My favourite one is the JNR DD51. It looks just so cool in that old shape.

I was doing some work in a scrapyard yesterday. They were cutting a line of 56s. Very undignified end for them - the technique is to burn through various bits and then get a grabber crane and just pull it to pieces. I must say that I thought that this look rather suited them.

37's for me too.

Love the look, love the sound.

However as some else pointed out, those southwest diesels were fairly sexy too.

JW

fav diesel?
 

Difficult,

Not sure which I would chose if I could only have one....

Westerns, Class 50s, and Deltics would be the top three locomotives. Their power, and character.....A Deltic makes a wonderful racket.....

I don't rate any of the current motive power.....class 70s are really ugly, and sound wierd, the rest just do not seem to have any character. I might change my mind in a few years time....

StoneRoad

The problems with the hydraulics was mainly the lack of skilled fitters used to the fine engineering work required for these types of loco which had high reving engines and comlex hydraulic systems. There was the same problems with DE Types but not so much as the was a small pool of electrical fitters to assist in training of the existing steam fitters to work on the electrical systems. The hydraulics were much lighter than the DE locos at that time(1960's), some of the type 4 locos were over 140 tons whereas thr hydraulics were about 100tons and some were even lighter. the Germans always had a sound engineering base in their society and could therefore find the highly skilled staff more easily.
The newer DE locos of the D1500 class(47) Were much lighter and in general easier to maintain. They did have there problems which led to derating of their engines and later replacements, However they did a good job at first as fast pasenger locos and later as Freight locos, and of course some are still around some 40 years later

for me it has to be the class 70 by freightliner i like it because ilike the design of the front cab and its colours/livery
(i have one of the bachmann models on order at my local model shop (70006))
the one i had on order is now here

My favorate loco was the EE Type 1 (20) They were of a simple straightforeward design, easy to maintain. When i was at willesden in the 60's they were the most reliable loco's on shed. Pity about the long nose however when they are in mutipal with the cab leading they were most effective and with a very high tractive effort.

EE Type 1 (20)
 

My favorate Loco was the EE Type 1. They were very reliable, easy to maintain and when in multiple had a high tractive effoet. The low speed of 75 was only a minor disadvantage as they were frieght only Loco,s

EE Type 1
 

The EE Type 1 (20) was a very good loco; easy to maintain & Reliable. Pity about the single cab but in the design days of the mid 50's a long nose and resicted visibility was not consided to be a major proble. As A double headed unit with the cab leading the loco's had a very large combined tractive efort. The low top speed of 75mph does'nt seem to present a problem.

I suppose it must be your favourite if you need to tell us three times.:D

Class 50 for me, when I got interested in railways again in my thirties I had loads of trips behind them especially Salisbury Exeter. They were geared for 100mph which they often exceeded on that route.

Class 31 I just think they look the part plus becuse I grew up with them Between Liverpool & Blackpool on the North West Express.

My favourites were the 50s, primarily because of their sound. It was hard to choose from the English Electric thoroughbreds, because they all had that deep bass, and the 37s had/have a great dynamism with their abrupt bursts of noise from a standing start. But the 50s had a distinctive and defined thud at full power, which never left me in any doubt about what I was hearing, even a mile or so away from the line, at my home.

I was lucky enough to know, and travel in the company of the 50s in the late '70s, before their refurbishment. During '78 and '79 the 50s were still as built, and so still had those droning air-systems which earned the class its 'Hoover' nickname. Their reliability was abysmal, depot staff hated their complexity, and much of the enthusiast community had animosity towards them because they'd replaced the 'Westerns'. But that made them more exciting for me. The 'Hoovers' were the villains of the express passenger scene, and I loved that. Their unpopularity of course also meant that a few friends and I could go and chase them in peace, knowing we'd almost always get the front seats/windows when boarding the trains. And because there were so few 50s in service at any given time (only just over a third of the class at one low-point prior to refurb!), their appearances even on some of their own booked workings could be quite sparse. The resultant "will it / won't it?" buzz only served to increase the excitement.

One of the most spectacular trains for Class 50 operation in the late '70s was the 1S19 overnight Bristol - Glasgow sleeper service (which the WR loco would power as far as Birmingham). The stock load was very heavy and therefore the service would stop at Bromsgrove for banking on the Lickey. At the time, banking power was invariably provided by two 37s. So, an unrefurbished 'Hoover' on the front, sixteen or so coaches, and two 'Syphons' on the rear - from a standstill, up the Lickey bank. Anyone in the vicinity of Bromsgrove station in the run-up to 11pm would certainly not be forgetting that spectacle in the hurry!

After steam my favs were Deltics, though I did have a liking for the type 4 Peak class and the 47's (they always looked neat and modern)

it would have to be a class 20 in br blue (sorry) being a child at the time i thought they allways seemd happy going around in two's i was readins thomas at the time. and seeing all the class 24,25,and the odd 26-27 at vic's of leicester being cut up so i like them too.

My favorior loco was the EE Type 1 (20) a good quality compact loco. Low maintenance and they've lasted a long time. Pitty about the signal cab but in pairs the had a very high tractive effort, the max speed of 75mph never seemed to be a problem.

