Favorite Locomotive

A simple yet expansive topic. This can include numerous entries for different time periods as well.

I'll start:
Even though I don't have a favorite one in particular, but for the steam era I would say the NYC hudson. 70s would be the F40PH, and the modern era would be the GEVO.

Definitely the Hudson, and I'd add the PRR sharknosed T1 and for some runs west, the Challenger.
For diesel era, of course you'd have to have the E's, all of them, and the PA .
The classic GG1 is the top of the heap.

Gotta say GG1..
North Phila. Station, my grandfather holding me up to talk to engineer. Hot air blowing out the window. The railroad smell. The closeness of the High Voltage signs next to the pantograph.

I forgot to add, this can involve specific locomotives which you have fond memories of as well.

My example of this would be LIRR 404. I have seen this locomotive very often when I was younger and passed by the LIRR frequently, and it also reminds me of the infamous error 404, and it even had two MTA "Meatball" logos on the front, essentially making this engine an *unofficial* heritage unit. I saw this engine a few times when it had this "heritage scheme " and still continue to see it today even though its front has since been repainted. That is my example of one engine in particular which I have fond memories of, thus putting this engine up in the top for my list (not necessarily all DE/DM30ACs are my favorite, before you go off on how unreliable they are).

Wow this is hard to narrow it down to just one in each category, but if I had to chose:

Steam: Anything owned by the NYNH&H in the early 1900s
Diesel: FP-7/9 or F69AC
Electric: ACS-64
Dual mode: FL-9
MU: PRR/PC Metroliner

I fondly remember the short lived FL9ACs on LIRR. Ignoring the regularly self destructing inverters, they looked great, sounded great, appeared to have great performance (by LIRR standards) - they were amazing to look at. There were 3, but one stripped for parts - traditional LIRR way to manage locomotives, I guess. The Bitanic train had one of these at each end. I still remember the first time they pulled into my station early in the morning on their first revenue run, and I still have my picture of the front one, with LIRR bosses filling the cab in very plain sight through the windshield. As I understand it, instead of selling them off when no longer needed (overall they were in decent shape and still looked great), they scrapped them.

E8As. Beautiful, especially in paint schemes such as the Southern Railways' dark green.

I actually like Amtrak's ACS and Charger ones. I like anything new and advanced, and those are, and they're sleek-looking, too.

The FL9, obviously.

However, I have a soft spot for the GP40WH-2, since I grew up with it during my college years...

GG1 (which I barely remember)
F9 (MARCs)
and T1 2101. as it was the first steam locomotive I ever rode behind.

Steam: eh. If the CMSP&P F7 Pacifics still existed, those - but I would go a little out of my way to ride behind most steamers. Special mention to the Cass and Cumbres & Toltec fleets.

Electric: Milwaukee Bi-Polars, the little center-cab critters (Baldwins?) that Iowa Traction runs, and solely on looks, the GE E60CH and E25.

Turbine: the Union Pacific Verandas.

Diesel, in particular: RS-1s, those big Baldwin two-engine transfer diesels, F-M Trainmasters, NW-5s, U18Bs, GP60Ms, SD70MACs, and SD80MACs.

And my favorite gasoline-electric, straight electric, and diesel-electric: MStPR&DETC (Dan Patch) #100.

Hmmm.... For types, probably the NYC Hudsons (though I don't know I ever saw one: by the time my memories start, NYC mainline steam was largely eliminated from the end of the system we lived at), or some GE diesel.
For individual locomotives[attachment=0]prr-s4483.jpg[/attachment] -- I visited it several times when it was on the lawn of the WABCO factory in Wilmerding, while I was a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh in the 1970s. (This is an experimental post to see if I ***can*** include images. If it doesn't work: it's supposed to be a photo of Pennsylvania Railroad I-1s decapod 4483, the only survivor of a class of 598.)

Diesel: Any E plus the PA
Electric: GG-1
Steam: UPs fleet workhorse, the 2-8-0

The British Rail Standard 9F 2-10-0. Designed as a heavy freight loco, but capable of pulling fast express trains at 90MPH on a regular basis. also the German DRB (Deutsche Reichbahn) Classes 50 and 52 Kreigsloks (War Locomotives) they went on for ever! Looked just like they should for a loco designed to support the German Armies in WW2

Steam: CNJ 831-834 Pacifics
Electric: GG1
Diesel: RS-3, E units

Dreyfus Hudson
Loewy T1 and GG1
EMC E3,4, 5