What are your top 5 favorite 3-Rail engines made in the last 5 years?

1. Lionel Legacy FEF (2016 Version) 

2. Lionel Legacy AFT GS4

3. 3rd Rail Santa Fe F-7's 

4. Lionel Legacy name train Pacifics (Blue Comet & Chicago & Alton) 

5. Lionel Legacy PRR K-4 Pacific 

* list made up of engines I own or have owned

** didn't quite qualify in the timeframe but the Vision Line Challenger deserves a mention as it is imo the best engine Lionel has produced 

*** I have videos of all on my YouTube channel... 

44 tonner

SD-60e

Lionel line old rivets, but alas I cannot afford it.

My favorites on on the smaller side. I hope I'm not outside the five year mark.

1. Lionel Legacy Heavy Mikado

2. Lionel Legacy USRA 0-8-0

3. Lionel Legacy GP7

4. Lionel Legacy ALCO S-2

5. Lionel TMCC TrackMobile

3rd Rail

N&W Class TE1 2300

N&W Class M 495

N&W Class K2a 137

MTH Premier

N&W H3 Consolidation 119 

N&W Class J 611

Lionel 6-11340 Legacy 2-8-8-4 B&O EM-1 (a great puller)

3RD Rail 4-6-2 streamlined B&O Cincinnatian

Lionel 6-11229 Legacy 4-8-4 Milwaukee Road #261

Lionel 6-83197 Legacy 4-8-4 American Freedom Train GS-4

Lionel 6-83202 Legacy 4-8-4 American Freedom Train T1

Have to throw in a couple honorable mentions that could have been swapped in for any of my top five;

Lionel 6-11211 Vision 4-6-6-4 Challenger in greyhound scheme

3rd Rail FP7's in Canadian Pacific paint

Nick

TM Terry posted:

I hope I'm not outside the five year mark.

Just to be clear, this is a guideline, no one will be taken to task for imprecision.  Just looking for more modern engines, if it ends up being 6 or 7 or whatever years old no big deal... all in fun. 

Ben 

Lionel Legacy Alco S-2

Ben,

     My top 5 would be:

             # 5 - Lionel Legacy SD70ACe Virginian

              #4 - Lionel Legacy RS11 PRR

              #3 - Lionel Legacy GP9 PRR

              #2 - Lionel Legacy K4 PRR

              #1 - Lionel Legacy B6 PRR

      Honorable mention - Lionel Legacy E6 Atlantic PRR.

All Legacy All Lionel Mostly PRR

JohnB

Since the Vision 700E came in 2010...I'd pick:

1. Lionel roadname specifically detailed Legacy SD40's
2. Lionel Legacy Nickel Plate Road #765 Berkshire
3. Lionel Legacy Empire State Express
4. Lionel Vision Line Big Boy
5. MTH Premier Veterans SD60E

Lionel SD60e Veterans edition.  This was my first locomotive and it's absolutely gorgeous.  The paint job is amazing... Plus I'm a veteran so, yeah.  The MTH version looks gorgeous as well. 

Ben,

   Buddy you have to expand your list to include some serious Tin Plate Engines.

Original Lionel Conventional 263E - Gun Metal Gray

MTH Repro 263E P2 - Light Gray

Original Lionel 249 Conventional, Up Graded to ERR - Gun Metal Gray

Lionel  TMCC -  JLC Scale  GG1 - PRR Brunswick Green - One Striper

Lionel  Legacy - Northern Pacific  - Scale GP7 - Pittsburgh Steelers Black & Gold

Lionel Legacy - 2 Truck Shay Logging Engine - Solid Black with White Letters

PCRR/Dave 

Past 5 years...

1) legacy m1a

2) legacy Cab Forward 

3) legacy black FeF #8444 with white wall wheels 

4) legacy k4

5) legacy EM1 

Honorable mention 2010s vision line 2-10-10-2 is awesome. Don't own a legacy Empire State express but that would be included if I did 

3rd Rail SD7

3rd Rail FT

3rd Rail FL9

(I'd add 3rd Rail F7s, FP7s and E7s, but they are two rail )

MTH Scaleking FP45s with PS3 in Santa Fe and Amtrak

MTH Amtrak Phase III Heritage Scheme

1) Lionel Legacy ES44AC - Die Cast

2) Lionel Legacy K4

3) Lionel Legacy Gold PE Berk

4) Lionel LionMaster Challenger

They are all my favorites, this is like asking a parent which is their favorite child

Im in...

1) VL Legacy Big Boy

2) VL Challenger

3) Legacy Berks - 765, 1225, etc

4) Lionel VL 2-10-10-2

5) Legacy GS6's

Interesting how often the Legacy K4 shows up...

MTH SD60E , bought both a 911 First Responders and a regular NS version.

MTH E-8 A-B-A .... lots of hours of smooth running with these.

Lionel H16-44 Santa Fe..... great locomotive all around.

In the last five years I've been retired (Read: very limited discretionary funds), so I don't own all of these, but I wish...

