Your favorite Standard Gauge Engine?

This is my favorite!

Black prewar 392E

1835E...From Dad's 366W set that ran around the balsam tree from my earliest memories.  And, while still working well (after dealing with some zinc rot issues), now graces its own special shelf in the office area of our home.  It's a keeper, for sure!KD

I like a prewar a 392E, a 384, a 408E a 1835E and...... all of the originals from 1928 through 1937!

Well, that is a tough question, I love em all!  All prewar standard gauge original paint run great. 384, 390 Blue Comet, 1835, 385, 385, 392

But the girl above is my honey.  My dad’s #10 gray set, gray and maroon cars, and she is sporting a green frame, kinda rare from a special run.  And is the smoothest running engine in the fleet.  And this is the set that got me the standard gauge bug.  Forget the overpriced technology, I got out of that and really appreciate 90 + year old trains that look and operate like new, or close enough  haha.  So cool.

My personal taste is Lionel made the best Standard Gauge accessories and passenger cars.

American Flyer made the best freight cars and electric locomotives.

But Ives made the best steam locomotives, so my vote goes for the 1134, specifically the version in red and gold that headed the National Limited.

Ives 1134 is a great choice.  I have lots of favorites, but that’s a top 3 for sure.

Beautiful Ives train.  I’m not going much deeper in my collection, I have all I need, but I do have my eyes open for 514R reefer with a blue roof…

Love seeing a set like that tho. Wow

@William 1 posted:

Beautiful Ives train

Love seeing a set like that tho. Wow

I have all I need,

Thanks.  Luckily for you, this hobby is about want.  

I believe (and I'll likely not quote it verbatim, but ) Louis Hertz once wrote that all collectors must someday be faced with acknowledging Ives.

I’d like to see a bit more of those Ives trains you have collected.  Some others might too.  Please share if you could.

Or maybe start another Ives trains thread.  I get in trouble for not following the rules, don’t want to steer this away from the original topic.

Cheers,       W1

I really like this one. I always felt Lionel did an amazing job on this set. Wish other sets could have followed.

Needed for heavy loads

My fave remains my first:

Lovingly refurbished by an old friend, long gone.

PD

@pd posted:

My fave remains my first:

Lovingly refurbished by an old friend, long gone.

PD

I'll second that... :

(...eBay posting photo...)

Here's the first SG engine I "restored"...perhaps in a tie with the one above:

Mark in Oregon

My all time favorite has always been Lionel's pre-war 381E.  I don't have one but here is my MTH Tinplate Traditions version of the 381E circling my Christmas layout back in 2018.   The MTH version is a great looking engine but it has been a major headache for me.

Bob

Another vote for the Ives 1134

The American Flyer Brass Piper

I have two of them

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

Here is an Ives 1134 masquerading as an American Flyer Wide Gauge engine leading a Warrior passenger set during the transition era.

Northwoods Flyer

Greg

It is also my only standard gauge engine the Ives 1134