What’s your favorite Legacy Steam Loco?

I like the Mohawk L-2a a lot, although I like most Legacy steam including all the ones you mention.

One of the first I acquired was the MR S3 with it's dual horn/whistle, Mars light and the steam blowdown. A UP Mikado was a very nice locomotive with great smoke. Now I have another later Mikado that I plan to re letter in Southern that has whistle steam so I guess it's my current favorite. The S3 Northern would have to qualify as my all-time favorite however!

I second the MR S3. I have both versions (Fantasy and 261). My GS4 with reciprocating cylinder steam is another hard hitter. Also, the Niagara with tender water scoop fill effect- another one that just steals the show.

My favorite Legacy steam locos are not actually from Lionel(Even though I like all my Lionel legacy engines).  Check these out.

Or this one.

This one really not mine but my son's.

honorable mentions

Lionel J3 Hudson

Lionel ESE Hudson

Lionel NYC light mikado (rebranded to Rutland)

Lionel NH ten wheeler (rebranded to Rutland)

Great videos Gary! I've been thinking of upgrading my MTH NKP Berk to Legacy.

Legacy NY Central 4-6-0 (10 wheeler) with whistle steam. Here it is in action:

Arnold

My One and Only Legacy Steam.

Ron

My Bad! going to have to correct my misspeak!  I do have two and a half other Lionel Legacy Steam

The  NKP Berk 765 a pic as received from Lionel after the good Boys & Girls @ Lionel Canfield FUMBLED!

Pic as received.

Some how the pilot was Not changed or the one removed was put back on!  You should see the emails between Mike R and myself.

After fixed by Local shop repairman.  The shop owner actually ordered another on in incase not resolved.

The other is the Lionel Pere Marquette 1225 with additional PE tender.  No Images

The "1/2" last one ever the 0-6-0T.

Edited 1055 10/20/2023/

Ron

Forgot about this K-Line derived B&M Berkshire. No whistle steam but great sounds and stack smoke

I’d say all of them, but in the interest of brevity, I’ll mention two - both are Legacy and VisionLine…

First, my 4012 BigBoy from the first run. Although I do not run with smoke, I did have to try it with some of the BigBoy features - specifically the whistle steam and the dual main chuff - really well done.

In second place is the NYC Niagara. Just a really sweet engine!!!

Picking a favorite is certainly difficult with all the ones I have so far.

But it’s probably the one I’ve gotten the most joy out of, which isn’t one of the more flashy, huge wow factor locomotives.

It’s Lionel’s recent model of GTW 4070. Great sounds, solid performance, and I love the whistle smoke, bi-color class lights, and 5 different whistle/bell tones to choose from.

What day is it?  Mine changes depending on a lot of factors especially when I am running.

My favorite has been SP GS-4 #4449. But now on its heels is newly acquired N&W #1238 A-class.

I am going small for my favorite Legacy engine……the B6 switcher which does everything you could ask a switcher to do. Great sound, great smoke, can run all day at speed step 1 and never stall.

I second @JohnB. The b6 is probably my favorite. The sounds are top quality, it smokes, pulls, never stalls. It's only missing a swinging bell in my opinion. I would buy this immediately if an updated version were issued.

My Atlantic and 9000 Class are probably right behind it for similar reasons. The sounds are excellent and they're great runners.

I'm going for my New York Central K3-b from the Cardinals Set.

@BillYo414 posted:

I second @JohnB. The b6 is probably my favorite. The sounds are top quality, it smokes, pulls, never stalls. It's only missing a swinging bell in my opinion. I would buy this immediately if an updated version were issued.

My Atlantic and 9000 Class are probably right behind it for similar reasons. The sounds are excellent and they're great runners.

Bill are you referring to the UP 900 Class?  If so what manufacture?

Ron

The UP 9000 Class @PRRronbh the 4-12-2 that Lionel recently produced. It doesn't run that well through my switches yet but I have high hopes because it is a beast!

@JohnB posted:

I am going small for my favorite Legacy engine……the B6 switcher which does everything you could ask a switcher to do. Great sound, great smoke, can run all day at speed step 1 and never stall.

Great pick! I love my Legacy LIRR B6.

For me it is my Chessie Steam Special T-1 which I saw live growing up.

Long live the Central!!!

My favorite? Well it's like asking me which of my 5 grandkids is my favorite. They all are special in different ways. So, I can not see putting one ahead of the other.

