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Modern Locomotives Illustrated Issue 210 - Class 89 and 90


ThaneofFife

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  • 3 weeks later...
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To be brutally honest I could have done without the Class 89 at all - an ugly, unreliable freak one-off that attracts far too much attention than it deserves.  I really don't get this obsessive compulsive disorder many enthusiasts have for freak one-of-a-kind, dead-end locos.  I don't see any attraction in them at all.

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To be brutally honest I could have done without the Class 89 at all - an ugly, unreliable freak one-off that attracts far too much attention than it deserves.  I really don't get this obsessive compulsive disorder many enthusiasts have for freak one-of-a-kind, dead-end locos.  I don't see any attraction in them at all.

Thats a bit of a harsh description? 

 

NL

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Not really.  It was generally unreliable, even after GNER refurbished it, and it is ugly as sin.  The front end is a mis-matched collection of curves, straight lines and randomly placed features, and the sides show no attention to detail with the grilles plonked on with no thought for detailing.  It looks like it was "styled" by a trainee cad technician more used to designing kitchens.  Compared to the "artist impression" which was widely publicised at the time it really was a mess.  I accept it was a prototype which probably had little attention paid to it aesthetically as even before it entered service the decision had been made to go with the 91, so Brush probably felt little inclined to spend any money on it, but nevertheless it really beggars belief that there is such a fanbase for this lemon of an electric.

 

Perhaps I have an irrational dislike of the loco but I've always thought it looked ugly ever since it was revealed although it made a good noise!

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