Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

The worlds ugliest locomotive

57027 views
148 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: New Joizey
  • 1,983 posts
Posted by SteamFreak on Monday, February 25, 2008 8:34 PM

If this thread turns any uglier, Bergie's going to have to step in.

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Monday, February 25, 2008 9:16 PM

I'll give another vote to the BL2 for most ugly, but I'm not too fond of the GP30, either.  The high nose version is okay, but the low hood one looks like a bad '50s automobile.

Wayne 

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • 933 posts
Posted by aloco on Monday, February 25, 2008 11:38 PM
Hammerhead RS-3 and RSD-5........

The Lehigh Valley RS-3 hammerhead short hood has rounded corners like the long hood and therefore looks good.

The C&NW RSD-5 hammerhead short hood has sharp corners and does not match the corners on the long hood, therefore it looks ugly. 

 

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Kentucky
  • 10,660 posts
Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Monday, February 25, 2008 11:48 PM

MK5000

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 22 posts
Posted by donoteat on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:45 AM

This:

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Sydney, Australia
  • 1,939 posts
Posted by marknewton on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:58 AM
 jfallon wrote:

Thomas the Tank Engine as envisioned by the anime crowd?


No, just a typical pre-war streamlined steam engine. Industrial design was just as faddish then as it is now.

I have to laugh at some of the posts to this thread. The title is "The worlds ugliest locomotive", yet so far only two posters have offered up anything from outside North America. When it comes to designing and building ugly locomotives Americans and Canadians are nowt but amateurs.

Cheers,

Mark.
  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Crosby, Texas
  • 3,660 posts
Posted by cwclark on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 6:44 AM
[quote user="PA&ERR"]

Sorry but all of the aforementioned contestants, though outstanding in their own way, are bush leaguers compared to this beast!

I always thought the Krauss Maffei was a classy locomotive

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Massillon Ohio
  • 293 posts
Posted by eeyore9900 on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 7:17 AM

My vote would have to be for the FM C-Liners, as they always reminded me of a quickly cobbled up design to compete with the F units.

CF7s run almost hand in hand with the above. 

Actually, I've always kinda liked BL2s. 

Mitch (AKA) The Donkey Donkey's Dirty Details
  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Holland Michigan
  • 108 posts
Posted by onebiglizard on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 7:38 AM
Donoteat's chopnose RS-whatever takes the ugly cake for me.  Looks like CP is trying to drag it off to the scrapyard before anyone else sees it!
  • Member since
    November 2002
  • From: Syracuse, NY, USA
  • 75 posts
Posted by verheyen on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 8:27 AM
  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: College Station, TX
  • 675 posts
Posted by Arjay1969 on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 9:04 AM

I'll have to add MKT's RS-3m's.  There's something fundamentally wrong with splicing a GP7 long hood onto an RS-3. Big Smile [:D]

 

Robert Beaty

The Laughing Hippie

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The CF-7...a waste of a perfectly good F-unit!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the

end of your tunnel, Was just a freight train coming

your way.          -Metallica, No Leaf Clover

-----------------------------------------------------------------

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: In the State of insanity!
  • 7,982 posts
Posted by pcarrell on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 9:36 AM

So what we're saying, by omission, is that a Garrett is concidered to be a "handsome" beast?

(Click on any of these if you aren't afraid of hurting your eyesight and they will expand into their full glory!)

Or how about the French 232.P.1?

Shown without bodywork.

With streamlining in place.......looks like an upside down bathtub!

Or maybe the Swiss Eb3/5?

And so as not to be outdone, we Americans have had a few loco's of questionable asthetics.....

like.......

The John Stevens.........

the Jawn Henry?

And lets not forget the Horatio Allen (Delaware & Hudson Railroad).........

 

Yeah, there were, and are, some pretty ugly looking loco's out there, but don't we all really love them deep down inside?

Philip
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Southwest US
  • 12,914 posts
Posted by tomikawaTT on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 9:57 AM

 marknewton wrote:

Chuck you mean the DB-3? I don't reckon they're ugly at all. Smile [:)]



Bachmann make them in HO, too!

Cheers,

Mark.

That's the one, Mark.  Looks like the GG-1s ugly baby sister!  If the color scheme is accurate, I'm glad I'd only seen black and white pictures...Whistling [:-^]

Some of the other 'entries' make it obvious that ugly is in the eye of the beholder.  Maybe there should be several categories:

  • Ugly and unsuccessful.Dead [xx(]
  • Experimental one-offs with less than pleasing aesthetics.Black Eye [B)]
  • Unhandsome evolutionary dead ends.Ashamed [*^_^*]
  • Wildly - and widely - successful designs that don't look very pretty.Shock [:O]

Of course, to the railroads' financial officers, that last category is downright beautiful!Big Smile [:D]

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with locomotives that may be homely, but aren't butt-ugly)

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: New Joizey
  • 1,983 posts
Posted by SteamFreak on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 3:40 PM

marknewton
I have to laugh at some of the posts to this thread. The title is "The worlds ugliest locomotive", yet so far only two posters have offered up anything from outside North America. When it comes to designing and building ugly locomotives Americans and Canadians are nowt but amateurs.

