I am very fond of Steam engines and have quite a few in my collection. I thought it would be nice to set up a thread for everyone on the forum to share their favorite steam engines.
Posts can range from toy to real trains, old posters, interesting facts... The sky is the limit!
Every gauge, railroad, and era are welcome!
Here is my MTH NYC L4a Mohawk:
Bryce
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Although I posted in another topic, here are most of mine. As stated notably missing are the Dreyfuss/ESE/NYC Consolidation/3rd Rail Niagara and another MTH J1e Hudson with the PT Tender
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Steam? OK, here's a few to get you started...
Great collection! Boston and Maine would be my favorite
Man, why would you repost ALL of John's photos immediately after his post? Makes the thread unnecessarily long and takes longer to scroll down for EVERYONE following... :-(
It's simple enough to post just the one that is your favorite!
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Steam? OK, here's a few to get you started
If that’s your idea of “a few”, I’d love to see your concept of a lot 
That’s a beautiful collection, John - I see a number of my favorites in there!!!
@Ron H posted:I have several steamers, but this my favorite. A super detailed cab forward. Notice the working oilers.
That is a beauty, Ron. Could you please educate me - where/what are the oilers??? Thanks.
Apple 55,
I would invite you to google the Walschaerts valve gear. It will diagram the valve gear on this loco.
On this model just above the valve gear you will see the oilers which are activated by a rod from the expansion link to the oilers. The expansion link wobbles back and forth and moves the combination link ,which is the vertical bar, which helps move the top piston on the steam chest.
I've probably done a poor job of explaining, but if you'll google the Walschaerts valve gear it will be clear.
All the Best,
Ron
Lionel ac9 . I have a 3rd rail with an oil tender that I prefer, but it is packed away at the moment . 
Prototype and Model:
Rusty
My most recent steam acquisition:
@Apples55 posted:If that’s your idea of “a few”, I’d love to see your concept of a lot
That’s a beautiful collection, John - I see a number of my favorites in there!!!
A lot would be all the rest. 
Just a small sample of what my roster is.
Here are mine:
@stangtrain posted:Here are mine:
Great pictures that you for sharing.
@Apples55 posted:If that’s your idea of “a few”, I’d love to see your concept of a lot
That’s a beautiful collection, John - I see a number of my favorites in there!!!
@gunrunnerjohn posted:A lot would be all the rest.
John,
I agree with Paul, your definition of "few" is different by most of us here!
I'd hate to see what your definition of "a lot" would be. 
May you enjoy each and every one of those engines to the fullest.
GRJ, so you're showing us only a "few", but your "few" is a lot more than many of us have. What a great selection.
Here's a few of my models that I custom painted and modified. All are Lionel Legacy.
RAY
A Pennsy beauty…
@Ron H posted:Apple 55,
On this model just above the valve gear you will see the oilers which are activated by a rod from the expansion link to the oilers. The expansion link wobbles back and forth and moves the combination link ,which is the vertical bar, which helps move the top piston on the steam chest.
Ron
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, Ron - a fascinating piece of equipment. It’s amazing what engineers designed to improve efficiency. Now, one last question… did you build/add all the details yourself???
One of my goals is to eventually replicate the entire NS steam program roster. All that's left is 1218 and 4501.
@Allegheny posted:That she is!!
Who was the manufacturer?
Thanks, Kazar… mine is the original Lionel TMCC version from around 2003 (6-38024). It is enormous!!!
@Allegheny posted:John,
I agree with Paul, your definition of "few" is different by most of us here!
I'd hate to see what your definition of "a lot" would be.
May you enjoy each and every one of those engines to the fullest.
Well, I guess a "lot" would be more... 
I don't think I'm going to start unboxing everything in the closets or under the layout, I don't have any more shelves to put them on!
Here's the stuff on the shelves or somewhere on the layout...
Here are the steamers (no diesels or electrics) I have pictures of, including my 24 different types of Pennsy steamers. All of my Pennsy steamers were in operation during the 1948/49 time frame, the era of my layout. There were several other types of steamers in operation during that time that I still need: B8a, E6, H8/9, K2/3, K5, N2, and T1 Prototype with streamlining removed. Unfortunately, most of these have not been made in O.
Click on picture to see. File name has type.
@superwarp1 posted:Just a small sample of what my roster is.
