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

[rodent279]

On 05/05/2020 at 20:09, The Johnster said:

Hideous in both cab forward and streamlined forms, but a handsome enough beast otherwise.

I love it. A beauty, seems better proportioned than the streamlined Duchess, and more purposeful than an A4.

[rodent279]

I suppose class 31's aren't exactly lookers, but they do have a certain chunkiness about them. They just always seemed to be so oily, which didn't help.

[newbryford]

6 minutes ago, rodent279 said:

I love it. A beauty, seems better proportioned than the streamlined Duchess, and more purposeful than an A4.

 

Wow - upsetting two of the Big Four fans.

Are you of SR or GWR persuasion?

 

[maico]

I think all of the German streamliners spent more time in the windtunnel, form follows function, rather than the art deco styling of the Coronation and American classes.

Here's the BR05 with the lower panels removed

Edited May 7, 2020 by maico

[maico]

BR01, BR06

[brack]

Nah, this is a proper streamliner:

 

 

As an addition to the debate regarding speed and aerodynamic impact, the streamlined darjeeling Himalayan 040st. Ugly, daft and pointless.

[pH]

Here's its big brother - Baldwin 'Centipede' 2-D+D-2:

 

https://scontent.fcxh2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/48992745_2290797187606508_2171008489550249984_o.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=6UIIgU4QujsAX98yHK7&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxh2-1.fna&_nc_tp=14&oh=161d07f3b683091172a760a329ecf3ad&oe=5ED8DCF4

Edited May 7, 2020 by pH

[rodent279]

7 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

Wow - upsetting two of the Big Four fans.

Are you of SR or GWR persuasion?

 

Neither really, I've just never thought either of the two British streamliners looked quite right. Close, but no cigar, certainly not in the worst looking loco category.

I do have a liking for German steam locos generally, Bavarian S3/6's and the Prussian T20 "Bergkönigin" in particular.

[Crisis Rail]

11 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

If you want plain... this must be the ultimate box on wheels.

 

 

 

 

At least it's yellow......

[burgundy]

11 hours ago, brack said:

Nah, this is a proper streamliner:

 

 

As an addition to the debate regarding speed and aerodynamic impact, the streamlined darjeeling Himalayan 040st. Ugly, daft and pointless.

Where does the guy on the front buffer beam with the bucket of sand sit on this design?

 Given the average speed on the railway, surely this must have been some kind of arcane joke?

Best wishes 

Eric 

[EddieB]

11 hours ago, Lantavian said:

The rather odd Western Australia Government Railway XA class

 

Bogies front and back, and wheels in the middle as well:  2′Do2′

How dare you! I like those designs - it was what was inside them that was ugly.

[EddieB]

15 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

If you want plain... this must be the ultimate box on wheels.

 

 

 

I was thinking of those things (“locomotive ” seems to grand a word) - reminds me of a Dave Allen sketch about a motorised coffin.

[MJI]

13 hours ago, Lantavian said:

The rather odd Western Australia Government Railway XA class

 

Bogies front and back, and wheels in the middle as well:  2′Do2′

 

I actually like that. It is different, there is something interesting about framed Diesels.

 

 

12 hours ago, pH said:

Here's its big brother - Baldwin 'Centipede' 2-D+D-2:

 

https://scontent.fcxh2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/48992745_2290797187606508_2171008489550249984_o.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=6UIIgU4QujsAX98yHK7&_nc_ht=scontent.fcxh2-1.fna&_nc_tp=14&oh=161d07f3b683091172a760a329ecf3ad&oe=5ED8DCF4

 

Was the worlds most powerful Diesel until 1955 when Deltic appeared at 10% morepower and less than half the weight.

 

14 hours ago, brack said:

Nah, this is a proper streamliner:

 

 

As an addition to the debate regarding speed and aerodynamic impact, the streamlined darjeeling Himalayan 040st. Ugly, daft and pointless.

 

You do know that it is fast as it has the old Triang 0-4-0 chassis under it.