Well, now that you mention it... Whistling

In the "Ugly and Unsuccessful" category, I give you the triple-boilered Belgian 2-4-2 #195.

Not only was it ugly, it had a bad temper to match, exploding in 1902.

http://aqpl43.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/tripleboiler/tripleboiler.htm

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 9:29 PM
The CF7 is a perfectly nice engine, and Amos & Andy are not ugly locomotives, there just different. Those C&O yellowbellies where too good for your eyesight either.
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: California & Maine
  • 3,848 posts
Posted by andrechapelon on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 9:35 PM

I have to laugh at some of the posts to this thread. The title is "The worlds ugliest locomotive", yet so far only two posters have offered up anything from outside North America. When it comes to designing and building ugly locomotives Americans and Canadians are nowt but amateurs.

Cheers,

Mark.

He's right, you know. We had nothing as ugly as this:

http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/at/steam/310-16/310-23_mvp_200903.jpg

Any locomotive with a Franco-Crosti boiler rates very highly on the ugly scale. http://trains.com/trn/objects/images/italy.jpg

http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/francocrosti/francocrosti.htm#br

Andre

It's really kind of hard to support your local hobby shop when the nearest hobby shop that's worth the name is a 150 mile roundtrip.
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Southwest US
  • 12,914 posts
Posted by tomikawaTT on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:45 AM

Andre,

Whoever designed that first (???) obviously never heard of the KISS principle.  8 cylinders, 3 crewmembers (none of whom were co-located) and a length approaching that of Big Boy, all for a paltry 3000HP, a figure well within the capability of several 2-cylinder USRA designs...Whistling [:-^]  I'll bet the driver really enjoyed sharing his space with that humongous flue joint and a steam air brake compressor...Grumpy [|(]

Back on, "Ugly is in the eyes of the beholder," on a visit to the railroad museum at Roanoke some years ago I heard a (female) visitor comment, "Why does everyone want to get that ugly old thing back into service?" Confused [%-)]

She was referring to N&W 611...Shock [:O]

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Massillon Ohio
  • 293 posts
Posted by eeyore9900 on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:20 AM
 tomikawaTT wrote:

back on, "Ugly is in the eyes of the beholder," on a visit to the railroad museum at Roanoke some years ago I heard a (female) visitor comment, "Why does everyone want to get that ugly old thing back into service?" Confused [%-)]

She was referring to N&W 611...Shock [:O]

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

Obviously someone who didn't see her in working order & hear that whistle.

A HORRIBLE pic I took of her with a HORRIBLE Kodak Pocket Cam on a fan trip a few miles east of Brewster back in the spring of 1989.

 

Mitch (AKA) The Donkey Donkey's Dirty Details
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Ohio
  • 1,615 posts
Posted by Virginian on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 4:26 AM
Anyone who's looked at some of the things women wear can understand and discount the "J" comment, but to call Jawn Henry ugly !?!?!  Not in the same order of magnitude as a lot of the stuff posted.  Even the NYC's Alice the Goon pales so in comparison, I stand humbled by you guys' ability to dredge up really atrocious stuff.
What could have happened.... did.
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Sydney, Australia
  • 1,939 posts
Posted by marknewton on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 4:51 AM
 SteamFreak wrote:

In the "Ugly and Unsuccessful" category, I give you the triple-boilered Belgian 2-4-2 #195.


Interesting website, but I 'd take a lot of his comments and/or analysis with a grain of salt. There are a number of engines featured at "LOCOLOCO" that had long and successful service lives.

Cheers,

Mark.
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 1,414 posts
Posted by Guilford Guy on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 8:28 AM

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

Not as ugly as it is cute :)

This is pretty ugly...

And this...

I'm actually quite fond of NYOW steam although the Bullmeese(2-10-2's) are pretty ugly. Their is smaller steam is quite cute.

Alex

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Carmichael, CA
  • 8,055 posts
Posted by twhite on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 11:23 AM

The 611 comment reminds me of one time when I was down at the Sacramento Railroad Museum staring lovingly up at the big SP AC-12 Cab-Forward, and behind me I heard a comment: "That's got to be the ugliest thing I've ever seen." 

I turned around.  There she was in all of her glory, wearing Capri form-bulging slacks, a fuzzy purple sweater and rhinestone horn-rimmed glasses with a dyed-blonde beehive hairdo.  I kid you not! 

I had to leave before I fell apart!