Gary, Thank you for a very enjoyable and very well edited video. You have a wonderful layout. Is it possible, I recognized some of those passengers in passing the windows, maybe even a familiar old man at the throttle of yesterday's Hudson?
kevin
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Well, I guess a "lot" would be more...
I don't think I'm going to start unboxing everything in the closets or under the layout, I don't have any more shelves to put them on!
Here's the stuff on the shelves or somewhere on the layout...
You sir are a man of many amazements!
@Trainmaster04 posted:You sir are a man of many amazements!
I think it's more like no willpower! 
I can't resist a new color.
MTH Premier Lackawanna P47 purchased about 2 years ago; I haven't run it yet, but it's on display in my office.
My 1937 all-original Lionel 700-E scale J1E Hudson, and its modern counterpart made by MTH and converted to DCS by Gunrunnerjohn.
My Williams brass Niagara, also converted to DCS by Gunrunnerjohn
Here are two of my favorites:
Rutland Steam
Mikado
Ten Wheeler
Consolidation
Pacific
0-8-0 Switcher
Here's a green one for St. Paddy's day:
Rusty
I still need to find a smaller drawbar for it, but the Big Boy is always a favorite.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:I think it's more like no willpower!
Geez John. I don't think I've ever seen so many O scale trains in one place. And you evidently have more in boxes under the layout? Talk about excess. What happens to all of them when you die? 😉
@Yellowstone Special posted:Geez John. I don't think I've ever seen so many O scale trains in one place. And you evidently have more in boxes under the layout? Talk about excess. What happens to all of them when you die? 😉
I'll take them!
@Yellowstone Special posted:Geez John. I don't think I've ever seen so many O scale trains in one place. And you evidently have more in boxes under the layout? Talk about excess. What happens to all of them when you die? 😉
They're all buried with me, I'm getting the special elephant sized coffin!
@Madockawando posted:I'll take them!
Dido!
@gunrunnerjohn posted:They're all buried with me, I'm getting the special elephant sized coffin!
Sure why not take it with you. In one place they use Legacy to run the trains, the other place they use DCS. So take the remote you think you will need.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:They're all buried with me, I'm getting the special elephant sized coffin!
A genuine love of trains. How insightful. 
Well I commented on the Juice Box Thread so I guess I need to add a little smoke and fire to this one also.
A little of my Rail King Stable
My Premier "A"
A little of my MTH Premier Stable
A little Postwar Magic 671
More Postwar magic 746
my Postwar 2046
And more Postwar Magic 2055 & 2065
and more Postwar magic 2026
and some more Postwar 1665
My late Cousins Postwar 736 been in the family since new around 1950
Postwar 2056
@gunrunnerjohn posted:I think it's more like no willpower!
A friend of mine always tells me he has a TON of willpower, says he's never used any of it!
Boy I think @Dave_C has more Rutland engines than the Rutland actually had.
@superwarp1 posted:Boy I think @Dave_C has more Rutland engines than the Rutland actually had.
I wish I had some, I’m always looking to run New England and Canadian road names
@rtr12 posted:A friend of mine always tells me he has a TON of willpower, says he's never used any of it!
I think that's exactly my problem!
Great thread Guys!
The boys came out for a family portrait. The Lionel 736 2-8-4 Berkshire was a beast and often was the biggest steam engine in the catalog in the 1950s and 1960s. While I never had one as a kid, I made up for it starting in 2009. In the first picture, the first four on the left are vintage 736s, the loco on the far right is a Conventional Classic 726 from several years ago.
In the picture below is a Lionel 726 that I acquired at York in 2014. The main difference between the 726 and the 736 is that the 736 has magnatraction, while the 726 has more realistic looking wheels.
Here is one I worked on some time back.
S.Islander
@Former Member posted:
Great thread Guys!The boys came out for a family portrait. The Lionel 736 2-8-4 Berkshire was a beast and often was the biggest steam engine in the catalog in the 1950s and 1960s. While I never had one as a kid, I made up for it starting in 2009. In the first picture, the first four on the left are vintage 736s, the loco on the far right is a Conventional Classic 726 from several years ago.
In the picture below is a Lionel 726 that I acquired at York in 2014. The main difference between the 726 and the 736 is that the 736 has magnatraction, while the 726 has more realistic looking wheels.
That is an incredible collection of postwar steam. Like an old catalog cover.
