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Ugliest locomotive?


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In an odd way, the more ugly a model looks the more interesting it look. One reason , apart from a couple of models, I prefer urban industrial scenes for my layouts. I almost take offense at those saying any Bullied loco, in particular the Q1 is ugly, as Bullied grew up locally, and his way of doing things inspireing-ly different is a local thing. What many see as not being ugly is often boring, and one thing I try to be is not boring with my models. More likely to get noticed when you do something different.

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In an odd way, the more ugly a model looks the more interesting it look. ...What many see as not being ugly is often boring...

There are boring hackneyed maxims like

"What looks right is right"

"Form follows function"

 

 So nominations please for ugly but undoubtedly successful locomotives ?

I'd nominate an Austrian Golsdorf compound or an FS Crocodile.

 

(and a Brush class 47 as the most boring looking successful loco)

 

dh

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Without having read the previous 9 odd pages, I'd nominate the split box class 37s.

 

Although less aesthetically pleasing than their later built centre headcode brethren, or perhaps even the flush fronted refurbished 37/5 & 7 models, they remain my favourites.

 

And although before my time, the same applies for the 600 series Warships. I personally prefer the look of them with the later added 'boxes.

 

As for out and out ugly though, it seems it has taken until the present day for an especially ugly class to 'grace' our metals.

 

So sinful in appearance that they're even known as Fugleys! No need for the warning panel- they frighten people away upon site...

 

(My only suggestion to remedy their look would to use a form of 'dazzle camouflage' by painting the silhouette of a prettier loco on the side!)

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Having googled "split box class 37", they just look like another "box on wheels" to me.....

 

I quite like Crocodiles, I remember seeing one in service and being much impressed by it. Agree about the Golsdorf compound, though...Central European locomotives seem to have an aesthetic which isn't accessible to British eyes..

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There are boring hackneyed maxims like

"What looks right is right"

"Form follows function"

 

So nominations please for ugly but undoubtedly successful locomotives ?

I'd nominate an Austrian Golsdorf compound or an FS Crocodile.

 

(and a Brush class 47 as the most boring looking successful loco)

 

dh

A lot of people here consider the appearance of American and other foreign locos to be ugly, whilst some were undoubtedly very successful.

Ugly and successful? I'm not that keen on the appearance of the early SR EMUs, or even BRs efforts.

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A lot of people here consider the appearance of American and other foreign locos to be ugly, whilst some were undoubtedly very successful.

Ugly and successful? I'm not that keen on the appearance of the early SR EMUs, or even BRs efforts.

Shays for instance?

Amazing that they ever actually worked! And over the flimsiest of improvised forest railroad trusses across deep ravines.

 

They have a look of being one of the more eccentric entries for the Rainhill trials. :jester:

dh

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Personally I quite like the aesthetics of American locomotives. They were certainly taken quite seriously by their designers, which appears quite untrue of most German and other East European steam types

 

Shays are different, that's all that can be said. Any and all geared steam locos look pretty weird, one way or another, although I do rather like Heislers..

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Just skimmed this thread, and would like to add a thought: to me, it seems that for something to be truly ugly, it must be evident that someone put a bit of effort into trying beautify it, and failed miserably. Like a cauliflower-eared boxer wearing red lipstick.

 

That is why the Class 70 looks horrible. If they'd just designed it as "pure engineering", it would probably have looked fine, in a purposeful fashion, but somebody has clearly had a crack at "softening" it.

 

The 4-COR emu gets a mention above, and to me that isn't ugly, just utterly, unpretentiously, functional, ditto the Q1 and a lot of the other "non-beautiful" things discussed.

 

K

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I don't know about "tried to beautify it". East European locomotives often give me the impression of being disproportionate, of being made from parts which are not only from different originals, but not to the same scale...

 

It's like the confusing, garish liveries applied to the assorted "boxes-on-wheels" Multiple Units, often with cheap-looking interiors and primary-colour handrails inside, that rattle about our secondary services. Bad design, yes; lumbered with the thankless task of promoting a corporate image no-one cares about, to a disinterested public, probably; but ugly? No, not ugly.

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