What engines do you not like the looks of ?...

[grandeman]

GG1. U-G-L-Y, but to each his own.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sask_Tinplater

I love a wide variety of trains and, while I have preferences as to what looks better (ex: I think GG1's look much nicer than GP30's), there are very few locomotives that I actually dislike or think are ugly.

However, there are some exceptions.

The all-time ugliest locomotive for me has to be the Leader locomotive built in Britain in the 1950's. Believe it or not, this is a steam engine! Couldn't these people have at least made an effort to have it look somewhat attractive?


I've also never cared very much for the Turbo trains. They were created by aircraft designers and you can tell.

There are also a number of ultra-modern bullet trains I don't like the looks of.

This Engine was ahead of its time! Just looks like an EMD Class 66![;)]

Although deemed as a failure - this thing could pull! If only BR had put more money into the project it could have gone somewhere - then I am sure they would have spent a little more time and money to make it look a little more attractive than the picture supplied!

My vote for the worst looking locomotives would have to be for Ismbard Kingdom Brunel's broad gauge locos! All fat and ungainly! Or any Great Western Railway locomotives - they did the right thing by standardising parts, so different classess of locomotives has interchangable parts, but they were so old fashioned and dull they could not compete with the sleep lines of the Gresley A4 (Mallard) or Stanier Coronation class locomotives.

I think one of the strangest looking locomotives was LD Porta's 'Argentina' - again a locomotives that was ahead of its time, but looks like something out of a comic book. Hopefully though it will one day run again - a tribute to the great man himself!

Regards,

Stephen.

[AltonFan]

STEAM: I can't automatically think of any one steam engine I don't like the looks of. But there are some features I don't care for:

Elesco feedwater heaters
Coffin feed water heaters
Excessive piping
Off-centered headlights and bells
Boiler jacketing covering the smokebox
Gaudy 19th Century decoration
Air pumps on smokeboxes
Smoke deflectors
Excessively large cabs
Whaleback tenders
Doghouses
Casements along the top of the boiler
Extra and oddly placed domes
Poor maintanence

(Extra Credit Challenge: find a steam locomotive having as many of these characteristcs as possible.)

Several railroads had some generally poor aesthetics for their steam power. Among the worst:

Great Northern
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Santa Fe
Pennsylvania

The Delaware & Hudson had some butt-ugly experimental high boiler pressure engines. Norfolk and Western also had an experimental "automatic engine" that wasn't a looker either.

I do not share the general disdain for the unusual sandboxes on Illinois Central power.

But with steam, sometimes, ugliness can be a virtue.

DIESELS:

GP-30
Early (pre-sharknose) Baldwin cab units

Certain industrial units had some unfortunate aesthetics. And of course, the appearance of rebuilt units sometimes suffered in the process.

But even a good looking diesel can have its appearance marred by a bad paint scheme, or lack of maintenance.

[trainboyH16-44]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

The CP 2-10-4. And the Royal Husdon. It reminds me of a flancy flashlight.
Lot of people dislike the appearance of the BL-2. Not me. That thing is awesome!

A FLASHLIGHT?!!! That is an insult to the entire Canadian Pacific Railway! Thet were beautiful streamlined beauties!
I do agree with you on the BL-2 though.
Matthew

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Piedsou

For a locomotive with a large following rather than an obscure unit, I find the Southern Pacific GS-4 4-8-4 one of the ugliest. I think the twin headlights and their styling on the smokebox door looks awful. I never did like all weather cabs on steam and the engine burns diesel oil when we know steam engines should burn coal or wood. The tender is just a box on wheels. Sit a GS-4 next to a Southern Ps-4 and you'll see a regal lady sitting next to a clown in makeup. I know this is heresy to many, but I just think the GS-4 is a poor example of a steam locomotive. RF&P and N&W had 4-8-4's that were much more classic looking.

AHHHHH! You're killing me!

[Piedsou]

For a locomotive with a large following rather than an obscure unit, I find the Southern Pacific GS-4 4-8-4 one of the ugliest. I think the twin headlights and their styling on the smokebox door looks awful. I never did like all weather cabs on steam and the engine burns diesel oil when we know steam engines should burn coal or wood. The tender is just a box on wheels. Sit a GS-4 next to a Southern Ps-4 and you'll see a regal lady sitting next to a clown in makeup. I know this is heresy to many, but I just think the GS-4 is a poor example of a steam locomotive. RF&P and N&W had 4-8-4's that were much more classic looking.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by loathar
I think they were called sharknose deisels. I don't know what F # they where. I think they're the only real train that looks like a toy.Too long and flat a nose.

