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Ugliest locomotive?


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Guest Natalie Graham

I think by the time BR standard locos came into being the over-riding basic principle of streamlining on steam was well understood. Namely that it wasn't worth the effort.

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Since it was broken up over 90 years ago I think we can safely assume that the answer is no. Your assessment of its engineering merit is spot on, though: according to WikiP it was inspired by the notoriously unsuccessful Willans high-speed engine*. Clearly one for the silliest engine thread too.

 

 

 

*"Unsuccesful" in this context means "supplied 53% of British electrical power at the start of the 30th Century"

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Never mind the Paget comeback, if we're not careful with investment in our railway infrastructure we'll be seeing "Locomotion" making a comeback (I do not refer to the Kylie Minogue song!).

 

Jeff

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perhaps if we ask the mod nicely he would close this in a week or so , have a quick tot up and see what wins or loses the golden edsel

 

Yes, could be a good idea - people always refer to the Edsel as a hell of an ugly-duckling of a car. So maybe we can come up with our railway equivalent.

 

Having said that, the Edsel was a really ugly beast. But are the nominees in this thread really that bad?

 

Jeff

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id say some of them certainly were that bad ! still , we have a chance here for a new post , any one for the best looking loco ?

 

Go on then mogman ... start a new thread and let's see what people think is beautiful, rather than hideous.

 

Maybe I will be one of the first respondents with the class 70... (which I do like)...

 

Jeff

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Feel free to start a new topic for the most attractive loco.

 

As far as ugly is concerned, I'm going to upset a few people by saying the NBL type 2. To me it looks like the nose has fallen off.

 

Cheers

David

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I am going to get dragged away by men in white coats into a sound proof room for this...

 

A4 Pacifics - I know everyone raves about them but I have never been able to even remotely like them, likewise the streamlined Princesses of the LMS, the domestic ones were lovely though. Then last week I saw a picture of the 10000 Hush-Hush... :bad:

 

I also recall early experiments with streamlining that I am glad did not make it into general circulation. These include the proposal to wrap up a Schools class loco in what appeared to look like the 1930's equivilent of an Ikea flatpack and the Great Western locomotive with what appeared to be a large industrial sized Wok - minus handle - glued onto the smokebox door.

 

Class 14 0-6-0DH - Ugly in both appearance and also their representation of a huge waste of money/time/effort by British Railways.

 

And finally before I don my asbestos suit and disappear into a Nuclear Bunker, 4472 Flying Scotsman or rather the collection of constantly faulty duplicate parts that supposedly go up to make it when it is not in bits again (which these days seems to be about one week every five years) ugly from the point of view that there surely has never been a more costly and terrible money pit in the history of railway (or indeed any other form) preservation. If we had known back in 1967 what we do now I for one would have weighed it in for scrap and gone and got something in far better condition.

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I think the ugliest steam loco I've seen for some time has to be this.

http://www.railarchive.net/nyccollection/nyc7189.jpg

It's a Shay but instead of running up and down steep badly laid lines in the forests these were built to run on the streets of Manhattan (mainly 10th and 11th Avenue) which were used as a main freight line by the New York Central until the 1930s. The law required trains to be preceded by flagmen but the NYC gave them horses - they were known as New York Cowboys- so that the trains could run faster. Allegedly the trains mowed down any pedestrians foolish enough to attempt to cross the street though in reality they were far less deadly than cars and trucks.

This absolutely amazing photo http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/02882u1.jpg captures the street scene very well from 1911, about ten years before the Shays were built and the "dummies" i.e. tram locos were 060Ts

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I am going to get dragged away by men in white coats into a sound proof room for this...

 

A4 Pacifics - I know everyone raves about them but I have never been able to even remotely like them, likewise the streamlined Princesses of the LMS, the domestic ones were lovely though. Then last week I saw a picture of the 10000 Hush-Hush... :bad:

 

 

Hee hee John. As you said in your blog, the black helicopters are on the way!!