As for Legacy, I feel the same so let's see what I have in no particular order: CB&Q F3 ABA set, CB&Q E8, Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 #261, Southern Pacific 4-8-4 #4449 & 4436, Union Pacific 4-8-4 #835 and my 2 UP Vision Line engines; 4-6-6-4 & 4-8-8-4.

Although I don't have these, my good friend has the Santa Fe 2-10-10-2 and SP Cab Forward. As much as I would love to own both of these, I don't think it will happen.

RAY

My favorites are fairly equal. They are both Visionline engines.

1. Southern Pacific Daylight GS-4, #4449

2. NYC Niagara

The GS-4 gets the nod because it's usually pulling a Golden Gate Depot's  SP 8-car set.

Here’s my M1b.

PRR M1a, 2014 run. Powerhouse locomotive, flawless runner, great smoker and the best whistle ever.

Pat

@yankspride4 posted:

Here’s my M1b.

I did not know Lionel made a M1b, only the M1 and M1a.  When did it come out?

@CAPPilot posted:

I did not know Lionel made a M1b, only the M1 and M1a.  When did it come out?

I believe it was cataloged in 2009. Item # is 6-11147.

My favorite is my NYC J-3a #5418.  The whistle sound and whistle steam effect are terrific.

I am a big fan of the Milwaukee S3 Northern from 2017. I love the colors on the locomotive. The majority of my layout has O54 curves so it can run anywhere.

http://www.lionel.com/products...gacy-s3-260-6-84067/

My KTM NYC H10b.

Pete

My one and only Legacy steam engine. So obviously my favorite.

My KTM NYC H10b.

Pete

I will say (to add on to my earlier post) that I have 10 Legacy Engines, including the first Vision Challenger.

I like them all, but the CSS had some prototype deviations I decided to fix.

The first were the rods - they were blackened, but the prototype were polished in may pictures.  I prefer them shiny so you can actually see them moving.  So I bought a new set and painted then nickel.

As Made:

After Paint:

The next thing is if you look at the picture above, you will see that the Radius Bar coming off the Expansion Link is mostly covered by the Gear Frame is wrong.  The Gear Frame should be shorter so you can see more of the Radius Bar.  So I purchased a new one and modified it to match the prototype:

Lastly, if you look carefully, the Trailing Truck is actually the one for the Milwaukee Road S3 (the later version had the prototypical version).  Since the new version does not have a parts list, I purchased one from MTH and modified it to fit the engine.

So those are the modifications.

I will say that I also love my first Legacy Engine - the C&O 4-6-0:

@Norton posted:

My KTM NYC H10b.

Pete

That’s a stunning loco. Would like to hear more details on that one.

My favorite Legacy steam locomotive isn't a Lionel either -- it's a 3rd Rail Virginian Class AG 2-6-6-6 "Blue Ridge" converted to Legacy and weathered by Bruk Bannister!

@yankspride4 posted:

That’s a stunning loco. Would like to hear more details on that one.

Thanks Ron. The engine was two rail likely made in the late ‘60s or early ‘70s. When I got it the paint was poor but otherwise in decent shape. I made a few repairs and added a few details. Its been fitted over a Lionel Legacy Mikado chassis which had almost identical wheel locations. Main mod consisted of shortening the steamchest as the H10 smoke box is much larger diameter than the USRA Mikado smokebox. Tender got a truck swap and markers. Being Legacy it was easy to add the swinging bell. Hope to get it painted this year.

Some of the build details were posted here:

https://ogrforum.com/...a-second-h10b-mikado

Pete

@superwarp1 posted:

honorable mentions

Lionel J3 Hudson

Lionel ESE Hudson

Lionel NYC light mikado (rebranded to Rutland)

Lionel NH ten wheeler (rebranded to Rutland)

Which NYC J3 specifically if it's not a Dreyfus, or CV, or ESE, or Mercury (6-82537)?

Mike

@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:

Which NYC J3 specifically if it's not a Dreyfus, or CV, or ESE, or Mercury (6-82537)?

Mike

This one from 2018/2019, can’t remember.  Special run by Mr. Muffin sorry don’t know the sku off the top of my head.  I have since change the headlight to the correct style and fixed the five chuff per rev since this video was made.

My favorite Lionel Legacy locomotive is the USRA Light Pacific ACL #1504.

For a few decades I have admired the real ACL #1504 on display. And finally, I own the model.

And now she is being renovated to move under her own power.

Here is Vision GS 1 in brass