The 'sharknoses' were manufactured by Baldwin, model# RF16. Here's a website:
http://www.bridge-line.org/blhs/BaldwinSharks.html

[Fergmiester]

Most Fully Streamlined Steam Engines such as the UP and NYC versions of Pacifics and Hudsons[xx(]

I wasn't much of a Flash Gordon fan.

Fergie

[Anonymous]

Anything with a wide cab. Bring back the standard noses!!!!

[loathar]

I think they were called sharknose deisels. I don't know what F # they where. I think they're the only real train that looks like a toy.Too long and flat a nose.
I'm not a fan of any European stuff. Anything can be made to look good with a CPRrail
or Canadian Pacific paint scheme!

[ARTHILL]

Steam with streamlining. Like a pretty girl in a Mau Mau.

[Anonymous]

I personally hate the EMD BL-2!!!!!
It has to be one of the ugliest engines ever built!
BL-2= "Bring up your lunch-TWICE!!!!!!!
gtirr

[aloco]

Most streamlined steam locomotives, especially Pennsylvania's 'dog nose' streamliners.

Various makes and models of diesels:
GM: GMD1, BL2, late model SWs (1500 and 1000), GMDH1
MLW: RSC24, LRC
ALCO: C415
GE: early Dash 9 units with the flat cab roof
All boxcab diesels

And just about everything that is in production today, especially those horrible looking shovel nose passenger diesels that GM and GE are making.

Any locomotive that looks boxy and square is just plain ugly.

[Anonymous]

I love a wide variety of trains and, while I have preferences as to what looks better (ex: I think GG1's look much nicer than GP30's), there are very few locomotives that I actually dislike or think are ugly.

However, there are some exceptions.

The all-time ugliest locomotive for me has to be the Leader locomotive built in Britain in the 1950's. Believe it or not, this is a steam engine! Couldn't these people have at least made an effort to have it look somewhat attractive?


I've also never cared very much for the Turbo trains. They were created by aircraft designers and you can tell.

There are also a number of ultra-modern bullet trains I don't like the looks of.

[timthechef]

Diesels! they are boring, no life. A steam engine lives and breaths!

[trainboyH16-44]

I refer you to the thread "Are trains getting uglier?" at http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=33848
Matthew

[Anonymous]

I think that the Atlantic 4-4-2 steam locos are visually imbalanced. I think that the "porches" on some newer deisels are too large to look sensible on both models and the prototype.

[railroadyoshi]

Giant radiator vents on the side, ( the ones that overhang WAY to much), those absolutely ruin a locomotive!
-Siddharth

[Anonymous]

F-units are ugly!!! Before you f-unit lovers out there torch me, let me say one thing: The SD70ACE (or whatever EMD's newest loco is called, MR ran a feature article on it back in january i think) is HORRIBLE looking.[xx(]

[AggroJones]

I'm still waiting for someone to bag on the Big AC.[}:)] [;)]

[Anonymous]

all of the new generation ,ge/emd stuff's ugly,it all looks the same, give me a smoking alco any day....

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joseph2

The GP30 had a face only it's mother could love.

Its mother and me. Gnarly looking diesel, say I. [:)]

[joseph2]

The GP30 had a face only it's mother could love.Nice the CSX still has GP30 slugs on its roster though.

[palallin]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

I don't think I've ever seen an ugly EMD though (though I HATE the way some shortlines chop the noses on their GP9s! And then they call them "GP9Ms", and as we all know "M" stands for EMD Wide Cab! Makes no sense........).

Actually, most call them "GP9m" (Note the lower case) where the "m" stands for "modified."

[cwclark]

I always thought that the Krauss-Maffei, the Pennsy GG1 and any fairbanks morse diesels where the ugliest locomotives ever made...

[Jacktal]

It all a matter of taste...a model one dislikes may be a jewel to someone else.My personal ugliest loco is the U-50 and yet I will get to own one some day.

[cspmo]

WEMCO Blue goose gas turbine
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_cnw4000.jpg
Krauss-Maffei
All foreign locmotives except for TGVs

[Anonymous]

Diesel: I don't like RDC's, C-Liners, and F-units. Love Geeps! and Alco RS loco's.
Steam: Hate the Camelback! And the Vandy Tender has never grown on me. All other Steamers are great.

For me, a diesel engine has to look tough and powerful. Built for purpose. All the rounded nose stuff looks whimpy to me...

Hope I didn't offend anyone too much.

Trevor[:D]

[soumodeler]

All GEs past the Dash 8 line are ugly, the ugliest being the C40-9. Also any EMD that has a low nose (except the 70 line, those are great).

soumodeler
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The Southern Serves the South!