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
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