# What is your favorite model train?



## ChessieSystem (Sep 17, 2015)

I ask because I'm curious what everyone likes and why. Even if for no particular reason


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2016)

I like the MTH Orient Express. It's absolutely beautiful and reminds me of the famous Agetha Christie book, later made into a movie. Of course the Lionel Scale Polar Express is a very close 2nd. Any of the Lionel Superliners are awesome, especially Alaska RR and NYC. Lastly, the Sunset GGD Train of Tomorrow is stunning. Perfect really.

Narrowing it down to 5 is the best I can do. 

Better make that 6: I forgot to include the MTH UP Blue Goose. It's a show stopper!

Emile


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

Living in the Northwest as a youngster for many years and with many relatives working for the Northern Pacific RR became the criteria for my favorite RR. Rode the Mainstreeter from Seattle to Chicago a couple times and the Northern Pacific local, Seattle to Cle Elum to visit relatives numerous times.

The Mainstreeter from both Lionel and MTH are my favorite passenger trains.

The Northern Pacific Challenger and 4 Aces Northern are my favorite steamers from Lionel

The Spokane Portland & Seattle Z-6 Challenger is my favorite steamer from MTH.

Bill


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## emmetd (Aug 1, 2012)

the 1952-53 orange blossom special with the red and grey colour scheme.


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## walter (Jan 31, 2014)

My favorite engine has to be my Weaver Pennsy H10. I probable run it more then any other.


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## PatKn (Jul 14, 2015)

I live in the Northeast (New York) and I am a big fan of steam. That led me to the Pennsylvania Railroad. Most of my trains are Pennsy and the majority of my engines are steam. My love for Pennsy also exposed me to all the interesting Pennsy Electrics. I always loved the GG1 but I now also like the P5a, BB1, FF1, L5 and DD1. All that said, my absolutely favorite engine is not a Pennsy. It is a Shay. I always loved the exposed mechanism of the Shay steam engines. I own one shay.


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2016)

The Sante Fe Hi-Level El Capitan pulled by yellow ABBA warbonnets. This is a stunning passenger train and those beautiful K-Line 21" Hi-Levels are unequaled.


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Fun topic! I like my Premier N&W J 611 pulling Lionel Powhatan Arrow cars best on the passenger side. I am liking my Premier Western Maryland H9 pulling freights too!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I do like the Shay, like Pat, I love all the exposed moving parts, very interesting to watch them run.


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## Red October (Sep 13, 2015)




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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

I love my simple, conventional, and dependable Williams Santa Fe Passenger train pulled by an ABA set of ALCO Fs. This FA-l could pull out a tree stump and I can do the maintenance on it myself. Best train I've ever had.


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## Panther (Oct 5, 2015)

Southern Pacific Daylight Special. I even made one Marx based.

Dan


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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

Panther said:


> Southern Pacific Daylight Special. I even made one Marx based.
> 
> Dan


Panther: Show us a photo if you can.


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## Panther (Oct 5, 2015)

Vern, can you see the photos ?

Dan


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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

Panther: No, I can't. Maybe I need an upgrade or something.


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## Guest (Aug 24, 2016)

Panther, I don't see the photos either.

My favorite railroad is the New York Central and my favorite train is the 20th Century Limited. My Railking Dreyfus Hudson and Williams passenger cars are as close as I can get.


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## Panther (Oct 5, 2015)

Let me know if they show up on my original post.

Dan


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## SDIV Tim (Nov 19, 2015)

Lionel came up with the Lionmaster series, I have a Legacy Big Boy and Challenger, plan on getting the Class A.


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

Panther said:


> Let me know if they show up on my original post.
> 
> Dan


Yes, now they're visible. Good looking trains.


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## walter (Jan 31, 2014)

Country Joe said:


> Panther, I don't see the photos either.
> 
> My favorite railroad is the New York Central and my favorite train is the 20th Century Limited. My Railking Dreyfus Hudson and Williams passenger cars are as close as I can get.
> 
> ...


Always enjoy looking at your layout when you post pics. Amazing what you've done with the available space. Sees there's always something new to look at and see.


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## alaska railroad (Oct 20, 2015)

I have 3 that I can't narrow down to just 1. As a steam lover, my 3 are, 

My 3 truck shay. They are just awesome to watch move, and they are a true work of art, not to mention very beautiful. 

My 4-8-8-4 BIG BOY. Love the history behind it, it's so large, and it's articulation is sweet.

The articulated triplex steamer. Very beautiful. The powered drivers on the tender are unique.

Oh sorry, one more loco. What kind of a alaska fan would I be if I left out my Athearn Alaska sd70mac. I love the colors of it, and of course it's alaska.


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## Panther (Oct 5, 2015)

I'm a bit confused with the photo post. I uploaded the photos to Photobucket, and they show up fine. I posted the photo below if you can see it with a URL connected MTF, but they don't show up. Is the photo showing up now ?

Dan


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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

​


Panther said:


> Let me know if they show up on my original post.
> 
> Dan


Now I see them. Beautiful!

Thanks Dan


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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

Joe: Nice photos and I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who runs Williams passenger cars. 😀


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Yellowstone,

I have a nice 4-car set of Williams before Bachman Texas Special cars I run behind my PWC TS F3s.










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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

Very nice, Mark. Your layout, or at least this section of it, looks very similar to mine.


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## Guest (Aug 25, 2016)

walter said:


> Always enjoy looking at your layout when you post pics. Amazing what you've done with the available space. Sees there's always something new to look at and see.


Thanks Walter. I've always loved layouts with a lot of small scenes to discover and tried to do that. Sadly, that layout is no more and all my trains are in storage for a few months, but I'll have a bigger train room in our new house and the fun of building a new, and hopefully better, layout.



