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Ugliest toy train locomotive

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Ugliest toy train locomotive
Posted by Dr. John on Friday, May 21, 2004 2:19 PM
With apologies to Dave Vergun (who started the "cutest toy train locomotive" thread) [;)]

My nomination for ugliest toy train locomotive is the Williams (or MTH) BL-2. A friend of mine once said about the BL-2, "It's so ugly, it's purty!" [:D]
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Posted by dougdagrump on Friday, May 21, 2004 2:30 PM
All the ones I can't afford.[sigh]

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Posted by daan on Friday, May 21, 2004 4:49 PM
I would say the cheap postwar Bing 0 gauge B-engines. Mostly with a clockwork in it and a "body" only just big enough to hide the mechanism. Those utterly cheap built tin things are the ugliest things I can emagine.
Daan. I'm Dutch, but only by country...
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Posted by 3railguy on Friday, May 21, 2004 5:12 PM
K-Line black bonnet F-3's.
John Long Give me Magnetraction or give me Death.
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 21, 2004 6:08 PM
The ugliest monstrosity is without doubt the Lionel 671 and 681 PRR steam turbine. I always hated them and never owned or wanted one. Odd-d
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 21, 2004 7:25 PM
I agree with the BL-2. It is so homely that's why I love it I have a Williams Bangor & Aroostook one . Sleek it isn't but it's just so unusual I had to have one.
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, May 21, 2004 7:36 PM
I thought Lionel's Milwaukee Road F-3, that was released a few years back, had the ugliest paint scheme yet. The catalog rendering looked great, but the model was uuugly.
Bill
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Posted by cnw1995 on Saturday, May 22, 2004 9:21 AM
That blue Lionel army engine (number escapes me) that looks like a Zamboni...

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Posted by daan on Saturday, May 22, 2004 9:36 AM
Monstrosity... I must remember that word. [:)]
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 22, 2004 6:15 PM
The Triplex; the Angus and any Camelback. Looks only a mother could love.
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Posted by eZAK on Saturday, May 22, 2004 6:24 PM
U-Boats & Camel backs!
Relax, Don't Worry, Have a Home Brew!</font id="size2"> Pat Zak</font id="size3">
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 22, 2004 7:26 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by eZAK

U-Boats & Camel backs!


ABSOLUTELY!!! Second vote for..or is that against?!!![:D]
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Posted by dk99358 on Saturday, May 22, 2004 8:20 PM
No contest, the BL-2 is the ugliest engine ever.

Dale
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Posted by GPJ68 on Saturday, May 22, 2004 10:42 PM
The BL-2 ?!?!? Blasphemy!!!!!! That's not ugly, that's STYLE!!!!

It's the more modern motive power that rates high on the ugly-meter for me - Dash-9's, AC6000's, SD80& 90MAC's, U-boats - flat panels slapped on with no imagination or creativity, stumpy noses, hard and blocky angles - no STYLE what-so-ever. They may be the latest and greatest, but they're truly butt UGLY.......
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Posted by guilfordrr on Sunday, May 23, 2004 10:20 AM
Odd-d: How can anyone call an S-2 ugly?

Doug: The army unit is the #44.

My vote is also for the Camelbacks. Here's an especially homely prototype:

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 23, 2004 11:31 AM
I have to agree with you guys on the camelback. I am not too fond of the old S-1 either.
Angelo
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Posted by MACADO on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 2:03 AM
The Lionel 520, unless it's been repainted.
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Posted by FJ and G on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 7:32 AM
Hey dudes:

These are camelbacks: http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/camelback/camelbk.htm

What you pictured is the camel. Big difference. Both ugly.

There's a camel at the B&O museum, if it's still in one piece after the roof collapse. I was there before the big snow.

Agree w/Dr. John. I never cared for the BL-2. Looks too European.

