Worst looking locomotive topic. Antidote to Best Looking Locomotive topic.

[Andy Kirkham]

On 26/03/2020 at 22:45, runs as required said:

This Heretical thread doesn't deserve this post

(I cannot believe anyone can say FS  3 phase Crocodiles and Crosti 2-6-0s are anything other than the most desirable motive power ever to have ridden behind. They were still operational when we honeymooned across N Italy in 1961 - and only a dozen years ago I marvelled at a Croc still buzzing quietly through Cortona on a long long freight)

 

 

This is what a kindly neighbour left on our door step this morning knowing that: we were in lockdown, wife likes her white wine and  I like trains. 

Read what it purports to be on the back of the label, then examine the train more closely.

 

I reckon it is lifted from some pop publication about Lenin in his sealed train en route in 1917 to the Finland station in Petrograd!

Any explanations ? Or is it just bog Ugly ?

dh

 

 

To me the loco has an Austrian look. I'm no expert, but this is the kind of thing I was thinking of

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-17c372-steam-locomotive-the-oldest-express-train-in-austria-built-35084477.html

 

 

[Caley739]

How about the Crosti boiler Riddles 2-10-0s ?

[LNWR18901910]

On 21/03/2020 at 09:53, melmerby said:

Poor King Henry as well:

It looks like a torpedo or a suppository laid on its side.

[runs as required]

I’d be happier with this unimaginative thread if folks proposed better versions of items posted.

For example: why can’t someone offer a streamlined King that would have really pleased Sir James Milne ?

2

About the Wine Label: I too thought it Astro-Hungarian (I photographed a station pilot like it once at

Pitthion in Macedonia). It was the Red Star erratically dropped onto the smoke box door that suggested Political intent.

[newbryford]

12 minutes ago, runs as required said:

I

For example: why can’t someone offer a streamlined King that would have really pleased Sir James Milne ?

 

 

Then by definition it wouldn't belong here, as it would then be in the best looking loco thread.

 

Although having said that - some folks would probably put in both threads............................ (just because it's G*R)

[Joseph_Pestell]

7 hours ago, Andy Kirkham said:

 

To me the loco has an Austrian look. I'm no expert, but this is the kind of thing I was thinking of

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-17c372-steam-locomotive-the-oldest-express-train-in-austria-built-35084477.html

 

 

 

It appears to be an 0-6-0, rather unsuitable for long distance. Could be from almost any Central European country and a strange choice for an American wine. The train also appears to be running on unpainted Peco Streamline.

[runs as required]

45 minutes ago, newbryford said:

Then by definition it wouldn't belong here, as it would then be in the best looking loco thread.

Although having said that - some folks would probably put in both threads............................ (just because it's G*R)

 

Surely this long ago effort of mine disproves your definition 

[newbryford]

1 minute ago, runs as required said:

 

Surely this long ago effort of mine disproves your definition 

 

It can't be G*R.

 

It isn't green.

[runs as required]

It isn't green. Its effing chocolate & ...

[newbryford]

45 minutes ago, runs as required said:

It isn't green. Its effing chocolate & ...

 

MCFC blue?

[The Johnster]

It's hideous is what it is, a natural for this thread.

[newbryford]

Getting back OT.

Here's a "marmite" loco. [*]

 

A GE BQ23-7, based on the reasonably successful B23-7

There were 10 built to provide "crew quarters" when cabooses were being phased out. The idea never caught on.

 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1487172

 

[*] US railfans generally hate them, but I quite like it and have a 3D printed cab to fit to a B23-7

Edited March 31, 2020 by newbryford

[pH]

59 minutes ago, newbryford said:

A GE BQ23-7, based on the reasonably successful B23-7

There were 10 built to provide "crew quarters" when cabooses were being phased out. The idea never caught on.

 

Burlington Northern made a much better (in my opinion) attempt at it, with a few GP50s. Here's a modified one, with a cab meant to hold five crew members:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=560355

 

and a standard GP50 for comparison:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=17491

[The Johnster]

The accommodation must have been pretty basic, it looks based on the tiny sleeping area you find in HGV cab.

 

I always want to say 'cabeese' for the plural of caboose!

[pH]

2 hours ago, The Johnster said:

The accommodation must have been pretty basic, it looks based on the tiny sleeping area you find in HGV cab.

 

From the little I can find on the net, it only contained 5 seats - no bunks or cooking facilities. These extended cabs were from the time railroads were trying to get rid of the caboose, but there were still 5 man crews. Cutting the number of crew members to 2 (or, in a few cases, just 1) removed any need for larger locomotive cabs.

