Ugliest toy train locomotive

[Dr. John]

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]

[dougdagrump]

All the ones I can't afford.[sigh]

[daan]

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.

[3railguy]

K-Line black bonnet F-3's.

[Anonymous]

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

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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
www.modeltrainjournal.com

[cnw1995]

That blue Lionel army engine (number escapes me) that looks like a Zamboni...

[daan]

Monstrosity... I must remember that word. [:)]

[Anonymous]

The Triplex; the Angus and any Camelback. Looks only a mother could love.

[eZAK]

U-Boats & Camel backs!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eZAK

U-Boats & Camel backs!

ABSOLUTELY!!! Second vote for..or is that against?!!![:D]

[dk99358]

No contest, the BL-2 is the ugliest engine ever.

Dale

[GPJ68]

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.......

[guilfordrr]

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:

[Anonymous]

I have to agree with you guys on the camelback. I am not too fond of the old S-1 either.
Angelo

[MACADO]

The Lionel 520, unless it's been repainted.

[FJ and G]

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

[Anonymous]

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

[cbq9911a]

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.

[FJ and G]

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.

[FJ and G]

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

[Anonymous]

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

[FJ and G]

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

[FJ and G]

I was looking at some Alligator Geep train models last night (GP-15s?). Boy are they ugly!

dav

[Kooljock1]

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]

[Anonymous]

The ugliest train is the 2-8-8-2,the cutest train is a porter.

[3railguy]

Although it is popular, the Beep is ugly to me.

[espeefoamer]

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.

[Munster518]

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]