The Great Freight Debate: A Fictional Photographic Essay (Contains Large Pics)

[nikos1]

Most powerful diesel locomotive: EE Type 5 Deltic. Not meaning to insult anybody here but Modern American diesels are sluggish and badly designed from a British perspective. No wonder the British train won!
P.S US steamers and early cab diesels are great, things only started going downhill when Penn Central was formed.

Ok your argument is grammatically better than Kamrans but still totally lacking in substance. The IC 125 is the only legitimate one in there, the mallard is officially the fastest but going downgrade and the locomotive could not sustain that speed in regular service, which is really what counts. The Deltic is the most powerful diesel in the world at 3300 horsepower? Thats the same as a run of the mill SD40-2, nothing special to see, and that is with two prime movers instead of one at that, double diesel US locomotives blow that out of the water. The hood unit style was actually a huge success compared to the cab units, the cab units were good for passenger service but very inflexible, the hood unit design works just as good for passenger service as for switching, I'd hate to be the poor guy switching on a class 47 having to climb up and down the ladder all the time. Not to mention the US gave the world the hands down best all purpose prime mover, the EMD 645.
Just counting EMD 645 powered units alone, they can be found in:
US
Canada
Mexico
Panama
Brazil
Argentina
Chile
Scotland
The UK
Spain
Denmark
Slovenia
Croatia
Serbia
Bosnia
Morocco
Algeria
South Africa
Egypt
Iran
Pakistan
South Korea
Hong Kong
Taiwan
I missed alot of countries I'm sure.....

Now if you want to count all US export models from EMD, GE and ALCO it would be easier to list countries that do not roster them. Now please list where British locomotives are still in use (hint: not even England!)

 

[nathanmallard]

Actually, British locomotives have a corridor between the two cabs.
The UK has exported locomotives to:
Bulgaria
Hungary
Russia
Romania
Italy
Cuba
The Netherlands
Chile
China
Australia
South Africa
I am wrong about the Deltic, turns out the UP DDA40X is the worlds most powerful diesel locomotive. But Mallard is still offically the fastest steam locomotive in the world.

I think all of the different grooves and ledges give the loco character .

No they don't. They make the loco asymmetrical and ungainly.

 

[Isegrinns]

I dont want to spoil this cute little starting flamewar, but again I dont think you can compare those two railroad systems.
Each of it was made for its specific country and each did very well! And still does, I think.
Everything else is very subjective, as the criterias "longer", "ugly" and "exported so and so much engines" arent factors which say which system is "better".

If you want to compare effectiveness, you could see about the tonnagemiles hauled by so and so much horsepower and that ammount of time.
But even then, its still very arguable.
You could also add the factor that one was completly state-run and one was completly private-run.

I conclude: not comparable.
Give a laugh about the idea the original poster had and have fun.
My 2 cents, fellows.

 

[00ARMSTRONGIAIN]

When shunting a British class 47 would be run from the cab closest to the train and moves away are done from the same cab.

 

[kamran]

Ok your argument is grammatically better than Kamrans but still totally lacking in substance. The IC 125 is the only legitimate one in there, the mallard is officially the fastest but going downgrade and the locomotive could not sustain that speed in regular service, which is really what counts. The Deltic is the most powerful diesel in the world at 3300 horsepower? Thats the same as a run of the mill SD40-2, nothing special to see, and that is with two prime movers instead of one at that, double diesel US locomotives blow that out of the water. The hood unit style was actually a huge success compared to the cab units, the cab units were good for passenger service but very inflexible, the hood unit design works just as good for passenger service as for switching, I'd hate to be the poor guy switching on a class 47 having to climb up and down the ladder all the time. Not to mention the US gave the world the hands down best all purpose prime mover, the EMD 645.
Just counting EMD 645 powered units alone, they can be found in:
Pakistan
I missed alot of countries I'm sure.....

Now if you want to count all US export models from EMD, GE and ALCO it would be easier to list countries that do not roster them. Now please list where British locomotives are still in use (hint: not even England!)

and our country is again exporting 150 locomotives from GE

 

[Bhorton]

Now please list where British locomotives are still in use (hint: not even England!)

England for one... Class 47, Class 56, Class 86, Class 90, Class 91, Class 92, Class 60, Class 08, Class 09, Class 31, Class 37, Class 73, Class 150, Class 156, Class 158, Class 141, Class 142 ... The list goes on. The Class 55 is still in use, on freight; From Wikipedia 'In April 2011, 55022 was chartered by GB Railfreight for bauxite freight working between Blyth and the Lynemouth aluminium smelter. This charter was scheduled to last from April to July.'
Hungary (Class 86, 56)
France (Class 58)
Netherlands (Class 58)
Spain (Class 58)
Australia (Class 08)
England/France (Eurotunnel Class 9)
Yep. Lol.

 

[boyerm25]

I just lollllllll at the way kamran bashes UK Railways. Let's see, Fastest diesel locomotive/train: BR Intercity 125. Fastest steam locomotive: LNER A4 Pacific #4468 Mallard. Most powerful diesel locomotive: EE Type 5 Deltic. Not meaning to insult anybody here but Modern American diesels are sluggish and badly designed from a British perspective. No wonder the British train won!
P.S US steamers and early cab diesels are great, things only started going downhill when Penn Central was formed.

Allegedly fastest steamer (this might be made up, was not an official recording, but I have a good source):
NYC #999
127 MPH

 

[nathanmallard]

NYC #999
127 MPH

Rubbish! The fastest steam locomotive never was 999, isn't 999, and never will be 999. It is the LNER A4 Pacific 'Mallard'. I have proof:

 

[boyerm25]

Yeah, I'm well aware of that fact.
All books published everywhere outside of the US say that, and I believe it. Books published inside the US say it's 999, but until i have VERY good proof I'm not going to keep up that argument. That's why ​I said allegedly.

 

[H222]

I also read a book once saying the US won the Vietnam War, but that's for another forum

Jamie