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The worlds ugliest locomotive

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Posted by marknewton on Monday, February 25, 2008 7:47 PM
 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.
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Posted by Tilden on Monday, February 25, 2008 3:37 PM

Humm....you'd of thought they would have repaired that loco after the accident.  Before letting it back out on the line I mean...!

 

  Actually if it's a train, it ain't ugly!  Homely perhaps, but not ugly!

 

Tilden

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Posted by PA&ERR on Monday, February 25, 2008 11:24 AM

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

See, even the F unit that it is hooked to can't stand to look at it! Laugh [(-D]

-George

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

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Posted by msowsun on Monday, February 25, 2008 11:14 AM

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

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Posted by loathar on Monday, February 25, 2008 11:10 AM
 aloco wrote:

To me, the ugliest locomotives are the following:

 

Steam:  Pennsylvania T1 class 'dog nose' 4-4-4-4 streamliner.

 

Diesel: CN GMD-1

Sign - Ditto [#ditto]on the T-1

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Posted by davekelly on Monday, February 25, 2008 11:00 AM
Hmmmmm.  What an interesting question!  Gonna have to cast my vote with the BL-2 as the ugliest locomotive - closely followed by hammerhead RS-3s.  While not the "prettiest" out there I think Baldwin's "babyfaces" enter into the "cool" category. 
If you ain't having fun, you're not doing it right and if you are having fun, don't let anyone tell you you're doing it wrong.
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Posted by tomikawaTT on Monday, February 25, 2008 10:57 AM

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 (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Monday, February 25, 2008 10:38 AM

Baldwin Baby Faces?  They were gorgeous as was the T-1 Steamer.

BL-2, imho, takes the top honors in "Yuck-gly!"

That CP RS-3, to me, still looks like "Goofy" from Disney.

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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Posted by lvanhen on Monday, February 25, 2008 8:33 AM
Don't pick on Amos & Andy - they were designed by the same guy who did the Nash Rambler, and recently the Pontiac what-ever!Tongue [:P]
Lou V H Photo by John
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Posted by Arjay1969 on Monday, February 25, 2008 7:48 AM
My sig says it all. Big Smile [:D]

Robert Beaty

The Laughing Hippie

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

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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

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Posted by Lillen on Monday, February 25, 2008 6:39 AM
 cwclark wrote:

The Alco RSD-15 has a nose only a mother could love. Jimmy Durante ...eat your heart out....AHHChaachaachaa...

 

 

I'm not a mother! Big Smile [:D]  I love those engines, so beautiful, among my favorites actually!

 

Magnus

Unless otherwise mentioned it's HO and about the 50's. Magnus
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Posted by Packer on Monday, February 25, 2008 6:37 AM

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.

Vincent

Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....

2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.

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Posted by cwclark on Monday, February 25, 2008 6:31 AM

The Alco RSD-15 has a nose only a mother could love. Jimmy Durante ...eat your heart out....AHHChaachaachaa...

 

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Posted by SteamFreak on Monday, February 25, 2008 1:29 AM
I think Mothra and the Chop-nose RS4 were separated at birth. Laugh [(-D]
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Posted by msowsun on Monday, February 25, 2008 1:13 AM

Chop nose RS-3.....

(click for close-up view)

 

 

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Posted by SteamFreak on Monday, February 25, 2008 1:12 AM
 aloco wrote:

To me, the ugliest locomotives are the following:

Steam:  Pennsylvania T1 class 'dog nose' 4-4-4-4 streamliner.

Spoken like a true diesel connoisseur. Whistling [:-^] The T1 is gorgeous; classic Loewy styling.

Unlike the ugliest loco in history... drumroll, please...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Baldwin Babyface.

Ran through the ugly forest and hit every tree. Dead [xx(]

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Posted by aloco on Sunday, February 24, 2008 11:10 PM

To me, the ugliest locomotives are the following:

 

Steam:  Pennsylvania T1 class 'dog nose' 4-4-4-4 streamliner.

 

Diesel: CN GMD-1

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 24, 2008 11:05 PM
 twhite wrote:

Amos and Andy look kind of cool.