Yellowstone Special said:


> Joe: Nice photos and I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who runs Williams passenger cars. 😀


Thanks Vern. The Williams passenger cars are very nice cars and a very good value. I got my set at a train show in Poughkeepsie, NY a couple years ago. Your set, both locos and cars, look great.


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## Guest (Aug 25, 2016)

Mark Boyce said:


> Yellowstone,
> 
> I have a nice 4-car set of Williams before Bachman Texas Special cars I run behind my PWC TS F3s.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Nice set Mark. The TS F3s and cars are really attractive.


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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

Thank you, Joe. I run conventional only and the Santa Fe passenger train is the only Williams set I have. But for value and quality, I think Williams (before Bachmann) is hard to beat.


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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Yellowstone Special said:


> Very nice, Mark. Your layout, or at least this section of it, looks very similar to mine.




Thank you!



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## Mark Boyce (Jul 22, 2015)

Country Joe said:


> Nice set Mark. The TS F3s and cars are really attractive.




Thank you, Joe!


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## chipset35 (Sep 4, 2015)

LIRR C-420


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## hobby-go-lucky (Dec 31, 2015)

*MTH Rock GP38-2*

MTH's Rock GP38-2's make the propeller on my beanie twirl.


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## mikadostudios (Nov 20, 2021)

american flyer 312, been family owned since 47' stilll runs strong


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## Madman (Aug 22, 2020)

By far, my post-war and MPC GG1s. Next would be my two LC+ locos, a Reading GP-9 and Pennsy A5 switcher. Followed by my 2343 Santa Fe F3s, post-war Erie FAs, and lets not leave out my Navy and Army vulcan switchers. Last but not least my K-Line semi-scale Hudson.


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## superwarp1 (Dec 13, 2016)

Got Hudson, any of them.


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## MattR (Oct 30, 2015)

My postwar 726s and Madison cars


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## 87smokemetalic (Oct 24, 2021)

I’m loving my New Haven EP 5 from MTH with 7 passengers cars.
Also the pair of Dash -8 Norfolk Southern can bring a smile when I set up my carpet layout.


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## Dieseler (Jan 29, 2014)

The 1946 cab #726 made 1 year only , blessed with many pre and post war engines all well liked otherwise.


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## Xrperry (Aug 10, 2021)

Mine is anything northern pacific and great northern


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Train? The Santa Fe Super Chief in warbonnet, whether pulled by an ABBA set of Fs or ABA or ABBA set of Es. I have both E and F sets of locos (all powered) and a total of 17 passenger cars. 

Locomotive? Santa Fe's 2900 Northern steamer.

All of course, among many, many other 'favorites.'


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

Nothing has changed for since I first answered the original posters question back in 2016. Northern Pacific first and foremost.

Re-reading all the comments since 2016 a lot of folks no longer on this forum. I guess moved on to greener pastures.

Bill


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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

It's funny to look back at the beginning of this thread. Since my first post in it back in 2016, my elevated loop is gone and I've advanced to command control (Legacy/TMCC). Yet, my favorite train is still the Santa Fe Super Chief, only now with a set of Lionel F7 ABAs and newer Lionel cars.


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## Bryan Moran (Jan 15, 2017)

Rock Island, Milwaukee Road and CB & Q (Burlington Route). Despite many flags I am interested in I have sold off almost all other locomotives. I have an Iowa Interstate ES44AC only because I live in Iowa.


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## Bill Webb (Sep 14, 2015)

It has to be N and W, preferable steam, and varies between a J, Y6B, or an A.


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

Bill Webb said:


> It has to be N and W, preferable steam, and varies between a J, Y6B, or an A.
> 
> View attachment 584400


You would have loved Tony Lash's layout and accumulation. Every N&W steamer ever produced by MTH and Lionel. One super gigantic collection of N&W steam and diesels. What was visible in the very large layout room at his business was only the tip of the iceberg. In the basement is where the major portion of his accumulation resided.

Bill


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

For me, it's The Blue Comet. I like all the renditions, but if I were ever forced to have only one, it would be my original 1936/37 original Lionel. Blue is my favorite color, and I was born in NJ, and even in the 70s, long after the real thing was gone, it seemed like images of this famous train were everywhere. Here's mine; she's all original, and runs like new.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

Bill Webb said:


> It has to be N and W, preferable steam, and varies between a J, Y6B, or an A.
> 
> View attachment 584400


Bill, you lost your tender!!!


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## 86TA355SR (Feb 27, 2015)

I‘m fascinated by the Union Pacific steam era & model it. My favorite locomotives are custom built models, many times the only one in existence. It takes a real craftsman and modeler with skills like machining to build these. True work of art in brass. 

Others are extremely low production, less than 10 in some cases. 

I have a soft spot for this little guy, converted to oil, painted/weathered by myself:


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## davidone (Apr 20, 2015)

My favorite is the Union Pacific but power is Lionel legacy modern diesel, love the ES44ac, SD70ACe and in combos of 3 or more. Even some geeps are run every now and then. 

Dave


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## arkady (May 15, 2013)

The _real_ answer to the question would be "whichever one I'm running at the moment." But my all-time favorite could only be the 1951 2026 that Santa Claus brought me for Christmas that year. Still looks and runs as good as new, though it mostly lives in honored retirement on our coffee table these days.

I have other favorites that have joined the roster since then, of course. An outstanding one would be my Lionel 783 Hudson. I've poured a lot of work into improving its performance and appearance, and I'm particularly fond of it.

Then there's my PRR... But never mind. Like I said, whichever one I'm running at the moment.


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