If I remember right, the Emerson was less than successful. I think it was a maintenance nightmare compared to other locos. Still, I think it was highly touted during the 1927 "Fair of the Iron Horse". There's like two Camels left in existence- the Camel #217, and I believe the #163 in a transportation museum in Illinois (?). It's amazing that any survived! [ November 04, 2005, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: BnO_Hendo ]
I never saw any real B&O steam, just pictures, but I'll take either an E-24 Consol (2-8-0)--gotta love those Belpaire fireboxes!--or E-27 (any class or subclass). Second choice, Q-3 USRA Mikes. Honorable mention: the B-8 Ten-Wheelers. These were the largest engines permitted to use the Ohio River sub between Parkersburg and Huntington, WV before a new bridge at Point Pleasant was built in 1947. Diesels: I grew up watching GP-9's so that's my first choice; second, GP-35; all of these with the "Roman" font B&O initials lettering.
They had two, according to the former B&O Yahoo group, numbers 9185 and 9186. As best I recall, they were hand-me-downs from C&O and somewhere there's a picture of one switching passenger cars at Chicago. There are at least four pictures of these units available on-line. For 9185, try these (in no particular order): https://www.rr-fallenflags.org/bo/bo9185gob.jpg, https://www.rr-fallenflags.org/bo/bo9185goa.jpg (this one's kinda sad, if you ask me); https://www.rr-fallenflags.org/bo/bo9185dsa.jpg, and for 9186, http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bo9186.jpg Again, these engines were gone before I was old enough to understand much about real railroads and railroading but if you've ever heard a 539 accelerating, there's not much like it!