Edited May 7, 2020 by MJI

[yantsank]

3 hours ago, burgundy said:

Where does the guy on the front buffer beam with the bucket of sand sit on this design?

 Given the average speed on the railway, surely this must have been some kind of arcane joke?

Best wishes 

Eric 

 

 

 

"Ugly, daft and pointless", eh? I was born and brought up in Darjeeling and them is fighting words! 

 

Anyway. The "streamlined" B-Class was "inspired" by the Iraqi State Railways PC Class locomotive, and seems to have been a "diversion" created by James Shaw, the last British General Manager of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Of course. it made no sense at the speeds on the line. And during the first run uphill, the nose cover had to be hinged back and wired open so that the sandman could sit in there with his bucket of sand. 

 

From what I'm reading in David Churchill's recent (and excellent) book on the DHR B-Class, the streamliner required an extension of the frame by nearly three feet. It needed a tender (which probably still survives somewhere on the line) as there was no access to the traditional coal bunker under the casing. I'm not sure how it went back downhill - did they turn the thing (unlikely due to the gradients involved), or did they run tender first? 

 

An oddball machine, but I'd stop short of calling it ugly - it is one of the fascinating parts of DHR lore. And I'm certain most would agree that the original B-Class certainly does not belong on this thread!

 

B-Class (probably 779) at Darjeeling Station, taken by me a couple of years ago. 

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by yantsank
Corrections

[Flying Pig]

19 hours ago, maico said:

BR01, BR06

 

IMO they look much better with the lower panels shaped over the wheels, but I assume 002 was fully covered when it performed its very impressive speed exploits in 1936.

[Steamport Southport]

3 hours ago, yantsank said:

 

"Ugly, daft and pointless", eh? I was born and brought up in Darjeeling and them is fighting words! 

 

 

I prefer Earl Grey personally.

 

 

 

 

 

Jason

[maico]

1 hour ago, Flying Pig said:

 

IMO they look much better with the lower panels shaped over the wheels, but I assume 002 was fully covered when it performed its very impressive speed exploits in 1936.

 

I think so, this is the class 05 at the 1936 Olympics the same year it went over 200 kph

Edited May 7, 2020 by maico

[EddieB]

22 hours ago, brack said:

Nah, this is a proper streamliner:

 

 

As an addition to the debate regarding speed and aerodynamic impact, the streamlined darjeeling Himalayan 040st. Ugly, daft and pointless.

 

Forget about speeds and air resistance, the streamline casing was counter-productive.  In addition to the driver and firemen, every working B class had its full complement of "wallahs" balanced precariously on every accessible ledge of the locomotive.  On this streamlined example, they'd all fall off!

[Steamport Southport]

To me it looks more like a fireless locomotive than anything else.

 

 

 

Jason

[DavidB-AU]

12 hours ago, EddieB said:

How dare you! I like those designs - it was what was inside them that was ugly.

 

Especially the engine compartment after it arrived in Bunbury with an inch of oil on the floor.

 

Cheers

David

[Crisis Rail]

On 07/05/2020 at 01:34, brack said:

Nah, this is a proper streamliner:

 

 

As an addition to the debate regarding speed and aerodynamic impact, the streamlined darjeeling Himalayan 040st. Ugly, daft and pointless.

[lanchester]

Should we have a sub-category for perfectly good-looking locomotives with just one fatal disfigurement - I'm thinking for example of the NER S2 4-6-0 that Raven fitted with Stumpf 'Uniflow' cylinders. Or some of the ACFI feedwater heating applications. Like a moustache on the Mona Lisa. You have to feel their pain.

[Flying Pig]

9 hours ago, Crisis Rail said:

 

I think the prop has come off your Battle Space Turbo Car.  And you might want to change the brushes.

[Crisis Rail]

3 hours ago, Flying Pig said:

 

I think the prop has come off your Battle Space Turbo Car.  And you might want to change the brushes.

 

Thanks. It is due it's yearly 12000 miles service. So I’ll give it a mention......

[maico]

The front of the Italian ATR 100 is a bit of an aquired taste