Profiles of postwar 2065 ( click on photo to enlarge ) 
First, East meets West…
Next, the long and short of it!!!
Boy I think @Dave_C has more Rutland engines than the Rutland actually had.
2 out 3 of the K1 Pacifics, 4 out of 10 of the Ten Wheelers, 4 out of 7 Mikados, got both of the 0-8-0’s covered. Only one Consolidation but Lionel’s doing a Western Pacific with white striping and a correct Rutland rd. Number.
Just missing a Mountain. Unless Scott offers one there’s just nothing out there close enough. Shame because it was a real looker.
The beginning of my decent into madness (Steam Edition)…
@trumptrain posted:Profiles of postwar 2065 ( click on photo to enlarge )
Looks great! I never imagined that an old 2065 could look so good.
Here’s almost all of my steam fleet. A mixture of new, old, and somewhere in between.
Here are some of my modern and Post War locos,see descriptions below.
Some Southern Steam.
Sure - no problem - here's a few...
I think mad dock is trying to make a point. While I agree with csam, I can see that the better way to approach this is to repeat photos as many times as possible, in hopes that management will disable the "reply with quote" button. So, good on you, mad. Keep doing it.
Meantime, how about one without paint?
Or maybe one in primer? I actually saw an SP Consolidation in this color in the Mexicali yards.
Postwar Steam
One more bare loco and I will leave you guys alone
@FrankRazz posted:Fantasy Santa Fe Blue Goose
Beautifully done
Wow Joe, I’m impressed. I honestly didn’t know how cool those engines are. You did a fine job showing all the features of the different models. I like it!
@trumptrain posted:Profiles of postwar 2065 ( click on photo to enlarge )
You are certainly getting to be a MASTER at the lighting in your photos Patrick. Excellent photos that will make a great contribution to "THE BOOK ."
I guess all of us who thought we might be threatened by becoming packrats got buried in this avalanche! l hope the Ski Patrol can find me at the bottom of this pile! But others above are road specific as l, and still are missing models they want. Three rail models l want have been made in two rail and HO. I hope this thread goes on and on to picture the many, many wild and wonderful steamers that ran through history.
@colorado hirailer posted:I guess all of us who thought we might be threatened by becoming packrats got buried in this avalanche! l hope the Ski Patrol can find me at the bottom of this pile! But others above are road specific as l, and still are missing models they want. Three rail models l want have been made in two rail and HO. I hope this thread goes on and on to picture the many, many wild and wonderful steamers that ran through history.
Packrats??? I must respectfully disagree… we are curators of incomplete collections of indeterminate size containing scale and non-scale railroad models As for the Ski Patrol, I don’t think they have big enough shovels
Rusty
@coach joe posted:Very well stated Paul! Here are some of mine lined up for a Front End Friday a while back.
Nice shot, Joe. Three of my favorite NYC steamers in the middle!!!
My 3rd rail Y6 out for a spin.
@coach joe posted:
Very nice looking collection Joe. 🤓
I pretty much have as many steamers as I want. I haven't been inclined to go for the streamline bodies but your photos make me think I just might have found a new avenue of interest in steamer purchases. 
Thanks
@Rusty Traque posted:
Rusty
Absolutely amazing looking model Rusty. 😉
@Ulus Ekerman posted:
Very poor quality by Sunset
This is my favorite steam locomotive and set that I have in my modest collection. Running on the club layout in December 2021.
Alco siblings…
Thanks!
-Mario
Thanks Paul.
Dallas as I said in the Alex M thread about his fantasy Pacemaker Mohawk, in our little world steamers are extremely exciting action wise but how much hulking black iron is enough? Diesels are much more appealing to the eye, especially first generation, when railroads took advantage of those great big sides and decorated them with some awesome paint schemes. Some railroads did dress up some of their steam varnish, like Southern and GN streamlining steam in the art deco period gave many railroads that first canvas to add some color. The many different attempts at streamlining also added to the visual appeal.
Actually, most of the railroads dressed up their steam varnish early on...
as time passed they started dressing down...
...and, as noted, it wasn't until the 1930's that some of the roads decided to reverse the plain Jane look...
