For an ugly electric, I would nominate the PRR L-5. Probably not that different than the Krokodil.
Like most electric locomotives, the "Krokodil" was utilitarian. I might even say "cute", too. For an ugly electric, I might have to go with the Boston & Maine motors used in the Hoosic Tunnel. The weird headlight placement made them 'unusual', to say the least. For beautiful motors, Great Northern Cascade Tunnel GE's win, hands down, followed by New Haven's EP-5 "Jets" and GE EP-4/EF-3s, and NYC's ex-CUT "P-motors". GG-1s? No way! Har!
I'm going to start a new thread: ugly STEAM locomotives.
Hays
marcimmeker Ouch! You just insulted the whole nation of Switzerland, half the German and Austrian modelrailroaders and a good portion of model railroaders from the rest of Europe and the world..... FWIW I do agree however.
Ouch! You just insulted the whole nation of Switzerland, half the German and Austrian modelrailroaders and a good portion of model railroaders from the rest of Europe and the world.....
FWIW I do agree however.
I would put the SBB Krokodil forward as a candidate for Ugly-- Like a puppy, that's so ugly it's cute--
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=149642&nseq=7
Not sure if this is ugly or just unusual. When first built, they came painted a dreary green according the White in his book about locomotives. Circa 1860, no fancy brass either. Hard coal burnes.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Mill Bay Are we allowed to nominate steam locomotives? Despite the fact that they've now been featured practically everywhere as modern steam survivors... never really liked the look of the Chinese QJ class 2-10-2s. Something to do with the smoke deflectors, I think.
Are we allowed to nominate steam locomotives?
Despite the fact that they've now been featured practically everywhere as modern steam survivors... never really liked the look of the Chinese QJ class 2-10-2s. Something to do with the smoke deflectors, I think.
Do you consider Chinese QJ Steam locomotive ugly?
I believe those were known as "DeWitt Geeps", but I might have the wrong ones.
It was mentioned about locomotives that were meant to be designed ugly..I believe Dick Dilworth, a locomotive designer for EMD, said he wanted the GP7 etc. to be ugly on the grounds that they would be kept off the mainlines and in out of the way places where they could be useful. Didn't happen. Whether a GP30 is ugly or not, I always liked their unique appearance the few times I ever saw one.
Having grown up in Alco "RS-3 Country" (Westchester County, NY and Cape Breton Island, NS) they are still some of my favorites. CN, in the green and gold, NYC in "Lightning Stripe" (and even "Cigar-Band") livery. CP wasn't too shabby, either. I think Penn Central was responsible for mutating the RS-3 with an EMD powerplant, and the resultant hump on the hood. I'd really like to blame PRR, but... I'll tell John Pearson, GM of Mass Coastal, what you think of his mutants, and that I totally agree! Yuck!
There are others, out there, without getting into ACL and ATSF steam. Beware!!!
Bill Hays
While the hump on top is necessary, it doesn't mean the Saudi SD50's have become better looking.
http://emdexport.railfan.net/mideast/saudi8.html
BNSFwatcher Ugly? You want ugly? The GP-30, in any paint scheme! Second place: the CF-7s. Third place: Baldwin "Centepedes". I do think the FM/CLC "C-Liners" were elegant, especially in CN green-and-gold, NYC "Lightning Stripes", NH (green or McGinnis), and CPR maroon-grey, with the "Beaver" on the nose a must. Most of the latter were confined to the CPR "Kettle Valley/Southern BC" divisions. Check out J. F. Garden's all-color masterpiece "The Crow and the Kettle"! Truly an outstanding work. NS's "Undertaker Specials" don't merit any consideration. Hays -- wdh@mcn.net A "Toaster" lover.
Ugly? You want ugly? The GP-30, in any paint scheme! Second place: the CF-7s. Third place: Baldwin "Centepedes".
I do think the FM/CLC "C-Liners" were elegant, especially in CN green-and-gold, NYC "Lightning Stripes", NH (green or McGinnis), and CPR maroon-grey, with the "Beaver" on the nose a must. Most of the latter were confined to the CPR "Kettle Valley/Southern BC" divisions. Check out J. F. Garden's all-color masterpiece "The Crow and the Kettle"! Truly an outstanding work.
