The 5 Best Looking Diesels of All Time

EMD F and E units (I like the Alco's, but in my opinion the EMD bulldog nose beats an alco nose any day) because of their sleek style

 

EMD high hood GP7's or GP9's- they had a tough look to them

 

Conrail SD80MAC- just an all around cool engine.   Powerful, one of the few modern engines I like when it comes to looks and yeah.

#5 - Baldwin Centipedes - King of the diesel locomotives

 

#4 - ES44 & SD70ACE (tie) - Modern day monsters and lots of power

 

#3 - F7 - A classic

 

#2 - E8 - A classic and bigger!

 

#1 -  TRAINDIESEL  - True magnificence, unparalleled good looks, perfectly manscaped  twisted steel and sex appeal!

I am not really a diseasal fan...

 

But my list is:

 

#1 - F3/F7 (Look the same!)

#2 - E8

 

 

E6
DL109
PA
GP30
New Havens Comet

If we are talking USA then 1) F3

 

UK 1) Blue Pullman 

 

Nick

1) Any of the EMD E-Series on just about any road (E-6/7/8), although I am particularly partial to the PRR Tuscan, B&O and the CB&Q silver.

2) F-3 (Warbonnet, PRR Green, CB&Q)

3) F-7 (Warbonnet, PRR Green, CB&Q)

4) EMD SD70ACE in MOPAC Heritage 1984 has to be right up there for me (NS black to a lesser extent)

*5) Just about any of the UP Turbines (there was diesel in there somewhere , wasn't there?)  I like them all but the 'Veranda' model works the best for me...

6) Did I mentioned the EMD E series?

 

Honorable mentioned to the ES44AC in good old fashioned UP Yellow with the big American flag (NS horse head,  again to a lesser extent).  That locomotive just screams 'U-S-A !!!' to me.  I'm also digging the new NS Southern Heritage that was just recently painted, and am eager to see the rest.

I would agree w/ you, Allan, and would therefore add these as secondary favorites of mine, though I can't make any reasonable explanation for why I like the Susquehanna switcher so much...

 

Oh, And I think these are good looking, too - aesthetically pleasing as can be. To me

Number 1 for me are the Alco PAs.  Sleek and low slung.

 

Number 2: F3s.

 

Number 3: Alco FAs.

 

Number 4: E7s.

 

Number 5:  Fairbanks Morse Trainmasters.

1 Alco pa's hands down

2 alco c-628 the Lv had em in black and white enough said.

3 Fm trainmaster it just screamed power!

4sd-45 especially running long hood forward.

5 alco rsd-15 what a snout on those things. i still want to paint one for LV.

i'm finding this hard to believe but the sd70 aces are really growing on me.

Dave

EMD F3...by far.

EMD long nose EA-E6

CB&Q Pioneer Zephyr/ B&M Flying Yankee

The other shovel nose CB&Q models

The UP "City" Trains (M10001-M10009)

 

Charlie

1.  GG-1... Oops, scratch that!  Sorry a throwback to my youth.

 

1. F3's, real STYLE applied to a design, more than utilitarian boxes

2. FA's

3. GP-9 long nose forward

4. pick 'em

 

Ron, the Newbie

Frank, we have very similar tastes. I have the same Royal Blue J class and B&O E7's, although yours are E6's? in your second pic.

cheers

Dave

My favorite is the GP40P, 13 examples of which were built by EMD for CNJ commuter service in 1968. The units were subsequently conveyed to Conrail and eventually to NJ Transit.

 

Utilizing a frame elongated to accomodate appurtenances required for passenger service, they were closer in  length to the SD40 than the standard GP40. The GP40P was equipped with dual controls and frequently operated long hood forward. The image of that flat front bearing down on you at 70 mile an hour stayed with you for awhile.

 

 http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/njdot/njt4112crc.jpg

 

The GP40P was a most worthy successor to CNJ's legendary Train Masters.

 

Bob

Practically any diesel before EMD's 50 series and GE's Dash-7

Baldwin Sharks

F-M C-Liners

Alco PA

EMD BL-2

EMC M10000

1.  Katy 101

2.  Frisco 2000

3.  GP60

4.  SD45 with special cooling package

5.  SD40-2 without long noses.

Alco FA, the Bulldog

EMD E3/6, slant nose

Baldwin Baby face carbody units of the MOPAC.

EMD BL2, odd ball

 

2nd Generation

 

EMD SD40, big porches on tennis shoes, still the best units I have ever rode on.

GE U30C, big ugly brutes that when right could lug them coal drags up Kirkwood Hill at walking speed.

 

Dan

Choosing from my roster, they would be:

 

#5:  ALCO S-2  Marked with the Western Maryland yellow stripes.  Great little switcher, even if the smoke just wafts out instead of being fan driven.

