Favourite Locomotive

[mick]

I'm not sure if we've ever had this discussion before - can't seem to find anything on the forum search - but I was just reading Simon Kohler's post on the Hornby website (Simon Says - A4 ever) dated 20 November 2015, in which he recalls his first sighting of a Gresley A4 locomotive, and I wondered if anyone had any similar recollections?

I've spoken several times before of the fact that I don't really remember steam days at all but it was a model of the Gresley A4 'SEAGULL' in LNER blue that actually got me interested in model railways. If I were to choose my own 'favourite' steam loco then I would have to agree with Simon Kohler and go with the A4 for that very reason. The 9F was also another favourite of mine but that was simply through viewing photographs in various books and before I even realised that Evening Star was a member of that class. It's difficult to choose your favourite loco when you've barely seen any so what about your favourite model loco?

Looking at my collection there are several loco types that predominate. On the steam side I have several A4's as I would expect, a number of 9F's and a few Black 5's. The remainder are mostly single examples of various types. On the diesel side I seem to have gone overboard with class 37, 47, 56 and 60 loco's with other classes in much smaller numbers. Choosing a single favourite out of all those is nigh on impossible.

I have certain 'specials' that I am particularly pleased with - these being the Northern Belle class 47s (superb sound) and the Rails version of the LMS Twins in black and silver livery (a stunning combination). I guess in my case the quality of sound, or even just the availability of sound, is a determining factor in the majority of cases. Certainly if you feel you can 'drive' a particular loco and it responds to your commands then it's an added attraction.

Do you have a personal favourite locomotive either in prototype or model form?

[TheQ]

Living in my youth in former GWR territory though run by Southern Region by this time on what was a military branch line no longer a though line. So all I saw was the occasional ex- southern or BR freight locomotive.

From a look at my current model locomotive stock. I have two favourites, a GWR city class " city of Bath" which is where I was born, and a nameless Dukedog class which is an oddity of a locomotive historically plus we had a dog called Duke!!

[ba14eagle]

50044 in both forms!

[Baimor]

Mallard. A thing of utmost beauty whether standing still or doing 126 mph!!! ( with my uncle Thomas as fireman!!)

[EngineDriver]

REAL, to drive ..........Class 47 always have always will, even though I don't get on them any more

MODEL, don't know really, far too many excellent ones to pick from.

[Mart]

I was a great fan of Stanier's

& Black 5, the mixed traffic workhorse of the LMS, LMR.