So ugly they're gorgeous.

Neil

Neil

Western Thunderer
Last year I picked up a copy of World Railways 1960. It's a big hard bound review of the worlds railways focussing on what was new that year. I was born in 1960 so this fascinates me. Even better are the manufacturers adverts in the front. General Motors had the biggest advert, all artists renderings in the dynamic, blocky style of the time. A couple of locos looked so weird I thought I'd do a spot of googling to see if they were proposals or if they made it onto the production line. The good news is that they did, but only just.

GMDH-1 four examples built

GMDH-3 just one example built

Aren't they fabulous?
 
tomstaf

tomstaf

Western Thunderer
Heather Kay said:
How about this US import to the UK's railways?

11119972934_a61758dbe4.jpg
Freightliner Class 70 No. 70002 at Carlisle - 29th Nov 2013 by allan5819 (Allan McKever), on Flickr

I understand the UK enthusiasts call the Class 70 "Ugly Betty", after the US TV show character.
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But in the end Ugly Betty turns out to look good. There is no way you can do anything to those crocks of s*** to make them look good though :(
Designer (computer) thinks... make loco as efficient as possible = therefore body end up as angular as possible. But someone tries to tone it down by making all the joints rounded and bolting a lump of the most un-inspirational piece of fibreglass on the front. And then got stuck tying to add a curvy livery. One can only presume aesthetics were not considered when they were designed. No one, even a financially hard pressed designer could possible think it looks good. Even the docker's were overcome by their ugliness ;)


Compare it to the 68s though and you can clearly see looks are important.
Tom
 
Overseer

Overseer

Western Thunderer
flexible_coupling said:
South Australian Railways' 900-class. I know some people love them over here... but I'm repulsed!

http://www.johnnyspages.com/classic...-3508_900_944_bl32_le_mile_end_25-10-1988.jpg
Click to expand...
How can you say that?! Under the Alco inspired styling is an English Electric 16SVT. And they were built in 1951 by South Australian Railways, amazingly successful and reliable especially as the only experience the SAR design team had was in building two 350 class shunters - basically a Bo-Bo version of the EE 350 hp 0-6-0 shunter with bogies copied from the pre war GE 'Y type' switcher.
 
flexible_coupling

flexible_coupling

Western Thunderer
I think the key is the "Alco-inspired styling" and the front radiators (I've always assumed they're radiators or intakes on the snout?). Like the QR '1250'-class... seems to be just not quite fully finished! I'm not a huge fan of the 930/44 class aesthetics either (they look like they've been sat on!) - but the styling is consistent and considered at least...

For our friends overseas;
SAR 930-class "world" model... built to a quite short loading gauge; http://www.railsa.org/motive-power/diesel-locomotives/930-class/#

QR '1250'-class - with the curious hybrid full-width cab and "hood" body... https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_uWX7TiEMN5I/TPdGWi9q60I/AAAAAAAAH_g/thO9nDBd0HQ/s400/100_7931.jpg
 
Osgood

Osgood

Western Thunderer
A very apt title to the thread - so ugly the're gorgeous.

So why does the same title seem so inappropriate for the Class 70?

Would it be fair to suggest the subjects of the thread were designed with a consistent artistic flair - I'd suggest primarily the work of one person? You either love it or hate it but the design almost forces you to form a view. My first view of them was one of :eek:, but it took only a second look to begin to appreciate the creativity that went into the design.

I fear the best that can be said of the Class 70 is that it seems to be the result of a quantity of extremely well cooked and presented dishes, each one no doubt skilfully created and tasty - but which (sadly) once digested, mixed with the others and ejected, takes on the generic appearance of :shit: . And as for the paint job - it just makes matters worse. :eek:

I'd wager a small bet it is a committee design. I have to agree with Tom's comments above.

I quite appreciate that this is personal taste and there will be some out there who simply love the Class 70 and its dress- but my view for what its worth is that with this particular piece of engineering we seem to have lost all concept of the art of engineering.

We seem to be a million miles away from those early engineers who in the media of cast iron created not only form but beauty :(

In fact the more I look at the Class 70 the more attractive I find the Thunderbird locos :thumbs:
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Jordan said:
I thought they were known as "Predators" :confused:
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They may well be, but I've only seen references to "Ugly Betty". If anything "Predator" suits them better.

Now, there's the old adage "handsome is as handsome does". Those who know their BR pilot scheme diesel history will know the unsightly ones really did tend to be the poorest of the bunch. The Metro-Vick Co-Bo, the NB Type 2s, even the poor old original Warships, all had somewhat unfortunate looks and didn't really last the course.

Then again, how do you account for the Derby Sulzers? :confused:
 
Dikitriki

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Heather Kay said:
. Those who know their BR pilot scheme diesel history will know the unsightly ones really did tend to be the poorest of the bunch. The Metro-Vick Co-Bo, the NB Type 2s, even the poor old original Warships, all had somewhat unfortunate looks and didn't really last the course.
Click to expand...

Co-Bo and original warship. My 2 favourite diesels. They were so unusual and interesting:) Fred's 1/32 original warship is on my 'most wanted' list - and if anyone has an untouched Beatty Co-Bo on a shelf, I'll take it off their hands.

Richard
 
Osgood

Osgood

Western Thunderer
Heather Kay said:
…..The Metro-Vick Co-Bo,….
Click to expand...

Sorry Heather - but I quite liked the Co-Bo too :D. Admittedly an uninspiring style (looked like a processed loaf on wheels) but at least it was consistent with the era. Certainly an oddball design in terms of bogies (but nonetheless innovative), and I believe it was none too successful (was it reliability issues or design?).


Mind you I have a thing for oddballs - like 5 cylinder engines. I acquired an old Gardner 5LW ex Bristol bus c/w radiator, we got it running in the workshop and every time I walked past it (at least 8 times a day) I just had to press the starter and listen to it idle away for a few minutes. A week or so later I totted up the time I'd 'wasted' :eek: and put it away in a trailer so I couldn't play with it. Mmm, must get it out again :).
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Oh, don't get me wrong. I love the oddballs. The Co-Bo is one of my favourites from the era, by turns great industrial design yet flawed by the wrong choice of power plant.
 
OzzyO

OzzyO

Western Thunderer
Sorry I don't know any thing about it. Just came across it when trawling the web.

It has a North Eastern, Scottish feel to it.

OzzyO.
 
Osgood

Osgood

Western Thunderer
It certainly has a 'Back to the Future' feel to it :D

But a new one on me - I'd like to learn more about it. Was it called THE BITSA?
 
InvernessTMD

InvernessTMD

Western Thunderer
Not some wierd form of Garrett? Though both sets of wheels are the same way round, ie, 0-4-4 0-4-4...
Having said that, it kinda looks suspicious, there are a few things but I can't put my finger on it!
 
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