Tom Tongue [:P]

Yep, they sure do, they got to haul the super cheif, till the E1's where ready.....then after the rebuilds, off to CB&Q they went.

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Posted by Texas Zepher on Sunday, February 24, 2008 10:51 PM

 ATnSF_M-160 wrote:
I had to make this thread when i found a picture of what i think is the ugliest locomotive. Santa Fe had to rebuild Amos & Andy......
This has been discussed several times (see threads below).  As I recall the discussion, it was decided many many railroad shop rebuild one-offs were ugly as ugly can be.  But as they were 1 offs they deserve a different category than the ugly of production locomotives.  For production locomotives it seems the EMD BL2 is almost always the most frequently mentioned (including my vote too). 

http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/908787/ShowPost.aspx
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/1309134/ShowPost.aspx          http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/133695/ShowPost.aspx
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/588000/ShowPost.aspx

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Posted by R. T. POTEET on Sunday, February 24, 2008 10:33 PM

"Form ever follows function" as architect Louis Sullivan said.

Admittedly AT&SF #1 and #10 give the impression that somewhere along the line they got severely beaten up on with an ugly stick; one must keep in mind, however, that these units date from that period in diesel locomotive development when both the manufacturers and users were attempting to give definition and substance to exactly what the term streamlining really meant. These locomotives are ugly only in reference to what was to follow with EMD's inauguration of their E-units and which we today take for granted as true streamliners.

On the other hand one must really go some to beat some of the glamour puss' which have graced GE's stable chief among these being their Common Industrial Locomotives of the thirties, forties, and fifties. That "ugly stick" did not vanish with Uncle John's #1 and #10. And lest one think that ugly locomotives are a thing of the past take a close look at this manufacturer's C32s and C39s.

I myself don't particularly find high (short) hood road switchers to be particularly attractive. But just as "Form ever follows function" so also opinions are like toenails: everybody has them.

From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet

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Posted by andrechapelon on Sunday, February 24, 2008 9:57 PM

This one's rather ugly: http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/plate091.Html

Some of the New Zealand bush tram engines had the esthetic qualities of

 

Well, of this: http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/UsesOfTheBush/BushTramsAndOtherLogTransport/4/ENZ-Resources/Standard/2/en

Then there's this odd combination of what looks like either a Heimax or a Clisler.

Either that or Heislers and Climaxes mated when people weren't looking.

http://tinyurl.com/3xbxbe

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.
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Posted by twhite on Sunday, February 24, 2008 9:54 PM

Actually, compared to some of the newer GE stuff I see idling away at UP's Roseville yard, Amos and Andy look kind of cool.

Tom Tongue [:P]

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Posted by PA&ERR on Sunday, February 24, 2008 9:40 PM

Oh, come on now! Compared to those two the BL-2 is a fricken Beauty Queen!Shock [:O]

-George

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

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Posted by New Haven I-5 on Sunday, February 24, 2008 9:26 PM

- Luke

Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's

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Posted by D&HRR on Sunday, February 24, 2008 9:23 PM
 8500HPGASTURBINE wrote:

BL-2

Sign - Ditto [#ditto]

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Posted by Big Ugly Waz on Sunday, February 24, 2008 8:44 PM

NOW I know where the idea for the Transformers came from !!!

I think they were wearing a Blindfold [X-)] when this was designed !

Cheers,

Warren

Better to ask a stupid question than to make a Really STUPID mistake !
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Posted by jep1267 on Sunday, February 24, 2008 8:35 PM
Awe....she's adorable....Dead [xx(] Ick!
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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Sunday, February 24, 2008 8:35 PM

I agree that the second image shows the ugliest locomotive. Even the trucks don't match in that photo.

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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The worlds ugliest locomotive
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 24, 2008 8:19 PM

I had to make this thread when i found a picture of what i think is the ugliest locomotive. Santa Fe had to rebuild Amos & Andy......

Heres Amos & Andy in there Prime hauling the cheif.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ATSF_1.jpg

Heres Andy ( the ugliest locomotive)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:ATSF_10.jpg

Andy was rebuilt into a cabless booster, then rebuilt to look like Amos.

Amos is #1A, Andy is #1

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