What is your favourite British Steam Locomotive of all time?

[longbridge]

No real favorite but I like small locomotives 0-4-0,  0-6-0, 0-4-2, to me they have the cute appeal that is missing on express passenger engines.

[H]

Being a blue with yellow ends man myself the kettles below are my favourite

Yep, gotta agree. Some people might think that the best steamer would be the last one to be condemed, removed from the network and scrapped, but my all time favourite kettle is the one I use to boil the water when making a pot of tea. 

Time to retire to the bunker.

H.

[d-a-n]

I'm going to be boring and say the A4 Pacific Mallard. When I was young it was just the train. My best birthday present was the Hornby Mallard. Still got it, will never ever get rid of it.

I'm like that with my OO Hornby Flying Scotsman train set from about 20-odd years ago which languishes at my Dad's house...

[Adam1701D]

My favourite steamer has to be the Southern M7. 

[EtchedPixels]

Yep, gotta agree. Some people might think that the best steamer would be the last one to be condemed, removed from the network and scrapped, but my all time favourite kettle is the one I use to boil the water when making a pot of tea. 

Time to retire to the bunker.

H.

And just think if Network Rail have their way all the 3rd rail stuff will be following soon.

http://www.rssb.co.uk/sitecollectiondocuments/pdf/reports/research/T950_rb_final.pdf

has the summary

"The conclusion of this research is that replacement of the 750V DC system with 25kV AC appear s to be both feasible and economically desirable. The economic case is likely to improve as energy costs increase over time. "


And since 3rd rail units don't run without third rail there may well be steam on the mainline network long after any 3rd rail has been relegated to museums or battery packs.

Lovely picture of Barry as it was though - all gone now, just a last few locos going off to preservation and a proposal to keep one preserved but frozen in the Barry state so people in future can understand a little of the scale of what was involved

Rust greets time, a grave to steam
in mire gloom, to no more gleam
Does care die, quiet and scarred
Berry red in Barry yard ?

Rusted steel, at rest dust all
old sump oil , lead is my pall
long rather, to linger there
Cold my fire, once called me fair

Who knows now, when I was new
Speed in flow, and on I flew
I turned eyes, to run and see
In steam, a dream, adore me

[dch05]

Probably GWR Heavy Freight (and mixed traffic as it happens) 47XX series.

Good call. Handsome, well-proportioned machines that just oozed power! I keep hoping we may see one frmo Dapol eventually since they have both the 3500-gallon churchward and 4000-gallon collett tender drives that these locos were paired with.  Failing the Castle comes a close second. I would love one of these to modern standards.

YES!  I had a "OO" kitbuilt one made by a friend that I wept over selling when moving to the "dark side", and will never forget it pulling long fast freight trains.

Incidentally, now that you have your 38XX, has the stressful waiting period left your conscious?  I'm now wondering if we have to face the same pain awaiting the Bachmann "Castle"!!!   Is there no end to this agony?!

[H]

And just think if Network Rail have their way all the 3rd rail stuff will be following soon.

All the proper decent stuff has already gone - it's only 'plastic' around now. The last VOP units were recently taken away, for reusing parts on the 5-BEL trusts Brighton Belle, leaving only Gordon Pettitt (4-VEP) as the only Mk1 derived unit on the southern.

H.

[H]

And since 3rd rail units don't run without third rail there may well be steam on the mainline network long after any 3rd rail has been relegated to museums or battery packs.

Not quite - they can still run on non-elelctrified lines; just diesel hauled or propelled as here from a few weeks back on a non-electrified line;



H.