What is your favorite Lionel Postwar locomotive?

I love the Lionel Postwar F-3's and have enjoyed many of them for over 53 years in the hobby. For Postwar road names not available,  I took basket cases and repainted them much to my liking.  Budgets were tight in Postwar America at Christmas so Dad added something each year to keep up the tradition of Lionel trains @Christmas.

Self Propelled engines became well liked because they were "different" and doable price wise.. .

So my nod goes to the "self propelled" units- especially the gang car. It took a lot of abuse for years (flat out as fast as you could run it) till the gears gave out. Ours did! Little boys liked them because they were the fastest things you could put on a track when we had the "need for speed". They were also easy to put on the track with little hands..

Others units didn't survive as well because of flimsy window struts( heck that's where a kid picked them by). Survivors in nice condition are so uncommon and desireable!

Glenn Spencer

My top 2 are the early 726 Berkshires and the 2356 Southern F3's but close to them would be the 1950 UP Anniversary set of 1950. I was fortunate to pick up one in a childhood collection locally several years ago, The fella also had the N&W J Super O set with the accessories that was in fine shape plus some other goodies including these shiny Texas Special Alcos with crisp boxes!

Lots of Berkshires posted so I’ll throw one more on the pile!  This is a PW 736 from 1967 - the tail end of the era.  Lots of great posts everyone.

It depends on my track loop.

For my 027 curved track, the Lionel 2035 and 2025 are great, strong pullers, quiet, and smoke and look good. And don't derail on switches.

For my 042 track curves, I really like my 746 J class.  Looks great, pulls strong and fantastic smoker, beautiful smoke rings!  Pulling a set of 6 15 inch pass cars is a great treat.

Well I just can't pick so here are a few of my "favorites"

The Lionel 224 with blackened handrails from 1945...first loco out after the war!

Like many others the mighty Berkshire 736

The Lionel 2025 my version of the 675 from 1947-1949

Finally the NYC 2344 / 2344C ABA with screen roof vents. 1950-52

Happy Thanksgiving to All.

Best Wishes

Don

I’m a little different. (Just a little!)

I had five Lionel postwar sets growing up. But my absolute favorite was the #60 Trolley. Probably because we had active trolley lines near our neighborhood that I saw more often than moving trains. The #60 ran through Plasticville just like they did near the neighborhood. (The local trolley ran without the lighted bumpers.)

I did not want to miss adding my favorite to this thread, but it took a while to round up the boys, both the 726s and 736s.  They do like to get together over the holidays to talk shop and discuss the good old days, but do consider these days to be the best days ever since everything still works.  There is is a Conventional Classic in there, so he tends to have to do clean up duty since he is low on the seniority list.  He is hoping to move up if a LionChief gets added.

Mine is the 2343 Santa Fe F3, ABA unit.

The only one that I own: that Texas  Special A-B.  I wish that it was produced in the A-B-A configuration.

Norm

My favorites (in descending order for each category):

Steam:

675/2025 - had a beat-up 2025 in my first, hand-down train set (around 1960).  It's built like a battleship...runs like a deer...and pulls like Hercules! (now have two 2025s and one 675)

726 (1947) - This engine is just flat-out beautiful (and is enhanced by its high-end tender).  Doesn't have Magnetraction, but will still pull a respectable freight/passenger consist (got it in the Blue Hall in the Fall 2019 York Meet)

2046 - found this in Berlin, Maryland during a Ocean City vacation in 2005, in excellent condition.

Diesel:

Texas Special (A-B)

NH F3 (A-B-A) (checkerboard paint scheme)

NYC F3 (A-A)

John

My favorite is my first engine. I got it for Christmas in 1956. The 1615 switcher.

@WP posted:

My favorite is my first engine. I got it for Christmas in 1956. The 1615 switcher.

That is the first Lionel train I got back in 1955, for Christmas. (It could have been 1956, not sure now). I still have it and it still runs great.

Lionel Santa Fe from the early 50's And the box of blocks that I am sitting on....still have them.

The 2035 steam engine because it was my first one.

Great thread, for start have to go with the PW  Alcos great runners with some weight, and the famous horn.

Erie AA 2032 from 52-54

Union Pacific  2023 AA in yellow / gray roof from 50-51

Union Pacific 2023 AA in silver / gray 50-51

Had to put in the 209 New Haven AA from 58 (still looking for the dummy unit)