Do you have "FANTASY" & "WHAT IF" Engines?

Not yet,but I have seriously considered having a MTH UP Big Blow, a Williams scale GG1 and a Williams scale EP5 all custom painted in the MOPAC Eagle passenger scheme. 

What is a Fantasy and What If engine?  LOL. 

I have a couple of the old K-Line Club GG-1's that I intend to paint in Milwaukee Road color schemes. One in orange and maroon, and one in black with the early herald (like the 1933 color scheme on the Bi-polar). Still pending; it's a low-priority project for "when I get around to it." I have an undecorated Atlas AEM-7 kit that's planned for a Hiawatha paint job; once again "when I get around to it." I've also thought about lettering an oil-fired Challenger for Milwaukee Road, the fantasy being that the Milwaukee replaced its ancient 2-6-6-2's with Challengers in the gap between the two electrified sections. Of course that never happened, as the Milwaukee was always short of money. 

I do have a Lionel Rio Grande heritage diesel. Not sure I'm going to keep it as I'm moving more into steam era and away from anything newer than transition era diesels.

My layout is a fantasy railroad, the Chicago, Milwaukee and Southwestern. It's an alternate-universe joint venture between the SP and the Milwaukee Road to run freight and passenger trains between Chicago and Southern California (passing through Tucson, where I live). One of these days I'll get a custom decal maker to do a CM&StP style herald and reletter some equipment for it. I could also do a banner "Route of the Southwest Hiawatha" to put on boxcars, etc.

CJB Custom Painting & Designs painted RMT (formerly K-Line) streamliners to match my 2348 Minneapolis & St. Louis GP9. I ran this set on Loose Ties Model Railroad Club layout in Columbia Mall north of Bloomsburg, PA. The catenary and PRR position light signals work.

As the self-appointed Information Minister of the Isle of Denial, I had to have this Santa Fe (ATSF as there is no BNSF) SD70ACe. Definitely a "what if" engine, though given the direction Santa Fe was going, an AC4400 or ES44 would be more likely at this point.

I have a plan to get hold of a couple of SD80's and paint them for CNW. CNW had an order in for 15 units at the time of the UP takeover and the order was cancelled. They were supposed to get the "lightning bolt" scheme and as I recall were to be rostered 8101-8115.

Absolutely, makes the hobby more fun.

I am not a NYC fan, but I find this custom paint job very "lightning" striking.

Just posted this on another forum, but it is appropriate for this one too.  The MTH PRR Bicentennial paint scheme.

This Freedom Train ABA set is 1/3 correct.  The real 1947 FT was pulled by a single PA1, "1776".  The MTH set added a fantasy B-unit and a fantasy A-unit, "1947".

Yes in the case of PC and BNSF a line must be draw and honor must be given the Heritage Railroads such as Lionel and MTH did. I am all for that revenge!

LONG LIVE THE ATSF, PRR, B&O,  AND ALL THE OTHER HERITAGE MODELS.  

I Know I am all steamed up and I need to go out and whomp some worms with my trusty shovel.

I was hoping Lee Willis would finish some of his proposed 2-10-10-10-10-2 or whatever

wheel arrangement, monsters...  Every now and then you will run across an old

sepia tone photo of some wild and wonderful prototype creation.

Amazing how many shades of gray they use and make it all work for that engine. Ya Ya, get your mind off the movie.

I own an MTH GN SD24. GN never had an SD24 on its roster.

I think a nice fantasy engine would be a cab forward but powered by jet fuel. That would be awesome right there. 

How would you tell the difference? Jet fuel would burn just fine in an oil-fired steam locomotive, the only differences would be that you'd have different jets in the firebox and you wouldn't need to heat the fuel before pumping it out of the tender. It would be expensive, though. Bunker oil is a lot cheaper per BTU than JP-4. 

Here's my Marx 1666 2-4-2 pretending to be an N&W K class 4-8-4...

On the Fans of the Rock Island FB page, I learned a word that is new to me: "proto-lancing".

The definition being; taking modern equipment and painting it in the scheme of a Fallen Flag as if it never fell.

In the recent past, Mr. Swafford has supplied us with dozens of examples of proto-lanced locomotives and rolling stock...FUN STUFF.  I have posted a few photos of the extensive Quanah, Acme & Pacific fleet I am creating and running.

Reliving (or rewriting) history is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this hobby for me.

Great topic Paul !!

I don't do fantasy locomotives, but if I did, I'd love to see 4449 in Southern RR colors, from when the SRR program tried to lease the GS-4 for a season or two once the Freedom Train was over at the end of 1976

Also, I know of a guy who's building a HO layout where the Pacific Extension of the Milwaukee Road never folded up and is running today as a contender against the BNSF and UP. I love some of the engines he's already done...

Somebody needs to make Narrow Gauge 3-Rail. (Mth Railking chassis with premier size stuff)