best traditional o gauge electric locomotive to make the back bone of my fleet

Not sure anything will fully meet your criteria, but obvious choices would be a GG1 or Rectifier.  Available in various road names from various manufacturers.  The hardest part is probably the conversion to working from caternary is my guess.

Wouldn't be surprised if you need more than one loco to haul that many freight cars.

Pretty sure all the Traditional GG1s are diecast. Lionel and Williams for sure. A Williams diecast will pull at least as many cars as any scale GG1. Both Lionel going back to postwar and Williams come with insulated pantographs and are easily converted to overhead wire.

Pete

Do a search here on the forum for "Under The Hood"  and "Razorback Traction".  I just might have an idea or two for you to consider...   

Mitch

Traditional sized GG-1.  Something fairly modern with dual can motors.  Lionel, Williams, or Early mth.  I have a silver w/ red stripe mth GG_1 without sound, just a horn.  I think it could pull stumps out of the ground.  most of these are meant for conversion to overhead power.  The big problem is the height.  A rectifier locomotive is taller. 

An AEM-7 would work to but are harder to find.

You may need to make your own pantographs to reach over the maxi stacks

Good luck

@jhz563 posted:

Traditional sized GG-1.  Something fairly modern with dual can motors.  Lionel, Williams, or Early mth.  I have a silver w/ red stripe mth GG_1 without sound, just a horn.  I think it could pull stumps out of the ground.  most of these are meant for conversion to overhead power.  The big problem is the height.  A rectifier locomotive is taller.

An AEM-7 would work to but are harder to find.

You may need to make your own pantographs to reach over the maxi stacks

Good luck

Totally agree, was just going to post this. Don’t forget K-Line!

My recommendation would also be the GG1. Available in a variety of roadnames and paint schemes from a variety of manufacturers. Any or all will easily handle a substantial consist, and most can be rather easily adapted for overhead power.

@Allan Miller posted:

My recommendation would also be the GG1. Available in a variety of roadnames and paint schemes from a variety of manufacturers. Any or all will easily handle a substantial consist, and most can be rather easily adapted for overhead power.

And even better, somewhere here there's a whole thread on Fantasy GG-1 paint schemes for inspiration.  Like @Mark V. Spadaro said, don't forget about K-line, or RMT. 

I recommend the K-Line/RMT/O-line reproductions GG1, die cast shell, isolated pantographs, can just about pull a mountain out by its roots! I picked mine up a few years ago for $180.

alright it seems the GG1 is the highest recommended and i could just run single stacks to avoid clearance issues

my hobby shop always seems to have one or two GG1's in stock so i will have to consider them

@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

Do a search here on the forum for "Under The Hood"  and "Razorback Traction".  I just might have an idea or two for you to consider... 

Mitch

I really like that track plan and maybe i can copy it with fast track

oh , whats that red prewar loco that looks like a t motor i really like it?

the trolleys are cool too

what are the dimensions of this layout

@paigetrain posted:

I really like that track plan and maybe i can copy it with fast track

Possibly, yes. 

oh , whats that red prewar loco that looks like a t motor i really like it?

Lionel 248. 

the trolleys are cool too

If it rolls, stick a pole on it.  ;-)

what are the dimensions of this layout

4 x 8 sheet of plywood.

Mitch

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...s-with-people?page=1

@paigetrain. I found the thread I was looking for.  There are lots of lovely irreverent ideas for repainting a gg1 in this thread. 😀.   The Fenix Pacific sounds to me like the Mexican Ferromex RR so in my head you would have a similar paint scheme.   If you have a paint scheme roughed out please share it!

@jhz563 posted:

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...s-with-people?page=1

@paigetrain. I found the thread I was looking for.  There are lots of lovely irreverent ideas for repainting a gg1 in this thread. 😀.   The Fenix Pacific sounds to me like the Mexican Ferromex RR so in my head you would have a similar paint scheme.   If you have a paint scheme roughed out please share it!

i have train sim world 3 and i decorated an sd40-2 into the electric scheme found on all of the FP's electric fleet

https://steamcommunity.com/id/...ewall&privacy=30

i don't have any american electrics yet nor has dovetail made a gg1

the only thing missing is the southern pacific style speed lettering in red on the side

diesels on the FP are yellow with bloody nose and red speed lettering plus safety stripes on the front plow nicknamed kodakrome 2.0

some of the electrics wear a kodakrome style scheme  with Fenix Pacific speed lettering also

I too would recommend the GG1. I have several. One postwar, two conventional classics and one Williams.  I wish I could say that the Lionel’s run the best, but I feel the Williams is the winner. The Lionels run well, but the conventional classics run hot.  I put a heat sink on both of their e-units.
Alan

Historically  , with the demise of  the Milwaukee Roads electric divisions The logical choice would be  to obtaining surplus little joe Locomotives, 25 years newer than the GG!'s  , with modern updates on all the units . making them capable of MU operation  , with more modern diesels  (from the late 60's through the early eighties )

Of the older traditionally sized GG1s... these are by far the most nicely detailed.  They run very strong and you can run them as multi-units (mu/lash-up) without fuss.  They can usually be picked up in the 150-200 range.

K-LINE K2780-4935 'Black Jack' GG1 *5 Stripe* DC Can TMCC (2001)

K-Line K2780-4892RS Brunswick GG1 *5 Stripe* DC Can TMCC (2001)