This survey is bound to create partisanship, but I would like to know which diesel locomotive railfans and hoggers favor. Personally, I really liked the GP38-2. Isn’t much good on mainlines nowadays, but that engines keeps going and going. While Alco’s and U30’s have been scrapped, many railroads are still using the GP38-2 on branchlines and in yard duty. Say alot about the engine.
I also like the SD90MAC from an appearance standpoint. Don’t know how it compares reliability-wise to other EMD units. Time will tell.
I can’t name any type of engine that is my favorite, but I can tell you of one specific engine that I have loved since I was a kid. It’s known as the Bondurant Grain Express, and it’s an NW2, painted in the colors of my alma mater, blue and white. It’s sole purpose is to switch the grain hoppers in and out of the elevator. It is only used during harvest season, but it looks good just sitting there.
As a child of the late 50s, early 60’s, my favorite was and is an EMD “F” unit. I grew up watching these beautiful machines roaring through town on the point of Southern freights.
I am also a child of the late 50’s and 60’s but the strongest impression on me living on an ACL secondary line was the gorgeous sight of the EMD E-6, E-7,s and E-8’s pulling the accomodation trains of that era; Boy, seeing those purple, silver and later black/yellow with their haunting M-5 horns - I never dreamed they wouldn’t always be around. Oh, well…
I would have to agree with you on the SD40-2. They’re like the Everedy battery. They just keep going and going. You got to hand it to EMD. They built good engines back in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. You can still see many GP38-2 and GP35’s around, even on the mainline.
Forced to name a favorite, I’d have to say Grand Trunk Western’s old 4900 series passenger geeps.
As a real youngster, I would see them doing their intended duty, as I aged, along with them, I saw them first bumped into the general freight pool, then, later, assigned to yard service. My parents house was within earshot of the big yard in Battle Creek, MI, at night with the wind just right I’d listen to those magnificent machines working their guts out classifying cuts of cars.
Later on, many were rebuilt into GP-9R’s. Better than scrapping them, but just not the same…
Todd C.
As there is no right nor wrong answer to your question, I am going to simply put my two cents in here. I also grew up in the fifties and sixties in the New York area and became hooked on railroading aftre seeing the NYC FL9 units on the Harlem division coming through my home town of Bronxville at sixty per. After moving to Wisconsin in the seventies, I was really hooked after watching SOO, MLW, CNW and BN trains, then moved to Naperville, IL along the triple track raceway and was super hooked. My favorite, not one but several…all F’s, all E’s, F45, SD45 and all the old Geeps. Jim in Illinois
Even though I am only 23(24 later this month), my favorite loco is the SD40-2. Excellant loco, even though, they are getting to the end of their service life. They are still posting reliability of 90%. But the loco that is really starting to catch my eye is the SD70M. These are posting( last time I heard) of 98%. Thats a really good track record considering with all the newer loco’s out there. These are the four of my fav. in order. 1. SD40-2 2. SD70M 3. GP60. 4.SD45.
I have to give GE a little credit I GUESS. They make a good C44-9W. But do they have a 98% availability rate. I don’t think so. Even though I will probably get a reply for the last one I made, so if you have anything to say. Tell me about it.
I grew up along the Maryland & Pennsylvania; I saw NW 2’s and SW9’s; even a little steam. I’ve worked for B&O/Chessie/CSX for 32 years; 28 as an engineer. My favorites are a little different. I loved running the SW 1’s built in 1940/43. If they were overloaded, they wouldn’t spin wheels, they’d just sit there and hum! My next favorite was B&O’s SD7 and SD9. When they worked hard I swear you could hear them in Glen Burnie. Nothing else EMD built sounded just like them.
I grew up as a military dependent in West Germany and Italy for six of my school years, and I fell in love with the E-44 electric engine. It could freights and passenger trains, and they fronted every train that went through my neighborhoods. Probably the best classic electric engine ever.
Well,Speaking as a former brakeman,I must add the GP7/9.I have worked with these units many times,they was tough,lean,mean,lug,tug,do everything,all around locomotive.
My favorite EMD has always been the GP30. They look like they have places to go, things to do with their dynamic brake cowling bunched up over the cab. every once in a while I’ll see one working a CSX local switch job in the greater Cincinnati area. I think some ofthem are now unpowered slugs, but my heart skips every time I see one.
My favorites are all EMDs. SD70MAC, SD40-2, GP38-2, and SD60M.
One of my favs used to be the DASH-9, until I heard how much problems they have, and that BNSF’s own SD40-2s are having to pick up the slack, that the DASH-9 was acquired for.
I always enjoyed watchin’ the EMD SD7s and 9s. Saw lots of them in northern Minnesota on the GN and DM&IR pulling long cuts of ore jennies. A day anywhere in California in later years always was complete when I would see a four lokie brace of Espee Cadillacs rollin’ through.
Although I did not grow up near (enough) to be able to watch the trains, my favorites were the early GP’s, early SD’s (SD7’s, 9’s, & 24’s in particular) and Alco RS and RSC series locos. You might say, my heart is in 1st gen diesels.
Lisa / Minnesota