Since Lee asked about your problematic loco, what's your best running loco??

For us its our Lionel 2026.  In our modern inventory it would be our MTH premier BNSF gp38-2

Lionel B6 from 1990.  Among engines with command control: MTH SW9 with PS2.

My best is the first release of the MTH N&W Imperial Y6B. It has not been off the track other then for routine maintenance since purchased. Last time  I checked a couple of months ago the readings were high, over 1200 hrs in 5 years.

Best modern engine for me would be the Vision Hudson. Best vintage engine would be the '47 726, still smooth as silk with no help from me.

Pete

I'd say its a tie between the Lionel 0-4-0 Shifters and the Legacy Southern Crescent.  All three (I have two Shifters) run very smoothly and with a ZW-L down to about 12-15 mph in conventional (all I run).  Thye respond linearly to throttle, have exceedingly good sound (particularly for their size - all three are small) and pull extremely well.  The nod would go to the Southern Crescent because it has cruise which works intuitively and perfectly, but its a tie because the Shifters fit tighter curves and look better on the O-36 (which the Screscent will fit and run on). 

I don't own expensive locos"  my best is my modified Williams BL2.  LED headlights, series wiring, diodes, thermistors, and a MRC sound system (surprisingly loud using the Williams original speaker).  Runs slow, very smooth, great startup: as the thermistors warm up, the sound first comes on, then a few seconds later very slow acceleration with the diesel RPM increasing.

So far this would be our NP Z-8 from Third Rail (Sunset Models) ... flawless.

My MTH Y6b with original Protosounds....its slow speed capability is superb.

Bob  

MTH Union Pacific imperial SD70ACE with PS2. Pulls a lot, smokes great, sounds awesome, and couplers perform great.

For vintage I would say the 8303 2-4-2. Smokes good and the sound of steam still works. It will run at slow speeds quietly and the e unit works great.

I am lucky, I have a lot of great runners. The majority of my breakdowns are from age, or my own stupidity.

My Imperial Y6B (from the specialty set with the cars and caboose from 2010) is easily my favorite steamer, if not my favorite engine all around however I don't really run it that much and I have not had any issue with it. 

My all time reliable engine is my little dinky MTH Rugged Rails F3, the super short starter set version. I got it in 2004 or 2005 in the B&O F3 Freight set. Came with engine, boxcar, tank car, caboose, and a loop of track and tranny. It has over 4,000 scale miles on it and other than having to replace one pickup roller, I've never had an issue with it. A FANTASTIC little engine. It has the full PS2 package and has pulled massive trains and short trains and run like a champ. It is far from scale but it's got all the features and runs great. 

without cruise it would be my 3rd rail c&o 2-6-6-6,  with cruise it would be my lionel up fef.

Gotta be My Imperial RK Big Boy.

Good sound, Great Smoke, and all that rod action is a sure winner.

And it will pull more than I can put on the layout. (58 mixed is current max)

My new Imperial Northern is a close second, It looks great and will run 1 SMPH, but the sound is not as crisp.

It's so very hard to narrow it down to just one. How about my favourite four? Here goes.... Lionel #38, Lionel #42, Lionel #8 and lastly my Lionel #318. Yuuuup!!,  there all Lionel and all Std Gauge.

I could pull a house with this baby

can't pick just one!

Modern Era

MTH Q2

MTH BC starter set engine.

Lionel Later version, big motor Polar Express.

Post War

Early 2026

Late 2026

1615

Pre war

402E

408E

These engines all seem to run a cut above the rest.

My absolute favorite runner is the 402E

+ 1

Especially since I love to drill cars in a yard, like Jeff's ... my Legacy GP-7 is really great. I run it all the time.

I keep thinking of buying another, and repainting them into my own RR.

Jim

Modern:  Lionel M1b

Postwar:  675

Glad we hit on a positive note.  For me it would be a toss-up between my Lionel Legacy Milw Rd S-3 (once I had the initial bugs resolved) and my trusty Atlas C&NW 0-6-0.  That engine, even without Legacy is the slowest, smoothest starting, nicest sounding engine before Legacy came along.

Paul Fischer

All of my Lionel locomotives run beautifully, but my Legacy models run the best of all. They all run so well that I cannot honestly choose any one above the others. My single Williams locomotive runs excellently too. 

MTH PS2 Railking Royal Hudson - been running it a trains shows for the last 10 years, and the only thing I have had to do to it is oil the running gear, and add lots of liquid smoke.

Several best runners...my Legacy GP7, GP9, and RS11.  I would also add my MTH SD70M-2 as one of my best runners.

My Lionel 520

Postwar: my first train - #2025

MPC:  NH F3 ABA#8851

MTH RK UP Challenger#1108

Hands down the Lionel Legacy Vision Line 400E Hudson. BEST smoke in ANY Lionel scale engine I have owned, PERIOD!

Post War Era  1948  726 Berkshire

Modern Era    3989 Vision Challenger

MTH   Chappion

 For me its my K-Line Rock Island/Golden state scale E8's

I'm going with my Lionel vision Line 700E 6-11209. (knock on wood).

I would say minus having to replace two motors, I have an MTH EL RS-3 that I have had since it came out in 2000.  I love RS-3's and have two of them, but this one is the most reliable.

Williams/Bachmann EP5.  Smooth, quiet, could probably pull a pickup truck towing a space shuttle.

This, and the thread on problem locos, are both very interesting, particularly when taken together.  I love this type of discussion and information. There are a great variety of locos mentioned here with no clear pattern I could see, although the Vision Hudson got more mention than others - but still only about 10% mentioned it.  Among problem locos there was again a large number of different locos mentioned, but I think the Lionel UP 9000 was singled out most often - maybe because I kicked off the thread with that, but definately it is a fussy loco to run.  Finally, unless I missed something, the only loco mentioned in both lists is the MTH SD70Ace.

Not my favorite by a long shot.......but most reliable.....

RK PS2 MTH Decapod from about 2001-02. A little oil and liberal smoke fluid.......and there is no stopping her. 

Peter

My 8632 4-4-2 Lionel from 1993 is a beast.  It will most likely survive global thermo nuclear war with the cockroaches.  Smokes like crazy and just keeps running

I don't have any locos newer than 5 or 6 years old, but with a variety of more than two dozen steam, diesel, and a GG-1, from all manufacturers (except 3rd Rail), I must call it a TIE among 10 Williams diesels -- they all run great with ultra reliabilty!  And most of them are converted to TMCC with cruise control.

          paul m.

@magoo and artyoung:

A Lionel 520 was my first Lionel loco (back in 1956); it wasn't my favorite runner, but it wasn't bad.

By a coincidence, I just spruced up my 2025 this morning--pulls 18 cars with sprung trucks on 027 track with no problem.  Just maybe not quiiiite as good a runner as the B6 of 1990 vintage . . .

Too many run so well to make that choice possible (and all I run - regularly - are modern,

command-equipped locos).

I have to say that what is in my current inventory all runs very well. Hard to pick just one, but I really like the looks and overall performance of my Lionel F3 Alaska set (ABBA) with the matching hi-level passenger cars. The powered units in the Alaska set have several hours on them and they have always run like a champ. I think our esteemed Editor just got a set of these and I am sure he will like his as well.

This MTH Rail King 30-1163-1 N&W Y6b with DCS PS 2.0 is the best runner. This locomotive has pulled over 40 cars up a 6% grade, it creeps along at 2 SMPH, and it tracks through switches and curves better any other locomotive on my roster.