NS's "Undertaker Specials" don't merit any consideration.
Hays -- wdh@mcn.net A "Toaster" lover.
I believe many 'buffs, myself included, would vehemently disagree with you about the GP-30...but then again, road switchers of any make and model weren't designed to be pretty,,,
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
Awesome! http://www.railroadforums.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/60841/limit/recent
http://www.railroadforums.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/60841/limit/recent
Anyone ever notice that even when an engine gets mangled like this the prime mover (diesel engine) always seems to stay intact?
Awesome! It looks like a bomb shelter!
It looks like a bomb shelter!
daveklepper YES!! The Lima center-cab dual-engine transfer jobs. I think PRR and that shortline out of Minneapolis were the only customers, but a very good looking locomotive.
YES!! The Lima center-cab dual-engine transfer jobs. I think PRR and that shortline out of Minneapolis were the only customers, but a very good looking locomotive.
Only PRR bought the L-H centercabs, but several roads (EJ&E, MN&S, ATSF, SSW, DSS&A, PRR, Trona) bought Baldwin centercabs.
CSSHEGEWISCH Repowerings have been the cause of some real hatchet jobs. ATSF 51, a re-powered PA1, got a roof similar to RI 621. EJ&E's centercabs came out pretty bad, a standard EMD switcher hood had to slope up at the top to meet the cab and slope in on both sides to fit the frame. Re-powered RS2/3's on SLSF, RI and MKT got an EMD hood, which didn't match at all. RI had some NW1's that got re-powered with surplus 244's that came from re-powered FA1's. They got a high hood that made them look like piano crates. Etc, etc, etc.
Repowerings have been the cause of some real hatchet jobs. ATSF 51, a re-powered PA1, got a roof similar to RI 621. EJ&E's centercabs came out pretty bad, a standard EMD switcher hood had to slope up at the top to meet the cab and slope in on both sides to fit the frame. Re-powered RS2/3's on SLSF, RI and MKT got an EMD hood, which didn't match at all. RI had some NW1's that got re-powered with surplus 244's that came from re-powered FA1's. They got a high hood that made them look like piano crates. Etc, etc, etc.
Massachusetts Coastal RR, which has a contract switching operation serving industries near my current place of business, operates an EMD repowered RS-3 which I believe is of PC/Conrail heritage. It is an interesting unit but pretty it ain't (but then again, was there ever a "pretty switcher"?)..
The Galloping Geese, and all their cousins used by railroads across the country, may not win any beauty contests, but they certainly bring in an element of rustic charm.
One of the railroad magazines did an article quite a few years back entitled "Horrible Heffalumps."
Rock Island's "Christine," a DL109 repowered by EMD was one of the locomotives featured.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
A online company called wisemann model services sells a white metal hon3 un-powered one for $200.
It has the geared driver but no motor. No instructions, just exploded diagrams and pictures. Quite a challenge.
Search the 'Net for cab forward 4-4-0 hon3
You will see quite a few photos of what the model looks like. Real ugly.
According to Dan Ranger's article in TRAINS many years ago, NPC 21 may have served as an inspiration for SP's cab-forward design in the discussions over how to deal with the operating problems with the first MC-1's, SP 4000-4001.
Ugly cab forward N.G. 4-4-0. There use to be a ebay seller that had some of these locos in an unpowered HOn3 version.
http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/NPC21/NPC21.htm
Wow. I didn't know a steam locomotive could look so ugly, but some of those really were not aesthetically pleasing.
The D&H built some uglified locos.
http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/LOCOLOCO/USAhp/USAhp.htm
All Hail The Galloping Goose. Rio Grande Southern had several of them, no two of them exactly alike. Some did have passenger seating.
Awesome!
Yep, that one is ugly compared to this (klick on thumbnail for bigger picture):
http://www.inselbahn.de/index.php?nav=1400938&id=19164&action=portrait
That is one of the converted 1950's Borgward trucks used to haul specially build trailers on the meter gauge railways on the German North Sea island of Sylt.
These railbuses are downright funny:
http://www.inselbahn.de/index.php?nav=1400938&id=13662&action=portrait
Build by Wismar in the 1930's with 2 Ford engines, one in each nose.
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