 

Can't agree about the A4, but yes, the streamlined Princesses don't appeal to me at all.

 

And I see that someone HAS started a "best-looking" thread to compliment this one.

 

Jeff

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I am going to get dragged away by men in white coats into a sound proof room for this...

 

A4 Pacifics - I know everyone raves about them but I have never been able to even remotely like them, likewise the streamlined Princesses of the LMS, the domestic ones were lovely though. Then last week I saw a picture of the 10000 Hush-Hush... :bad:

 

I also recall early experiments with streamlining that I am glad did not make it into general circulation. These include the proposal to wrap up a Schools class loco in what appeared to look like the 1930's equivilent of an Ikea flatpack and the Great Western locomotive with what appeared to be a large industrial sized Wok - minus handle - glued onto the smokebox door.

 

I'll say this John, you're a braver man than I! I personally think the A4s are sublime, but I can understand the point of view if it's a case of all streamlined engines look "ugly" - it's definitely a strange marmite sort of choice for railway enthusiasts.

 

 

Class 14 0-6-0DH - Ugly in both appearance and also their representation of a huge waste of money/time/effort by British Railways.

 

 

 

I think I agree. They are not beautiful machines, certainly.

 

And finally before I don my asbestos suit and disappear into a Nuclear Bunker, 4472 Flying Scotsman or rather the collection of constantly faulty duplicate parts that supposedly go up to make it when it is not in bits again (which these days seems to be about one week every five years) ugly from the point of view that there surely has never been a more costly and terrible money pit in the history of railway (or indeed any other form) preservation. If we had known back in 1967 what we do now I for one would have weighed it in for scrap and gone and got something in far better condition.

 

I don't think the locomotive would have had half the money spent on it in this overhaul, if the money supposedly spent on the last overhaul had actually gone into the locomotive's overhaul; and in a similar vein from the same team of people, no less, the money supposedly spent on a certain LMS 4-6-0 which now needs a full overhaul at Crewe, also begs the question, what was the money actually spent on...?

 

We are quite quick to ridicule the locomotive itself, when there's more at work than meets the eye in terms of the human interaction with said locomotive. So no, I can't agree - railway preservation would not have had the profile it has now without 4472 - and the locomotive itself may finally now be able to run without being bodged together, and moreover be looked after properly.

 

It should have been in the first place, when sold to the late Tony Marchington, but I suspect the poor man had no idea of what was yet to come. His passion for the engine never in any doubt: but who did what, and where, and to what standard is.

 

---

 

As for ugly locomotives - no contest, surely? The Fowler 3MT. The most ungainly 2-6-2T I have ever seen. How you could have the graceful Fowler 4MT, with its lovely curved footplate and elegant lines, and then have this - a squashed, pig like tank engine - I will never know. That said, they seem to be much loved and wanted for by Midland enthusiasts, so what do I know!

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Guest Natalie Graham

Was the GER a 'Northern' company?

 

More an 'Eastern' company I believe. The GNR on the other hand.... ;)

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Ugliest locos? Rebuilt Bullied Pacifics. LBSC locos. L&Y 4-4-0s and Atlantic. Hull & Barnsley locos. Most industrials. Talyllyn locos... :bad:

Coach, I'm surprised you think H&B loco's are ugly, that is apart from the Class J, 4-4-0's definatly out of balance. It is said, Mathew Stirling had his own personal whisky stach in his Springhead office. Possibly, when he outlined the Class J, he had had one two many. That is, if Kitson did not draw up the actual detail. Mick.

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Well the GER was north of Hampshire.

I wouldn't always take, what coach says, seriously, he has a bloody big key, the rebuilt Bulleid pacifics were one of the best classes, in my book - for what it's worth..

But to me, anything 'streamlined', or 'airsmoothed' (?) is pretty damned ugly plus perhaps GT3 (that gets it for the colour alone - sh1te brown for gawds sake).

:sungum:

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