Lionel Legacy PRR K4

Lionel Legacy Gold Polar Express Berk

Lionel Legacy Freedom Train GS-4

Lionel VisionLine GG-1, five strip Brunswick

Lionel VisionLine GG-1, Old Rivets (4800), Brunswick

In no particular order:

1. Lionel Legacy AFT GS-4
2. Lionel Legacy PRR M1a
3. Lionel Legacy Southern Crescent PS-4 (Really, no one else thinks so?)
4. Lionel Legacy Southern Hi-Nose GP30
5. Lionel Legacy ES44s

Usually, I'd say whichever engine I'm running at the time, but lately it has been one of these (I avoided numbering them because I just can't say which I like best!!!)

 - Lionel UP VISION Line Big Boy #4012 (in Scranton)

 - Lionel Legacy 20th Century Limited NYC Scale J3a Hudson #5429

 - Lionel PRR VISION Line GG1 - Tuscan 5 stripe #4913

 - Lionel Legacy SP Daylight GS4 #4449

 - Lionel Legacy BNSF 'Golden Swoosh' ES44AC

lionel89 posted:

In no particular order:

1. Lionel Legacy AFT GS-4
2. Lionel Legacy PRR M1a
3. Lionel Legacy Southern Crescent PS-4 (Really, no one else thinks so?)  You have a Vote from me on this one for sure!!  Great Whistle!
4. Lionel Legacy Southern Hi-Nose GP30
5. Lionel Legacy ES44s

Lionel Legacy S3 261 my hometown steamer

MTH PREMIER DM&IR Yellowstone

3rd Rail SD9s

Lionel diecast ES44s

VL Big Boy

VL Union Pacific centipedes 

lionel89 posted:

In no particular order:

1. Lionel Legacy AFT GS-4
2. Lionel Legacy PRR M1a
3. Lionel Legacy Southern Crescent PS-4 (Really, no one else thinks so?)
4. Lionel Legacy Southern Hi-Nose GP30
5. Lionel Legacy ES44s

I voted for the Legacy Chicago & Alton and the Blue Comet pacifics. I am still looking for a Legacy Southern Crescent. If I owned one it would surely make my list! Great run of pacifics by Lionel imo. 

Apples55 posted:

 - Lionel Legacy 20th Century Limited NYC Scale J3a Hudson #5429

This engine does not exists! Lionel has yet to produce a Legacy J3a Hudson in the 20th Century Limited livery. You must be referring to the Legacy J3a in the Empire State Express livery which came out a couple years ago which corresponds to the cab number you mentioned. Let's hope we see a Legacy J3a in the 20th Century Limited livery in the next catalog as I will certainly be a buyer  

lionel vision conrail gg1

lionel diecast gensets

lionel diecast es44ac's

lionel centipede locomotives

lionel family lines csx ac6000cw

i don't have these engines yet but hopefully one day i will

and as you can see most of these are diecast

i really like diecast engines and rolling stock

BigJohn&theWork posted:

Apples55 posted:

 - Lionel Legacy 20th Century Limited NYC Scale J3a Hudson #5429

This engine does not exists! Lionel has yet to produce a Legacy J3a Hudson in the 20th Century Limited livery. You must be referring to the Legacy J3a in the Empire State Express livery which came out a couple years ago which corresponds to the cab number you mentioned. Let's hope we see a Legacy J3a in the 20th Century Limited livery in the next catalog as I will certainly be a buyer  

Big John;

Mea culpa!!! I should have said Empire State Express. Still one of my top five regardless of what it's called!!! 

Of note... there are a lot of mentions of VERY recent releases (like weeks old... GG1s, GS4s, even the T1).... Based on many comments you see on this forum you would think that the companies are stuck in a deep qualitative depression, but I think it's clear that Lionel, 3rd Rail, and MTH are making some products that are pretty appealing to many of us.

The M1a is showing up a lot.  I have the Lionel Go Rail SD60 and I think that is really great.  Looks, paint, performance are top notch.

I sold my S3 261 to a forum member soon after I received it.  I will probably have to pay 2-3 times what I sold it for to get a replacement.  Maybe the T1will be my replacement.  

Thanks for all the great ideas, my wheels are turning. 

Ben 

Legacy New York Central GP9

LionChief Plus New York Central GP9

LionChief Plus New Haven E33 Rectifier

LionChief Plus Burlington Northern NW2

LionChief Plus Great Northern Mikado 2-8-2

Guess that's why I bought them .

I only own two engines that were made in the past five years, and they're both excellent.  They are the Lionel Legacy PRR B6 and the MTH Premier NS Veterans SD60E.

1. Lionel Lionmaster Challenger

2. Lionel Lionmaster Class A

3. MTH Railking Galloping Goose

4. MTH Railking Ten Wheelers

5. Williams by Bauchman 44 Toner

My Top Five

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbWfacp3U3Q 

Lionel  Reading and Northern 425

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1IqzW9IL7U

Lionel FT - A B A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw2_EjBif4U

Lionel RS-3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsxKokLW_Ds

RailKing Southern Pacific Cab Forward

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y1V-15_mG8

RailKing RS-1

and

Engines that I own and consider the best of the last five years.

1- MTH 44 Ton GE Switcher ATSF

2-Lionel Legacy Daylite GS 4

3- Lionel Legacy Black GS 4

4- MTH Chappion 2-3-1

5- MTH Crocidial Maroon

Honorable Mention

Lionel Legacy UP E-9 AA

Lionel Legacy SP Diesel Switcher

Lionel Legacy SP Black Widow F-7 A-B-A

Lionel Vision Big Boy

Mikey