I want to ask this. If you had the chance to build a new steam locomotive from scratch what would that be? I was thinking about the size and weight as my top concerns. I was thinking about building a new B&M Berk or NS F-1 Berk or CV T-3a Texas because of their size and weight so they're less restrictive than other heavier steam locomotives and they're still part of the super power design.

I want to know what would be your chose of steam locomotive to build. please tell me.

That's sort of like asking me my favorite beer (as someone who's had thousands upon thousands).

Who's building it? Where will it operate? Is it going to earn its keep economically, or just sit unused? Whose money are we spending?

At the moment, if you hand me a winning Powerball ticket and walk away, I'd put my "frivolous" money into LIRR G5 39 at Strasburg instead--at least there it would have a secure place to run for years.

I guess this is a bit of a philosophical question in addition to being one of economic reality, isn't it? Here's the thing, in these parts there's limited work for larger steam locomotives. Most tourist operations and museums run on a few miles of track with one or two cars (the Valley Railroad, Conway Scenic and the Hobo operation are the exception to that rule that I can think of). Sure, you could build a Berk (or just hack apart one of the C&O or NKP examples to make a good stand-in, there's plenty lying around for the job as far as I'm concerned) but most museums don't have a use for something that large and complex. But you can't just expect the humble industrial 0-4-0 to be able to bridge the gap and haul seven cars along the Connecticut River, as most are too small. You need something to bridge that size gap, so a suburban tank engine would easily win out over a comparable industrial engine in what can be moved, how fast you can move the cars, and what can be carried for fuel. Additionally I think it goes without saying, but something smaller is likely to be less expensive in terms of the cubic dollars when compared to a Berk of some sort...

I'd build a PRR T1 duplex. Oh wait, someone has already begun work on that project.
https://www.facebook.com/t1locomotive/

I was thinking about building a 2' gauge Baldwin 28-ton 2-4-4T Forney. Oh wait, we are:
https://www.facebook.com/wwandf21campaign/
https://fundrazr.com/21campaign

There are so many restoration opertunities out there that it is hard to even think about a new build. If I could dream something up, it would be a tender engine, probably a 2-6-0, around 45 tons. With every modern refinement imaginable for ease of maintenance and operation. Everything conceivable to make it efficient. Then, to go along with it, a custom set of trailers to transport the engine and tender to any standard gauge railroad in North America with minimal permits. I know the engine would be nothing grand compared to a big boy or such, but it would pull most small trains, up most grades, on most any railroad, and be inexpensive to operate and maintain, relatively speaking.

How about a totally modern 3000 hp steam engine?

http://www.american-rails.com/ace-3000.html

Hi,

I had not seen your link concerning the ACE before. Thanks.

I had seen it at http://www.trainweb.org/tusp/ult.html .

A little more information on ACE - including a final evolution into a Garratt style locomotive.

Doug vV

It would be a scale miniature, although large enough to ride inside under the roofs of the cab and the rolling stock, which make it a "Grand Scale" project. It would be a 2-8-2 replica of one of the well known 3' gauge steam locos, either an ALCO SV#19, D&RGW Baldwin K-27. or lastly an OR&L #70. They would all be too much fun to run!

Building all your own appliances and appurtenances, that every locomotive needs to operate and stop, etc...regularly costs as much as the locomotive itself.

I'd also like to try to build a nice 70 ton class "C" Climax some day, and a small diesel mechanical (Davenport side rod, SV/D&RGW #50) for its turn key availability. The two steamers and the little diesel, a dozen freight cars and a few cabeese, and a few structures and other things are all (ha ha) I'd need to run my Railroad, and haul smiling friends for the next 50 years of fun.

I'll bite. my submission is the 600 lb elephant in the room. I'm thinking maybe a 4-6-4 that pulled a named train between NYC and Chicago. I have no idea where you'd run it it just stinks that every last one of em was cut up. Where's that lottery ticket I bought...

Even there -- put every cent you have into restoring NYC 3001 in Elkhart first. And wait until the T1 Trust efforts have costed-down many of the things that a new-build Hudson involves.

Does someone here know the truth, or what there is of it, regarding the effort to build a Hudson in China that supposedly foundered on how much the subsequent costed-down 'Chinese copies' were going to be?

(Of course, I'd recommend building a J1 and not a J3 ... we already have the tender, and I suspect we can find the trailing truck and booster...)