My vote goes to the T&P #610. It would just be so great to see her thundering again through Texas!
I recently heard that #610 has lost her booster, so I guess she won´t get back her 97.000 Ibs of tractive effort again. Does somebody of you know any closer information?
Although it would be quite restricted, I can’t think of anything more awesome than a Big Boy in full stride up a grade with a long excursion train!
I would want 1218 back, what a show she could put on! I rode behind her three times and each time I learned some thing about how well the Roanoke Shops and N&W’s engineering/design staff did their jobs! She could move 25-30 passenger cars (85% lightweight/15% heavyweight) at 40 MPH, the top of her horsepower curve without breathing hard. Now, when she had to she could pull, like when she walked out of Conneaut, Ohio’s yard in a very heavy rain with no sand (Might foul the switches) and making it on one try! WOW.I’d pay just to watch her run by! The only other choice for this high honor, a set of Lehigh Valley PAs! But, you asked about steam and 1218 is my choice.
Either of the CP Sekirks. BTW, they are 5900 series, not 3900. If I had to choose, I’d say 5931, but doubleheading would be sweet!
sorry, of course they are 5931 and 5935. I´m sorry for that. It was a silly writing mistake. Yeah, I also think that the doubleheading idea would be superb. Two Selkirks pulling a 30 car Canadian would be a perfect thing to watch and enjoy.
It would be awesome riding over Donner pass behind a cab forward[:p][:D][8D]!!!
I would have to go for the GN 4-8-4 just my great grandfather worked for the Great Northern
[#ditto]
Enjoy
Paul
The problem with bringing some of these back is where in the world you would run the excursion. Bringing a Big Boy back is technically feasible, but as a UP person (sorry I don’t remember his name or title) in the steam program point out – Where would you run it? Just between Cheyenne and Laramie? It could not come south to Denver. Run forward to the middle of no where and then reverse back to Laramie. Not much of an excursion. They had seriously considered this and decided it was not worth it to restore a locomotive with such little space to operate.
There is very little class 5 track left in the country (the BNSF even downgraded the race track to class 4) , and there are so few places a locomotive that large can be turned. I saw what was left of the wye track in Seattle after they turned the 844, so I can imagine what a larger locomotive would have done to it. The same goes for the 9000 class, and all the ten-coupled locos being proposed. This is why they (UP) often prefer using the 3985. Since it is only six coupled and articulated it can get to some places the 4-8-4 can’t.
I believe with the track (and roundhouses) we currently have in the country an eight coupled is the largest practical. I would think ideally the 4-6-4s would make great excursion locomotives.
Oh yeah, to answer the question. There is a Santa Fe heavy Prairie class 2-6-2 Baldwin locomotive sitting in Lamar Colorado. That is one sweet locomotive that deserves to run again. My cousin remembers when it was moved to the display position on courthouse lawn under its own power. (It has since been moved back to the RR station - not under its own power).
I need to see pictures to decide.
I would love to see a UP 9000 class in full steam.[:D]
The 610 lost her booster at the 1976 rebuilding. Even so,she still has 84,000 pounds TE.
I’d vote for 610, and there would not be any problem given the cash in finding ways of keeping her in coal and water and lubricants and sand. And no problem with clearances on just about any main line.
N&W #1218[:D] but it was placed on PERMANENT display in a mueseum[:(][:(] I’ve seen it on TV but would love to see it run in person.
I chose the SP #5021 4-10-2 only because none of my all time favorites exist.
B&O S1 2-10-2 [:(]
LOL,
ya didn’t mention my favorite… the AT&SF 2926 the heaviest 4-8-4 ever built. We hope to re assemble the tender this year, (Wheel sets have been U/S tested, Brakes have been rebuilt, water tank has been descaled, oil bunker cleaned and painted, all have been sand blasted and primered) Then we start on the Asbestos abatment… give us 6 years or so and we will be running. (Faster with more money)
Gunns
You didnt mention Dultuh,MIssabe and Iron Range #227!! A 2-8-8-4 Mallet! It had more tractive effort than the Big Boy!
Not on the list; Frisco 1522. The new FRA rules combined with the insurance massacre plus lukewarm support from the Been Nuthin’ Since Frisco forced the St.LSTA to drop her fires despite being in excellent shape and very popular on the excursion circuit.
If I had the money, permission and power… I’d try to get back as many as possible to running order…the more steamengines that’s running the better, right folks?
Absolutely![;)]