Tom Shock [:O]

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • 565 posts
Posted by Bapou on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:00 PM
 Packer wrote:

All f those except for the RSD15 are ugly. IMO the RSD15 is pretty cool.

The Ugliest loco IMO is the newer GEs and EMDs with the wide nose. The HHP-8 is pretty close too.

 

Your kidding right? The new DEs and EMDs look good! The HHP-8 is one of my favorites! (Although I am prejudiced for electric locos) 

Go NJT, NJ Transit, New Jersey Transit. Whatever you call it its good. See my pictures and videos here: http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/ff20/Bapouthetrainman/
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: In the State of insanity!
  • 7,982 posts
Posted by pcarrell on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:12 PM

 Virginian wrote:
.....but to call Jawn Henry ugly !?!?!

Aww, c'mon......it's a box on wheels! Big Smile [:D]

Philip
  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Ogden UT
  • 1,055 posts
Posted by PA&ERR on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:15 PM
 marknewton wrote:
 tomikawaTT wrote:

If I may be permitted to go offshore in a different direction:

The South Manchuria Railway had a class of "streamlined" tank locos which looked like BL-2s with cylinders and drivers.  (No photo, unfortunately.  Or, maybe, fortunately!)


Chuck you mean the DB-3? I don't reckon they're ugly at all. Smile [:)]



Bachmann make them in HO, too!

Cheers,

Mark.

Kind of gives you a renewed appreciation for black and white film! Laugh [(-D]

-George

"And the sons of Pullman porters and the sons of engineers ride their father's magic carpet made of steel..."

  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: Northern NSW, Australia
  • 106 posts
Posted by Big Ugly Waz on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 3:28 PM
 verheyen wrote:

The Bulleid Leader class engine of Britain's Southern Railways

 

Greetings, p. 

This makes " Amos & Andy " look downright HANDSOME in comparison !

AD60 Garrett..................... GOOD LOOKING UGLY !!!

Cheers,

Warren

Better to ask a stupid question than to make a Really STUPID mistake !
  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: Northern NSW, Australia
  • 106 posts
Posted by Big Ugly Waz on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 3:30 PM

The DB-3, is it real ? With that paint scheme, it looks like something from the Teletubbies !!

Cheers,

Warren

Better to ask a stupid question than to make a Really STUPID mistake !
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: New Joizey
  • 1,983 posts
Posted by SteamFreak on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 5:31 PM
 marknewton wrote:
 SteamFreak wrote:

In the "Ugly and Unsuccessful" category, I give you the triple-boilered Belgian 2-4-2 #195.


Interesting website, but I 'd take a lot of his comments and/or analysis with a grain of salt. There are a number of engines featured at "LOCOLOCO" that had long and successful service lives.

I know, don't believe everything you read, right? I was talking to the guys at the LHS after hours a few day ago, and one of them was leafing through a book on the CNJ and started complaining about all of the factual errors. According to him, anyway. Wink [;)]

I tend to think of a design as unsuccessful if it didn't spawn more than a few experimental examples. Most, if not all of those designs compounded the mechanical complexity of the loco instead of simplifying it, offsetting any potential efficiency increase with excessive maintenance costs.

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: California & Maine
  • 3,848 posts
Posted by andrechapelon on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 6:20 PM
Andre,

Whoever designed that first (???) obviously never heard of the KISS principle.  8 cylinders, 3 crewmembers (none of whom were co-located) and a length approaching that of Big Boy, all for a paltry 3000HP, a figure well within the capability of several 2-cylinder USRA designs...Whistling <img src=" border="0" width="30" height="20" />  I'll bet the driver really enjoyed sharing his space with that humongous flue joint and a steam air brake compressor

Chuck,

It didn't need to be even USRA sized to put out good HP. When my namesake got hold of the 141R's produced for the SNCF and made a few improvements (mostly with exhausting, IIRC), they were capable of producing 3000+ HP. The 141R's were based on the GB&W 2-8-2's of 1937 & 1939. http://www.steamlocomotive.com/mikado/gbw401.jpg . The GB&W 2-8-2's were rated at 47,000 lb TE vs. 53,900 lb for the USRA lights.

According to this site, a Stanier "Duchess" class was able to put out 3300 HP on test climbing Beattock grade with a test train. http://www.lner.info/eng/stanier.shtml If you've ever seen a British Pacific up close, they are not large locos. That's pretty impressive.

Andre

 

It's really kind of hard to support your local hobby shop when the nearest hobby shop that's worth the name is a 150 mile roundtrip.
  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: ohio
  • 1,371 posts
Posted by rs2mike on Thursday, February 28, 2008 11:24 AM
 msowsun wrote:

Hammerhead RS-3 and RSD-5........

What would be the purpose of the tall nose on these engines?

alco's forever!!!!! Majoring in HO scale Minorig in O scale:)

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!