Other ugly locomotives include:

CF-7
Cab Forwards
Kras-Maffaei (I don't even know how to spell this)
The Pepsi Can Locomotive (Amtrak). I don't know the model name
Those small center cabs like the 44 toners

I could probably think of a few others but I've probably insulted everyone by now anyway!

As to modern locomotives like the big Macs and dash somethings, they are not really ugly; they just look too much alike and there's an appaling lack of variety, creativity, and imagination in design. At least they could paint them up nice and pretty like some of the European billboard locomotives.

Dave Vergun
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 3:08 PM
Here is a picture of a Kraus Maffei:

http://www.ofn-group.com/loko.php?loc=1&imgnum=1

(Yes, it is ugly).

Here is another interesting link:

http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/locos/hydro/oktoberfest.html

On page 2 the auther says "Thus, in 1964 I was introduced to the Teutonic ugliness of Kraus-Maffei."

Daniel Lang
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Posted by cbq9911a on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 4:04 PM
BL-2s are goofy looking, but not that awful.

For "Ugliest Toy Train Locomotive", the prize goes to the Marx 634 HO ATSF Geep. An awful looking shell (but a decent mechanism - better than Lionel's) topped off by a yellow and gray paint scheme. And there's a caboose to match.
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Posted by FJ and G on Wednesday, May 26, 2004 4:31 PM
If you want to include toy trains in this, i'd have to say the Black Warbonnet set. Whoever designed this should face the firing squad.
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Posted by FJ and G on Thursday, May 27, 2004 9:53 AM
Look over photos #3 through #9; each gets progressively uglier with #8 and #9 being the ugliest; ugly enough, in fact, to scare a freight train down a dirt road.

dav
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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 31, 2004 9:45 PM
Dear FJ and G,

The cab-forward was many things--maginificent, graceful, awe-inspiring, but not ugly.

There are some European locomotives which, while not necessarily ugly, certainly are unusual. Of course, I can only think what someone in Poland thinks of an AC-12.

My nominations for ugliest would have to be:
1.) The UP's "light challenger" type locomotives, with their smokebox-mounted headlight and lack of smoke deflectors
2.) AT&SF 3460 class Hudson with that horrid skyline casing (fortunately that style didn't last)

Having just said this, let me say that I regard the UP's "heavy challengers" and the Santa Fe's Hudsons as some of the best steam locomotives, in many ways including aesthetics.

See you around the forums,
Daniel
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Posted by FJ and G on Tuesday, June 1, 2004 8:31 AM
Daniel,

Reg. SF Hudsons I'm glad they only experimented on skirting for the Blue Goose. I like to see the mechanicals. The only skirting that really looked good was the Hiawatha and the Dryfuss Hudson.

dav
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Posted by FJ and G on Thursday, June 3, 2004 8:02 AM
I was looking at some Alligator Geep train models last night (GP-15s?). Boy are they ugly!

dav
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Posted by Kooljock1 on Thursday, June 3, 2004 2:49 PM
After seeing the review, and because it's so small and appears to have monstrously over-sized couplers...

I'll vote for the K-Line Plymouth.

The BL-2 however...is a work of art! Much like an Edsel!

Jon [8D]

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Ugliest toy train locomotive
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 3, 2005 1:32 PM
The ugliest train is the 2-8-8-2,the cutest train is a porter.
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Posted by 3railguy on Friday, June 3, 2005 5:39 PM
Although it is popular, the Beep is ugly to me.
John Long Give me Magnetraction or give me Death.
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Posted by espeefoamer on Friday, June 3, 2005 5:40 PM
In the late 1950s Lionel produced a locomotive that had a low profile cab,then behind that had a missile launcher that shot 4 missiles sideways off the loco.This was painted in several millitary schemes.This was a really ugly unit.
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Posted by Munster518 on Friday, June 3, 2005 6:16 PM
Well, I got to say that the ugliest locomotive I've ever seen where those beeps. I don't care what road name they are, or the draw bar pull, their ugly.[:p]

Sincerely
John[:D]

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