Mine would have to be Deltics. I was lucky enough to see them a few times at Kings Cross before withdrawal, and rode on the Deltic Broadsman behind 55009 in December 1981. I now try and ride behind one on the East Lancs or another nearby line whenever possible. It has always felt special just being in the presence of one. Amazing looking and even more amazing sounding. I like lots of other diesel classes, especially the big stuff (eg Peaks & Hoovers) but nothing can match a Deltic.

Any of this lot!!!!! http://www.railwayforum.net/gallery/...imageuser=2802:D:rolleyes:

Regards, 62440.

I got to like the 40's, and the Deltics.
Pity more of them weren't spared.
Hated them when steam was king- saddened when their turn came round.
mickey

Like you I hated diesel when they took over from steam and then when their turn came! It makes you wonder what the kids of today will love when thier turn comes? Cant see the modern stuff having the same appeal.
Regards
Phil

For me there are three types; Class 52 Westerns, Class 55 Deltics and Class 66.

It would be impossible to have an all time favourite class as I like most types. Maybe its better to say what my least favourites are- classes 33, 59, 66, 70, 90. I think the best looking would have to be the Westerns, Deltics and Peaks.

Can only ask WHY???????????????

the only thing interesting about 66's is the variety of colours they come in


Class 37 all the way
Class 37 group on Facebook

Like other contributors I would have to go for the Deltics seeing all 22 by 0/9/62. I remember seeing the prototype at Shipley, West Yorks about 1955. I was only pulled by one three times, twice from Kings Cross to York D9002(55002) on both occasions in 1962. In late December 1980 55011 Alcydon took me from Darlington to York a few days before it was condemned. I could sit at home and hear their distinctive sound. It was a sad time when they went. Glad several were saved but they rarely get the chance to show their worth.
Chris Dent
60501

Got to agree with you; they dont show what they can do these days on many restricted speeds limits as seen on the heritage sites!
For me they have to be the best diesels ever!
Cheers
Phil

double headed class 26 on the overnight edinburgh to inverness then another pair up the far north line single one to thurso what more could you want also have a soft spot for the hymeks which nobody seems to love very much.:o

You just cannot beat a 52, especially in the hands of an enthusiastic driver.
I remember Reading in the 70's when the drivers seem to be trying to out do each other on how much noise and how quick they could get out of Reading - Happy days.
You tube type in Western Champion at Doncaster to see what i mean. I was lucky enough to be on that tour 5/12/2009 - Outstanding

Favorite diesels.
 

Its got to be Deltics, they were the first diesel locos I saw at high speed on the ECML at Newark in the early 60s, awesome. If you saw them then youd understand.

I like the Westerns as they were the last independent statement by WR before they got flooded with HST sand 47.also I like the shape the peak cap front looked nice.
I cannot remember seeing a 37 flat out before. But some months a steamer broke down at Norwich and the railtour came back (late) with the 37 on the front at Marks Tey it was flat out, at full speed what a noise, loved it see them in a new light

As above the Class 60's were good on ballast turns, nice and warm and quiet.
If you were on the RH side of a 60, you could have a chance of burning yer boots on the grill if you dozed off.
Class 37's could manage big loads out of the Yorkshire Pits in and around Wakey and Castleford( Eg Bowers Branch Wooley/British Oak/ Park Mill and South Kirby HAA's)
In winter the 37's were ice boxes and the windows fitted where they touched.
Me mam always knitted me a good woolen scarfe for the cold days.

Favorite diesels.
 

Got to be Deltics, its the first type I saw at high speed on the ECM very impressive to a young lad of 14 in 1962.

Not changed your mind since 1st April then ? :D

Got to be the Deltics for me as well, they just looked so powerful. Then probably the Westerns & Warships, because they were different.

class 26 for me out of inverness or the class 27s on the Dundee turns happy days.:)

Class 59 in National Power colours,bright clean,powerfull,serviced by the book etc.A class 59 with 19 empty jma waggons accelerated faster than a class pulling only 7!

favourite
 

My favourite UK loco is the Class 03 shunter which I used to see at Ipswich in the 1970s.

However my favourite locos are actually Australian - the NSW 48 Class and the Victorian A class.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V/Line_A_class

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/48_class

Dave

I found it hard to warm to any of the first generation classes simply because whenever you saw one you weren't seeing a steam loco. Since I left the UK my reading has enabled me to admire the Deltics greatly - very worthy successors to the pacifics - and latterly the 43s for the same reason.

Out here in NZ long distance rail is almost all freight, so my interest in modern UK traction lies mostly around the 66s. Good looking well performed design by all accounts or they wouldn't have built so many of them.

As for those that used to work on the old GWR - only the Hymeks did anything for me. All the others were appallingly ugly, especially the Westerns. What I've read about them, especially the Warships, makes me very happy I never had to operate them

Class 20. Oh, that noise! :D

Got to be class 50's on a double header thundering through totnes station .... Just raw power!! No wonder they were called hovers as they sucked up everything in there path!! Lol

Class 37 without a doubt, especially double headed at Newport of Cardiff on coal or steel trains. Could recognize the sound immedikately.
Locoman4244