Dave, what pacific did you use for your Rutland conversion? Might try to do one of these
Eric, It’s a Weaver Light Pacific. They came in multiple road names and were done in diecast. From what I gather. These were originally built for K-Line and when they ran into trouble Weaver took over the order. They may have even decorated them. They are built similar to the K-Line Mikes detail wise and feature K-Lines cruise. I got pretty good deals on both that I own. They show up every now and then on the auction sites. One I own was a Lehigh Valley. The other was a military one. Both featured the white striping on the running boards. Other than re lettering the only other mod. was I moved the bell using a stock Lionel one from the boiler front to the center. They are somewhat close enough to the Rutland’s K1’s. Not sure but the new Lionel ones look longer than these. Not sure where the tooling went for these.
There’s one on eBay now. A CN with the white striping. Cab windows though are red. I paid less for my 2 than this ones going for. Still way cheaper than the latest prices of new steamers. Factor in at some point the K-Line cruise will probably give out. Adding ERR and maybe a better sound set they aren’t a bad deal. They have a mechanical puffer that you may want to upgrade if your into smoke. Probably not the best puller as it has a small motor. But the Rutland ran short passenger trains. If your pulling a milk train. The new cars maybe the best rolling cars I’ve ever run. It should easily handle them.
@coach joe posted:Thanks Paul.
Dallas as I said in the Alex M thread about his fantasy Pacemaker Mohawk, in our little world steamers are extremely exciting action wise but how much hulking black iron is enough? Diesels are much more appealing to the eye, especially first generation, when railroads took advantage of those great big sides and decorated them with some awesome paint schemes. Some railroads did dress up some of their steam varnish, like Southern and GN streamlining steam in the art deco period gave many railroads that first canvas to add some color. The many different attempts at streamlining also added to the visual appeal.
I agree Joe.
The CEO and I do like the look of the Pennsy steamers with their tuscan colored cab roofs and tender water tank tops and the all tuscan Pennsy Pacific.
We just bought a WM Challenger with the tuscan treatment and fireball decor along with the Allegheny DM&IR with the greenish gray top end and the UP Challenger in light gray with the silver stripe. A little added color does help out with the all black theme.
I'll have to hold off on purchases right now, but like I said, the photos you posted gave me a renewed interest in steamers.
I've been specializing in streamlined steam, but have a whole bunch of other engines. Not all shown here, as I've gotten way behind in taking photos of my engines. These are all in the living room of my one-bedroom apartment, along with the books, artwork, and other collections.
@Andrew-Porter posted:I've been specializing in streamlined steam, but have a whole bunch of other engines. Not all shown here, as I've gotten way behind in taking photos of my engines. These are all in the living room of my one-bedroom apartment, along with the books, artwork, and other collections.
Absolutely amazing collection, Andrew - thanks for sharing. I see several of my favorites, especially the T1.
@Dave_C posted:Eric, It’s a Weaver Light Pacific. They came in multiple road names and were done in diecast. From what I gather. These were originally built for K-Line and when they ran into trouble Weaver took over the order. They may have even decorated them. They are built similar to the K-Line Mikes detail wise and feature K-Lines cruise. I got pretty good deals on both that I own. They show up every now and then on the auction sites. One I own was a Lehigh Valley. The other was a military one. Both featured the white striping on the running boards. Other than re lettering the only other mod. was I moved the bell using a stock Lionel one from the boiler front to the center. They are somewhat close enough to the Rutland’s K1’s. Not sure but the new Lionel ones look longer than these. Not sure where the tooling went for these.
There’s one on eBay now. A CN with the white striping. Cab windows though are red. I paid less for my 2 than this ones going for. Still way cheaper than the latest prices of new steamers. Factor in at some point the K-Line cruise will probably give out. Adding ERR and maybe a better sound set they aren’t a bad deal. They have a mechanical puffer that you may want to upgrade if your into smoke. Probably not the best puller as it has a small motor. But the Rutland ran short passenger trains. If your pulling a milk train. The new cars maybe the best rolling cars I’ve ever run. It should easily handle them.
Dave, thanks for the background on this one. The video looks great! I like your custom milk cars as well. I’ll keep an eye out for these light Pacifics. Agreed the one on eBay is too much if it has the small k-line motor and cruise. Thanks for the help
This is it! All I got! 😢
The 475 laying over at IRM before she was famous:
Rusty
@Andrew-Porter posted:I've been specializing in streamlined steam, …..
I see you still need the Penny’s two streamlined K4s; the Torpedo and Streamlined.
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