 

#4:  SD35/GP38-2  The former in WM red, white & black, the latter in Md. Midland blue and orange.  They look great and sound great.

 

#3:  AC4400CW  Just a brute of a machine.  In CSX livery.  Pulls anything I put behind it.  Love to hear it start up.

 

#2:  F3/F7  What can I say?  Everybody should have a set.  B & O blue & yellow.  It's just a railroad icon that represents the age of the diesel.

 

#1:  FM TRAINMASTER  Even though recently purchased, it's not my number one only because it's new to my railroad.  It's black, PRR marked, and is massive, even in O scale.  Have never seen one in person, but I would think if you saw that coming toward you and felt it going past you, it would take your breath away.  What an impressive machine.  MTH did a great job on the sound file for it, too.

 

 

Mike

My five favorites are:

!.  F-3 best looking all around diesel ever

2. E-7 a true classic

3. GP-7 or 9  killer diesels, set the gold standard for all others

4. RS-1,2, and 3's looked great coming and going  

5. PA-1 great looking, but could not beat an EMD, nobody ever will, the GM designers were the best

The BL2 - both ugly and beautiful.

 

 

 

Ex CNJ gp40PH's.

My favorite units are F3 to F7  especially in ATSF Warbonnet scheme

BN SD40-2

GP60M  ( ATSF  Warbonnet scheme )

SD60M ( BN unit painted in red, white and blue #1991 )

Dash8-BW ( ATSF War Bonnet scheme )  

 

I like anything in the Warbonnet scheme.  

 

 

Randy T

This is what I'm talking about.....

RS1 Alco/ EMD SD7/ EMD SD40-2/ EMD E8/ FM Train Master/ EMD GEEP 7-9

OK, that's six , but I'm a gigantic Dieselover!!!!

D...is for Diesel

I...is for I know why

E...is for EMD

S...steam is gonna die!

E...is for everywhere

L...luv is in the air!

You feelin' me on this one???

Ok one more. Rs-3.

Here we go:

ALCO PA

EMD E1

EMD E7

ALCO DL109

ALCO E8/9

What - no takers for this Krause-Maffei beauty?

Terry

 

My favorite has to be the ERIE GP7 hands down. These are the Engines I remember as a kid. They ran from Suffern, NY to Hoboken, NJ. Loved the sound and the look of them.

Terry, even its mother would run away from an abomination like that! Chris, I said the top five, but I'll give you a pass on it because it's an Alco RS. Andy J.

1. EMD F-3 Pennsy in DGLE with a single stripe....gorgeous! (and of course, Santa Fe!)

2. Alco RS-3 ...the windshield...the lines....the style!

3. Baldwin RF-16 Sharknose designed by the Greatest, Raymond Lowey

4. Fairbanks-Morse Erie Builts ....style plus

5. Erie 44 tonners....short in stature but big on looks....everyone had one, at least!

 

I really find most diesels to be appealing....very few are ugly to me.  Tom in Pittsburgh

OK, showing photo's........here is a beauty!

 

I think all you guys are correct in your choices but I think it also has to do with the colors and decoration in addition to the diesel type.  The right colors can make an engine look great, but other colors just make it look plain.  They are like automobiles in that way.  My favorite one is my F3 ABBA Erie Lackawanna in Grey, Tuscan and Yellow decoration.  The colors just set off the F3's shape.  Everyone that sees it in person loves it.

1) SD40-2
2) GP9
3) GP15

For shape not paint I like the odd ball BL2.

 

 

Charlie

1. EMD E8

 

2. FM Trainmaster

 

3. EMD GP7

 

4. RS-3

 

5. EMD SW-1

My top 5 in no particular order.

 

Alco RS-2-love the 3/4 mounted cab. I always run mine long hood forward

GP7/9 high nose-looks so "classic"

SD40-2-long porches add to it's beauty

SD45-flared radiator hoods look like wings

U25B-looks strange with the one piece windshield, but I like it-my favorite u boat

My favorite diesels:

 

EMD GP7: I have always liked GP7s, especially high hood diesels

EMD BL2: I like how it looks like a GP7-F7 hybrid

Alco PA: I really like the long nose and how it looks muscular

Baldwin VO1000: who doesn't like the automobile like radiator?

EMD E3: I have seen ACL 501 in person and I really like the shovel nose 

 

It's been said here many times already, but I'd have to agree with the FM Trainmaster, the EMD F3, the Baldwin Sharks and the Alco FA/PA.

 

But I'd at least have to give an honorable mention to the humble GP7s and GP9s, of which I used to see so many on the PRR.

 

Time to resurrect this thread!!!

 

1) EMD F3

2) Alco PA1

3) Baldwin Sharks

4) GE dash 8/9

5) FM Trainmaster