Most Successful Locomotives

[opus722]

There a threads on hear arguing the aesthetics of locomotives, both beautiful and hideous, but I propose a discussion on locomotives that just went out there and got the job done. Whether they were produced in huge numbers, reliable, record setters, or just plain long lived. Not trying to find a #1, since that is impossible, but rather just seeing what everyone thinks. Any era and any nation. I would just add one stipulation that the locomotive be a production model rather than a one off gimmick designed to break a specific record and nothing else.

So, I'll start with the DRB Class 52. Built to be cheap and reliable during and immediately after WWII and was one of, if not the, most produced steam classes ever with nearly 7,000 units. Thousands were hauled off by the Allies, mostly the Soviet Union and its satellites, after the war where they continued to soldier on with some modifications. Hundreds of them remained in service in Eastern Europe well into the 1970s and even 1980s. Some Polish examples were still in revenue service in the 1990s nearly 50 years after their construction.

So, lets see what else is out there!

 

[bentrain14]

these are pretty succesful in the class one railroads. they all have atleast 1 of these two units.

 

[captainkman]

The London, Midland & Scottish railway's Fowler 3F tank locomotives were built in large numbers (422!) and were loved by their crews, because of how much power they had compared to other locomotives of the same size:



Kieran.

 

[flyboy559]

Im going to say the GP9 is a perfect fit for this. There are many still going out there in freight service.

 

[H222]

I wouldn't say those murican wide cabs are successful. They haven't been around long enough to tell that.

These were introduced in 1952 and most are still in service


Introduced in 1955, most are still in service


These were introduced in the 1910s, converted to electric power in the 1920s and ran well into the 1980s


Intoduced in 1957, here they are in service in 2013. Original livery too


Yes, I'm Victorian. What of it?

 

[Bluewater]

SD40-2, hands down. One of the most produced "Murican" locomotives ever, and is still EMDs best selling locomotive, with over 3000 made, and most of them still is service.

In terms of GE, I say I would have to be the GEVO, with over 5000 made within the past 6 or 7 years...

 

[deadpoolmx55]

 

[bentrain14]

SD40-2, hands down. One of the most produced "Murican" locomotives ever, and is still EMDs best selling locomotive, with over 3000 made, and most of them still is service.

In terms of GE, I say I would have to be the GEVO, with over 5000 made within the past 6 or 7 years...

Also americas solution to ramps.

 

[nicky9499]

Can you say... steamer killer?

 

[817TAYLOR]

I will just say a little
-First Passenger Train Through Feather River Canyon
-In Movie Polyanna
-Painted with Gold Stripes for 50 Year Celebration of WP
-Lat of Three WP Steamers

 

[pdkoester]

I think this one has been the most successful, being it never left the roster, and has been operational most of the time.

Steam Locomotive No. 844 is the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific Railroad. It was delivered in 1944. A high-speed passenger engine, it pulled such widely known trains as theOverland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose andChallenger.Many people know the engine as the No. 8444, since an extra '4' was added to its number in 1962 to distinguish it from a diesel numbered in the 800 series. The steam engine regained its rightful number in June 1989, after the diesel was retired.When diesels took over all of the passenger train duties, No. 844 was placed in freight service in Nebraska between 1957 and 1959. It was saved from being scrapped in 1960 and held for special service.The engine has run hundreds of thousands of miles as Union Pacific's ambassador of goodwill. It has made appearances at Expo '74 in Spokane, the 1981 opening of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans and the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Los Angeles Union Station in 1989.Hailed as Union Pacific's "Living Legend," the engine is widely known among railroad enthusiasts for its excursion runs, especially over Union Pacific's fabled crossing of Sherman Hill between Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming.​

 

[Timothetoolman]

Tim

 

[BLACKWATCH]

I would say the most successful British diesel would have to be the class 08 shunter .............


... Whilst the steam loco would be the LMS 'Black 5'.

 

[hauntedclipp]

The LNER J72 was built in nine batches spanning 53 years (1898 - 1951) with the design remaining virtually unchanged.

I haven't read anything particularly special about those little six-wheeled tank engines, but there must've been something successful about them if they were built by the NER, LNER, and BR.

 

[jetekol]

The SJ Y6-generation. There was over 800 build, built from 1953 to 1960 and used to the 90th, then some were rebuilt for Banverket. These little "Rälsbussar" saved many Swedish railways

I don't have a real pic on them (only the narrow gauge version), so here is an even smaller, an modeltrain (that you can sit in)!

Article at Swedish Wikipedia: http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y6-generationen

 

[Azervich]

The LNER J72 was built in nine batches spannine 53 years (1898 - 1951) with the design remaining virtually unchanged.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5127/5333773625_6ce9ed4733_z.jpg
I haven't read anything particularly special about those little six-wheeled tank engines, but there must've been something successful about them if they were built by the NER, LNER, and BR.

This looks like a Kitson's Design engine, they had a few designs built from 1887 that lasted into the 1960s for the Victorian Railways and one is preserved operational 'Y 419 at Ballarat'.

Cheers.

 

[4449tj]

Hands down the most US one is the SD40-2, but the Dash-9 was also very successful not to mention the GP7\9 and the F's. just my 0.02 cents.
TJ

 

[fen_tiger]

The British Rail Class 47 is a class of British railway diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Crewe Works and Brush's Falcon Works, Loughborough between 1962 and 1968, which made them the most numerous class of British mainline diesel locomotive.

They were fitted with the Sulzer 12LDA28C twin-bank twelve-cylinder unit producing 2,750 b.h.p (2,050 kW) - though this was later derated to 2,580 bhp (1,920 kW) to improve reliability - and have been used on both passenger and freight trains on Britain's railways for over 40 years. Despite the introduction of more modern types of traction, as of 2013 a significant number are still in use, both on the UK mainline and on UK heritage railways. As of August 2013, 82 locomotives still exist as Class 47s, with further examples having been converted to other classes; 31 are engaged on active work on the mainline.

* 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the Class 47 and to celebrate the event the Mid Norfolk Railway Heritage Railway (based at East Dereham, Norfolk, UK) held a special event titled the 'Class 47 Golden Jubilee'. Held over the weekend of the 21st, 22nd and 23rd September 2012. This footage was filmed on the 21st September 2012.

I have myself travelled on the Mid-Norfolk Railway a few years ago on one of their services top 'n' tailed by a BR Class 20 and a BR Class 31. Until the Wymondham run-round loop was installed last year or this year I think, all their timetabled services were top 'n' tailed with a combination of any two locomotives from their slowly growing resident diesel fleet.

 

[UnumProvident155]

Don't forget the famous restored SP GS-4 remaining and still running

 

[viesturs]

The M62 locomotive. Some 3500 locomotives were produced for the Soviet Union, Poland and others. Nicknames include Mashka, Malishka and Taigatrummel.

The ČME3 shunter. 7459 locomotives were built. Made in Czechoslovakia. Many of the locomotives (mostly in the EU) are undergoing modernization with new engines, tech, body, ...

And while not a locomotive, the ER2 EMU's were also built to the numbers. 850 trainsets have been built. That's some 9211 coaches.
The unit also had some subclasses. In addition to the 850 standard ER2 sets, another 162 ER2T and 89 ER2R sets were built.