You need to offer a more clear or refined definition of what you consider famous.
The very nature of you question begs so many different answers, that whittleing them down to one or two will never happen.
Your question will elicit only subjective answers, based only on the “fans” personal likes or dislikes.
Is your version of famous the most easily reconized locomotive, or the most porduced?
The biggest, or the one that has the most pulling capacity?
Fastest, or the locomotive mentioned in the most songs?
Re-define the question, or all you have is a popularity contest.
My vote goes to a series of locomotives.
The EMD SD40 and SD40-2.
They are exactly what a freight locomotive is supposed to be, work horses.
“Famous” is actually pretty easy to define. It means “widely known,” or “renowned.”
My question is very clear as stated in the original post:
"What in your opinion is THE most famous locomotive in history? (Not your personal favourite, and not just your favourite American locomotive - but the most famous in the world) "
For several of our “slower” pupils I later noted that I was NOT referring to a “class” of locomotives (SD40-s) or a “train” (The Orient Express)
And the question certainly does not refer to the “most produced” locomotive. (And I’m sorry to break it to you my American friends, the most produced locomotive was not made in America.)
I’m sorry lads but some of you appear to be as “thick as bricks.” A class from hell.
Just because an engine is American,doesn’t mean that it can’t be famous worldwide.I’m sure a number of American locomotives would make it onto a list of world famous engines.
If “Thomas the Tank Engine” is indeed the most famous locomotive in the World, it is time that more details of it became known. Awdry states that the illustrations in the early “Thomas” books were based on the London Brighton and South Coast Railway class E2 0-6-0 tank locomotive, attributed to CME L.B. Billinton. They had 4’6" driving wheels, 17.5"x26" cylinders 175 lbf/sq in pressure. There were ten locomotives in the class, but Thomas is based on the last five locomotives, 105 to 109, which had the distinctive extended side tanks at the front, (as seen on “Thomas”) with a cutaway to allow access to the inside valve gear. They were built during 1915 and 1916 at Brighton workshops. Unlike the bright blue colours carried by “Thomas”, these locomotives were painted black, for their entire lives, as far as is known. Some of the earlier locomotives 100 to 104, were painted “Umber” (a dark brown shade) for passenger duties, but they were too unsteady at speed for this work. The Southern Railway added 2000 to the LBSCR numbers and British Railways added a further 30000, the final numbers being 32105 to 32109. They were withdrawn from 1961 to 1963.
Based on that…Thomas the Tank…hands down. Fictional, yes. But meeting your critera… a single locomotive, not a class, not a train, not American and not my favorite.
The Rocket. Most people heard of it and it even was my very first thought. It was not realy the very first locomotive but it seems to be the most famous of all time.
Thomas the Tank is fictitious, that is not a real locomotive, it’s a 3 dimensional cartoon based on a locomotive, so it can’t count.
Apparently, you started this thread for two purposes.
One, it allows you the chance to be arrogant, consending, patronizing, and rude.
Two, somewhere in here you will be able to spring the “correct” answer on all of us, thereby becoming the “star” of your class…
If indeed you are a teacher, it is clear why the California public school system sucks…
Do you normally insult people before you ask their opinion?
Can I share your concern about forum members not reading posts!
I just listed all the details of the locomotives the Reverend Wilbert Awdry himself indicated were the prototypes for “Thomas” and people say it is “imaginary”. Before the stories were “commercialised” and made “politically correct” they were all based on real events on real railways. All the locomotives were based on real locomotives and were used for the work the prototypes did.
I include you in this lack of reading, Dan!
Another candidate for fame in the USA is Pennsylvania streamlined K4s 3768 (Always assuming that I remember the number correctly - that’s a real problem on the PRR who didn’t always use consecutive numbers).
I mean the original Raymond Loewy streamliner which appeared in much of the publicity about the 1938 Broadway Limited. Unlike the NYC streamlined Hudsons it was competing against, it was unique and does qualify for consideration.
Not real? Maybe the original in the books was not real (though based on real locomotives) but he certainly is now. I’ve seen 2 different versions of him. One built on a Plymouth industrial switcher and another larger actual steam engine.
You’ve seen 2 versions of Thomas the Tank? are there more then one? wich is the one that counts? Is Thomas the Tank a class of engines? It’s “based” on some real engine so it is a real engine? or just a perversion of a real engine?
Mickey Mouse was based on a real mouse (or some critter), Mickey is a famous mouse, but is he realy a mouse??
Sorry, but I don’t think Thomas counts, it’s famous all right but it’s fake pal!
The Rocket was a locomotive in every respect, there was just one, and I’m not voting on the replica Rocket or some measeum prop rocket or anything like, just the real famous one.