[DavidB-AU]

At one stage CN was toying with the idea of a demotored F unit that could be used as a crew accommodation and cab car. The concept was it could be put in front of the locos and be somewhat quieter for the crew. IIRC the cab was to be rebuilt with the control desk from an SD60. I can't recall whether this was before or after Amtrak came up with the demotored F40PH "cabbage" (cab and baggage), essentially the same function as a DVT.

[russ p]

4 hours ago, DavidB-AU said:

At one stage CN was toying with the idea of a demotored F unit that could be used as a crew accommodation and cab car. The concept was it could be put in front of the locos and be somewhat quieter for the crew. IIRC the cab was to be rebuilt with the control desk from an SD60. I can't recall whether this was before or after Amtrak came up with the demotored F40PH "cabbage" (cab and baggage), essentially the same function as a DVT.

 

Is there a small generator for battery charging and heating? 

[DavidB-AU]

1 hour ago, russ p said:

 

Is there a small generator for battery charging and heating? 

 

Not a small one! The F40PH has a 500kVA diesel alternator set supplying 480V 3 phase head end power. These were retained when converted to a cabbage.

 

Cheers

David

[The Johnster]

Cabbage is a much better name for a DVT than, um, DVT...  Of course, we don't provide space for 'baggage', mail, parcels and stuff any more.

 

There has never been in the UK, or Europe TTBOMK, a need to carry relief crews in the way that the traditional American caboose did, with cooking and sleeping accommodation on board; our brake vans had stoves for cabin heating and that was it.  You can of course use a steam loco as a kitchen, with boiling water and a fire on tap; diesel and electric locos usually have a hotplate or food warmer in the cab and some had urinals in the engine room.  Route knowledge and the availability of relief crews here mean that on board sleeping facilities are not needed,  

 

They are in places where very long distances between depots are covered by the same crew, such as North America, Australia, and parts of Africa.  Oz and parts of Africa use converted passenger coaches behind the loco for this purpose.  The nearest thing we have to this is the mess coaches used for breakdown and engineering occupations, where on site facilities are needed.  

[Tankerman]

On 19/03/2020 at 20:03, Retro_man said:

The GWR streamlined Castle takes some beating IMHO :-)

 

 

 

 

I have always held the opinion that this was Collett's way of showing others what he thought of the streamlining craze of the 1930's.

Edited April 1, 2020 by Tankerman
double words

[The Johnster]

This, and the similar King streamlining, is according to some sources the result of a request to Collett's drawing office from marketing and publicity, as they felt that the GW was losing out to the LMS and LNER's streamliners in terms of image, despite the company being able to claim the fastest scheduled timetable train in the world with an average speed Swindon-Paddington of 86mph.  This was of course in itself a bit of a cheat, a limited load with a Castle at a time of day unlikely to cause delays from other traffic.  A good deal of GW express running was quite 'pedestrian', and to be fair so were the LMS's and LNER's

 

It does seem that Collett did not take the request particularly seriously, and the myth that this was a sort of joke to show the publicity boys what his opinion was, but it was done 'properly' in sheet steel and may have been at least a semi-serious effort; I doubt the costs would have been signed off otherwise.

[EddieB]

On 29/03/2020 at 14:05, Andy Kirkham said:

 

To me the loco has an Austrian look. I'm no expert, but this is the kind of thing I was thinking of

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-17c372-steam-locomotive-the-oldest-express-train-in-austria-built-35084477.html

 

 

It looks like an outside framed 0-6-0, probably taken from a photo of a Hungarian MAV class 326.

 

Or MAV class 341.

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by EddieB

[whart57]

Do these Dutch locomotives count as ugly?

 

 

They were built by Borsig of Berlin for the Holland Railway (HSM) and used on the network of light railways the HSM built after the relaxation of regulations for local railways and tramways. These ran on the now preserved line from Hoorn to Medemblik for nearly fifty years. None were preserved and AFAIK there are no plans to build a replica though it would be interesting for museum lines in the Netherlands - most of which were light railways originally - to have one.

[pH]

12 minutes ago, whart57 said:

Do these Dutch locomotives count as ugly?

 

 

 

 

Well, whoever named that one thought it did ("I'se grim").

Edited April 5, 2020 by pH

[EddieB]

1 hour ago, whart57 said:

Do these Dutch locomotives count as ugly?

 

 

They were built by Borsig of Berlin for the Holland Railway (HSM) and used on the network of light railways the HSM built after the relaxation of regulations for local railways and tramways. These ran on the now preserved line from Hoorn to Medemblik for nearly fifty years. None were preserved and AFAIK there are no plans to build a replica though it would be interesting for museum lines in the Netherlands - most of which were light railways originally - to have one.

No, they’re not ugly.  If they were, then Clogher Valley and Glyn Valley locos would also be worthy of inclusion in this thread.