Best looking locomotives?

Here you go...

1. NYC 5344 Hudson unstreamlined, Commodore Vanderbilt, or Twentieth Century Limited Streamlining, take your pick or choose all the above.
2. NYC H10a or b Mikado they looked powerful with all their appliances.
3. Alco PA, if they ran as good as they looked, hundreds would still be operating today.
4. EMD E and F units, how can you not love that bulldog face.
5. EMD SD80, 90, 9043 Mac's, like the H10's these guys just look powerful.

And by the way, all those diesels look their best in NYC lightning stripe.

Mike Fleming
Bartlett, Tn

The best looking diesel has to take in to consideration the paint job that
is on that particular unit so I will use two catagories:
Paint job
Boston and Maine red and yellow as on the E-7's, when they were clean
and in good shape, they were stuning.
as to locomotives
Diesel:
Alco PA
EMD E-6
EMD E-7
EMD E-8
Alco DL-109

Electric:
New Haven Railroad 350 class, EP-3
New Haven Railroad 300 class, EP-2
New York Central P motor

Worst looking electric:
Pennsylvania GG-1

Noel Weaver

In the 20 or so minutes I spent thinking about it, this is what I came up with.
Diesels:
1. Alco C-420 -this is what a locomotive should look like.
2. MLW RS-18 (low short hood) -RS-10 is same. ALCO RS-11 is similar. -sharp lines.
3. EMD E-7 or 9 -classic
4. EMD SD-40-2F -(CPs "red barns")
5. GE 44 ton switcher - borders on cute.
Honorable Mention: Alco/MLW S-4 / MLW RS-23 (tie) -what switchers are supposed to look like.
Steam:
1. Lima Pacific Coast Shay. -beautiful, powerful albeit slow.
2. CPs "Royal Hudson" 4-6-4s -beautiful style.
3. UPs "Challenger" 4-6-6-4s built by ALCO & Baldwin. -Power.
4. Willamette 50 ton two truck geared locos (2 built - none left) -sharp geared engines.
5. Classic 4-4-0 "American" -the quintessential locomotive.
Honorable Mention: Any steam locomotive still in operation deserves this.

GE 45 Tonner
The CNJ's Baldwin "double enders"
Alco PA and FA
EMD EA and other Slantnose models -
EMD E/F units
GG1
EMD GP30
EMD SD45
EMD GP7/9
GE Dash8-40C
Adtranz/Bombardier ALP46

Noel Weaver wrote:Boston and Maine red and yellow as on the E-7's, when they were clean and in good shape, they were stuning.

I agree wholeheartedly, and would add that the Maine Central E's in dark green with gold trim, same general style as the B&M E's, were very attractive.

tocfan wrote:Here you go...

1. NYC 5344 Hudson unstreamlined, Commodore Vanderbilt, or Twentieth Century Limited Streamlining, take your pick or choose all the above.
2. NYC H10a or b Mikado they looked powerful with all their appliances.
3. Alco PA, if they ran as good as they looked, hundreds would still be operating today.
4. EMD E and F units, how can you not love that bulldog face.
5. EMD SD80, 90, 9043 Mac's, like the H10's these guys just look powerful.

And by the way, all those diesels look their best in NYC lightning stripe.

Mike Fleming
Bartlett, Tn

I don't know what kind of actual experience that you had with Alco PA's
but I had a lot with them on the New Haven Railroad and they were a good
all around engine on both Shore Line passenger trains and through freight
trains too.
I won't say that we never had trouble with them, we did from time to time
but there were a lot of things that a crew could do with them when the
bell rang to keep them running and keep the train moving over the road.
They would not be running in regular service today any more than EMD
E-8's and E-9's are because they became obselete.
The railroads like the New Haven, Delaware and Hudson and a few more
got good use out of their Alcos because they took reasonable care of them
and updated them when necessary.
Noel Weaver

GP7/GP9

My votes:

N&W J-Class
EMD E5 and E6
EMD E8 and E9
EMD TA
EMD F-units
ALCo PA-1
ALCo DL-109
GG-1 in Pennsy livery
MPI MP36

No particular order here either.

2-8-4 Berks and Kanawhas.
SD80/90s
SD45s
ALCo PAs and FAs
F40PH

And an Honorable Mention to the Genesis Series.

In order

1. Alco PA (Yes I did work for EMD)

2. EMD F & E

3. SDP 45

4. F45

5. GP 39 (Kennecott Copper Units)

6. SD 40T - all