What's your favourite locomotive? and why?

My train-spotting days were spent at Welwyn North on the ECML watching the Deltics and Brush type 4's go past, The sound of the twin engines of a Deltic in harmony is like nothing else.

Malcolm

My favourites are:

Stirling Single Lord of the Isles Beyer Garratts and many of the US streamlined's

Cheers

Steve

ps. My heart still lies with Britannia and Princess Elizabeths - both Tri-ang offerings and both clunkers on today's standards, but I had 'em as a kid and still love them.

In message , Edward Bray writes

My favourite loco is a class 66, No. 6622 (sorry, that should read 66XX class, No. 6622 :-). Why? Because when I was on holiday during the late

50s and through the 60s I would regularly see it on long trains of mineral wagons descending the valley, or of empties going the other way. As usual it was in the standard BR freight livery of filthy.

BR Std class 4MT, no. 80105 to be precise, as I spent many happy hours as a kid at the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (when it was off Wallace St in Falkirk) as a kid wire-brushing down bits of cab, boiler etc etc. LNER no. 246 Morayshire, for the same reason. A close second. Deltics, again for the noise.

Badger.

Do you know I find it incredibly difficult to answer that question, mainly I suspect because I don't have a favourite. There were some I didn't much appreciate as a kid, but that would be a case of familiarity breeding contempt, but how I'd now love to direct my time-machine back to Normanton in the late 1950s and witness a day of Black 5s, 8Fs and WD 2-8-0s clanking away on freight and coal trains.

My favourite loco has changed with the years, it was always a Jubilee 4-6-0, then it became an 8F, then a Peppercorn A1, then a Fairburn 2-6-4T all of which really tells me that I like them all, whether steam or diesel, or even electric for that matter. I've even got a soft spot for today's ubiquious class 66 diesel ............... sorry!

What do I dislike the most is probably the easiest to answer. I absolutely detest Virgin Voyagers and their derivatives, closely followed by Pendolinos.

John.

Absolutely agree about the Voyagers and Bendolinos, they seem to have the flair but not the substance (bit like a certain Managing Director?).

I don't know if it is the personality of a loco as perceived by it's look but I've always liked the Duff (class 47) because it looks capable but not overdone. 56s were similar, 58s were a bit too unusual although outside access to the engines etc. was quite clever. I have a soft spot for 87s (although I liked them less when I worked at Willesden depot!!). Although the 90s look a bit 1980s I appreciate their power and acceleration (0-60 in

12 seconds light loco!!!).

Don't like 20s, 25s, or any of the nosey locos (37, 40, 45, 55).

Although too young to remember steam on the mainline, I saw Duchess of Hamilton in Leeds station once and it was extremely impressive to see.

Luke

Purely from a personal perspective, the V2's, they had lovely clean balanced lines.

In my case, anything after the prototype HST....

The Terriers......and I have no logical reason as to why :o) Cheers Gene

Any of the four SR 2-6-0 classes N, N1, U and U1.

CPR's semi streamlined locos.

-- Cheers Roger T.

Home of the Great Eastern Railway

Midland Compounds, LMS "Jubilees" and "Peak" diesels. Why - probably because of their association with my two favourite main lines - the (now closed) Peak Forest and the Settle to Carlisle, over both of which I have travelled many times and always enjoyed the experience.

David Costigan

all-rounders... 76 EM1's tough little locos hardly a day's trouble, unassuming, they plodded around all day for years just doing what they were supposed to. no top end (65 methinks) but damn quick getting there. revolutionised the woodhead route and the clliery branches, easily putting the kettles to shame with their stamina and power. The ugly front end and boxy lines just added to their "ugly-duckling" character. They'd still be going today had they not lost the only line they could be justified on.

Well said! V2's rule as far as I am concerned too, especially as my Grandfather often drove the original Green Arrow. I saw him several times in the early 60's (when I was very young) passing through Potters Bar on the way north from Kings Cross. What a wonderful sound those 3 cylinders made while hauling a heavy load!

I have always colected anything to do with the Green Arrow, and I have his Engineman's Handbook, silver watch chain, plus an original photograph taken in 1936 showing the engine with him in the cab. The inscription is very faded now, but just readable!

I got the chance to tread in his footsteps at the Bluebell Railway a year or so ago, when I was invited up into the Cab by the crew when they heard about my Grandfather's links with the Green Arrow. I have about 60 photographs recording the day's events.

What a thrill - I will always remember.....

Grandfather's name was Edward ('Ted') Nevols, and he worked on the Railway for a total of around 35 years. He re-trained and drove Diesels for a few years after the Green Arrow was withdrawn.

He died at 69 on New Year's Eve, 1969 - of Emphysema. My Hero.

David.

"David French" wrote in news:437f9a2e snipped-for-privacy@mk-nntp-1.news.uk.worldonline.com:

At teh moment my fave has to be Rebuilt Hughes 4-6-0 "Dreadnought". Might (and only might) be my first attempt at scratch building.

Good luck with the build - let us know how you get on!

I don't have the time to concentrate on anything like that - perhaps when I retire.....

David.

I seem to have less spare time since I retired than I did before...

Oooohh...... that's scary!! ~{ :-s

David.

On Sat, 19 Nov 2005 10:15:07 -0000, "John Turner" said in :

With you on the Class 66 - though I'm at a loss to explain why! My favourite 12" scale diesel is the Deltic (it's the sound), although I have fond memories of the rust-coloured Westerns, but my favourite favourite is the Scotsman, for sentimental reasons.

My favourite model is definitely the Hornby 8F at present. Fantastic slow running, great power and traction, nicely detailed. But let's see what Santa brings, now that the new loco-drive A3 and A4 pacifics are an option :-D

Guy

Black Five = work horse A4 = race horse

(kim)