MoPac_Eagle
Well Known Member
I have one or two of those.
Favorite Locomotive
- Thread starter MoPac_Eagle
- Start date
TrucTrain55
Well-Known Member
I've had it for about 10yrs it's a old Walthers engine and it still runs smooth as silk
montanan
Whiskey Merchant
Just added these to my list of favorite locomotives. Although my home layout is DC, we do need DCC at my club and I have been a bit disappointed with the way so many locomotives lack the pulling power on the grades we have at the club, which is around two and a half percent. Picked up these Walthers Mainline F-7 units. They have the exact same drive as their Proto series but do lack a bit with details. I can add these.
I have a two and a half percent grade on my home layout and this trio pulled a 45 car train up the grade without breaking a sweat or spinning a wheel.
Although I am a big fan of Alcos I was really disappointed in how the Atlas RS-1 I had pulling the grades at the club. 10 cars and it was maxed out. Put my DC Alcos on the club layout and they could easily pull 16. As with many DCC locomotives, a lot of the weight has been removed to leave room for the decoder and speaker. Guess it's one way to get modelers to buy more locomotives.
These F-7's are brutes. Just what I needed to run with the big dogs at the club. In fact, that may have to catch up.
I have a two and a half percent grade on my home layout and this trio pulled a 45 car train up the grade without breaking a sweat or spinning a wheel.
Although I am a big fan of Alcos I was really disappointed in how the Atlas RS-1 I had pulling the grades at the club. 10 cars and it was maxed out. Put my DC Alcos on the club layout and they could easily pull 16. As with many DCC locomotives, a lot of the weight has been removed to leave room for the decoder and speaker. Guess it's one way to get modelers to buy more locomotives.
These F-7's are brutes. Just what I needed to run with the big dogs at the club. In fact, that may have to catch up.
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bobby pitts
Member
MoPac_Eagle
Well Known Member
you did a good weathering job.
bobby pitts
Member
Thanks a lot!
M
MHinLA
Guest
No pix, but, steam : NYC Hudson (handsomest) N&W Y6b (the b may as well stand for barracuda)..
Diesel : RS 1,2,3
Traction : GG1 , Little Joe
Diesel : RS 1,2,3
Traction : GG1 , Little Joe
M
MHinLA
Guest
Many know, there is a real triplex, but rear most engine is under the tender.
M
MHinLA
Guest
Wonderful shots ! Very realistic !! Great lookin' RR....M
M
MHinLA
Guest
Big handsome brute !! To think, steam was everywhere in 1945, 75 years ago !! If diesel is so more efficient, then why is it one of these could haul 200 cars where it would take 5 very large diesels for same job ?...Dieselites, please don't be offended. I'm talking 1:1 scale, not 1:87 or 1:160, etc. I like a bunch of diesel, too ... MI've always been a fan of the GN S-1 4-8-4 in the Glacier Park scheme. Big, hulking engines with the dual air pumps on the front.
It wasn't an issue of efficiency, it was an issue of maintenance. The workforce and equipment to keep the steamers running was way more expensive than what it took to keep diesels running.
skyliner
Well-Known Member
I haven't seen one in the thread yet, so I have to say the steam locomotive I would pick are SP's cab forwards, especially the late series AC-8/10/12's. I first saw SP #4294 at Sacramento when I was very young, I'm glad it is still there. Someday I'll get one in HO scale; I held off when the Intermountains first came out after I heard they had some teething issues, hopefully someone will produce them again eventually.
Picture taken by me, 2015.
Picture taken by me, 2015.
KriegslokBR52
Well-Known Member
Ssssweeeeet. Brass?
kbkchooch
"retired" conductor
PFM brass, New gearbox, flywheel and motor with DCC and sound. Slicker than snot on a door knob!
KriegslokBR52
Well-Known Member
The meanest looking 4-8-4 i think. Meanest prices if you can find one now. Thought about kitbashing a Bachmann into one.
Iron Horseman
Well-Known Member
Cannot believe I missed this thread 4 years ago. But as the others have said it is a really hard question.
For steam I have to go with the Northern Pacific Z-6 Challenger class. They took the UP 4-6-6-4 design and carried it to its logical conclusion of power and speed. I like the Z-7 and Z-8 also but both those have the centipede tender that I don't care so much for, so the Z-6 gets my vote. As was said about the Great Northern S-2 the massiveness of the compressors and other equipment on an already massive loco, just demands attention. The poor lighting on the nose in the photo below does not really do it justice. The position of the water tower in the back ground doesn't help either. The Allegheny gets my second place.
For diesel it isn't any less difficult. BUT The Alco PA is hard not to pick. It is not called the glamor girl of locos for nothing. Sleek and graceful as opposed to its bull dog EMD E7 counter parts, not as old fashion looking as the early E6 slant nose competitors.
My second place is the EMD SD45. Always loved the slant radiators at the end of the long hood. The last one I saw in service was in Denver. Still painted in its original blue pin stripe paint and it was a 'b' unit to boot. I think this was the very unit I saw. But don't forget the gorgeous NP canoe scheme, the Southern high nose versions, the GN Hustle Muscle and the GN big sky blue. They all just made it a glorious diesel for a hood unit.
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