If you had to choose just one

 This is too hard. I guess I'm assuming my childhood 2037 is gone, and I'm going shopping with Bill Gates wallet.

   If I get passenger cars too, CB&Q EMD E5 Silver Bullet. Zephyr Domes are a must. I'll take Silver Speed, and Silver power if I get a B-unit too.

    Leave me hauling Leno's wallet, and freight too, I'll take a GG-1. If I get catenary too.

        No juice, and your wallet. The S-2 steam turbine.

   But if I'm on my own, I'm looking for another 2037 .     

The GG1 scares the hell out of me. I once recall when I was a child, my dad brought me to the B&O railroad museum up in Baltimore. I actually was scared of the GG1 because of its shear size and shape. Today, I rather like the GG1 allot. Especially in 0 gauge. A really cool locomotive with allot of really nice details. Both MTH and Lionel make nice renditions of these beast in miniature. As for the real deal, I am still intimidated......LOL

I saw the real GG1 at the Pa. RR Museum in Strasburg and "Old Rivets", never saw a real on running. Love my O gauge one, though, that I just bought at a TCA show. Strong, powerful, and smooth. The way I like them.

2-6-6-6 Allegheny one of the top 3 Lionel steamers ever IMO.Nick

Gotta be pretty near the top of anyone's list.  It's in the top 5 of mine, for sure!

Great engine.

Just O n e . . .

Gaaaa... OK, Gotta be my Scale Big Boy.

MTH PS1 with TMCC upgrade by Pro's. Kept the sounds !

The legacy 844 for a few reasons.

One of Lionel's best looking, sounding, and operating steam engines.

Missed purchasing one when they were first out, but had the opportunity to buy a new one  

from Vince's Trains at the Fall York 2014. Vince is a honest person to do business with.

A faulty DCDS board afforded Jane and me an opportunity to meet in person with Repair Technician Marty Fitzhenry and Dotty.  Two wonderful folks to know.

The Legacy 844 now has a fond personal memory, as Jane and I have had the pleasure of breaking bread with Marty, Dotty and some of their friends along with some great conversation.

Chris

Being from Philadelphia and having spent my youth playing on the Northeast Corridor, my favorite has to be the GG-1.  The ground shook when they approached.  The horns were deafening.  I was in shear awe watching them streak by at Frankford Junction with the wheels glowing from the application of braking for the swing north.  I can still feel that feeling.  Just awesome.

In scale, I'd have to say a PRR K4.  3750 would do it.  This one's a bit too large for my layout.  :-)

I can't argue that choice, Keith!

 From Adriatic: If I get passenger cars too, CB&Q EMD E5 Silver Bullet. Zephyr Domes are a must. I'll take Silver Speed, and Silver power if I get a B-unit too.

Count me in for E-5's, as well.

Layout workhorses. Any one of my Atlas SW9's

Unique Art Rock Island AA..One of the most colorfully lithographed U.S diesels..and one of the largest" O scale" beasts made..It looks nearly G gauge ( another scaleless gauge)

The Marx Santa Fe lithographed set is a close second. Another "best of the best" in tinplate.

Pennsylvania F-3 in Tuscan.

hello guys and gals........

That would be the S.F.5011......... as that would be the only one that we can never again afford to replace it.

the woman who loves the S.F.5011,2678,2003,200

Tiffany

3rd Rail Union Pacific "Fetters" Challengers.

They're excellent runners and unique models.  I absolutely love 'em!

Do I have to pick just one J?

Scott Smith

2-8-0 Consolidation, premiere, any road name. A real work horse on my layout

Thats a hard one well it would be the SCL SD45.And a SAL R1 steam locomotive pulling freight train.Always found it kinda funny that seaboard would have locomotive like that.But then again KCS had huge 2-10-4 steamers.

This thread shows how many nice engines are out there- both real and play. I have my favorites but really can't fault 90% or more of the other choices.

Thanks for the sentimental journey.  Not living anywhere near Pennsy territory, I only wish I had experienced the thrill of a GG1 in all it's glory.  They have become ( within the last 10 years ) my favorite engine.

Bruce

Everyone has their favorites that are special to them.  I am glad most people aren't like me.  It would be a very boring world!

well....those N&Ws are ok......but I'll take one of these Js.....

PRR RS1.

Prototype - SD40-2 (Burlington Northern).

Because they remind me of my youth, any GP-9 with its mournful whistle blowing. 

The one on the left...

...for its looks, dependability (hasn't been off the layout in almost ten years), cool movement, slow or fast, realistic chuff, and its great, deep-voiced, throaty horn/whistle that changes as it is blown , and...

...for how the whole train looks, which includes a mixed-consist of MTH and Lionel scale cars.

FrankM

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members here for posting your thoughts about the subject matter. I realize it is not an easy decision trying to choose just one locomotive for your layout or one real locomotive.

I am always confounded by the choices out there. Of which there are too many. Like the cereal isle in the grocery store, one must choose and that can take a very long time indeed.

I really love everyone's pictures and videos. I thank each and everyone one for your contributions to my thread.

Pete

For my layout I would go with my 736 Berkshire, it's the engine from my first Lionel set. In the real world I would have to pick the USRA 2-8-2 Mikado, like this L3 on the Milwaukee Road. Big beefy engine, can pull freight or passenger.

Beautiful locomotive Jerry.

Steam: N&W "J"

Electric: "GG1"

Diesel: Baldwin "Sharknose"

Unfortunately I don't any of the above in "O". Would like N&W "J" and Sharknoses.