.  I think they just came out with a legacy version of this loco.

well if I can only own 1 steam engine....It would be 3rd rail PRR Q1.....love the looks and dont see another other company like lionel or mth making then=flood the market with them...=make them worth more in value...

With so many to chose from and at the present time. I would have to say to go with Lionel's new Vision Big Boy. I believe that this version of the Big Boy will put it front of their Vision Challenger with it's sights & sounds. And with their 2014 catalog coming out very soon we will all learn it's price tag. And with this engine only being made for how many orders that they have it, will make this a special engine to have.

 A workhorse Mikado,[especially K-Line's Alabama Great Southern].

My son and I watched a number of real train videos. He always liked the steam locomotives the best. But once he saw a video about the great steam locomotives of Union Pacific, all locomotives were compared to the Big Boy.

Well, for your young son, to run and run and run, I am surprised at all the recommendations for big buck articulateds too heavy for him to pick up, and not cheap to replace.  I would pick a smaller engine that he can run, and which would not break the bank if it is damaged and has to be replaced, maybe more than once.  I would ask whether he best likes passenger or freight trains and what is his favorite railroad,  and maybe start him off with a dual purpose loco like a ten wheeler.  I'd suggest the WBB version, but it doesn't have the electronics.  One of the starter sets, like Lionel's with

the 0-8-0, might make sense.

This would be like limiting yourself to one kind of food...not only impossible, but totally bizarre!   Couldn't do it with Diesel power either !