The aesthetic thread aka "Fugly"

[chriscooper]

It's alright people saying "it's just a freight loco, it's not supposed to look good" but there is a difference between not looking good and looking ugly. The design team must have worked hard to make it that ugly. Something like the Class 58 is a symbol of basic, functional design, basically a series of boxes on an underframe. It's not pretty, but nobody would call it ugly. This thing though!

One thing that I find interesting with the first view is the width of the cab back window. It seems much wider than either a 20 or a 58, suggesting either the cab is wider, or the body narrower. They also seem long too, although centre throw above the walkway would be lower than on a normal design due to the narrow body. Oviously all the routes they will be operating over are W7 or W8 gauge (being for containers), but this only effects height, width being less than the standard W6.

[staticxfreak]

Wow, that makes the Fell loco (10100) look good.

[AlistairW]

Not that the livery matters but they've given a very boxy and square loco and very curvy paint job and it doesn't go. However if it hauls 3000 tonnes faster then what we currently have then I'm more than happy to welcome it to the UK.

[salopiangrowler]

the lifvery compliments its ugliness and i quite like it.

[Wikkus]

At the risk of being accused of "thread necro'ing", I found this elsewhere on 'tinterweb' :

"The front of the cabs are a result of future proofing the design to the pending locomotive TSI.

The TSI calls up two euro norms that require a 3m cube survival space in the cab for the driver as well as the requirement to fit anti-climbers.

As a result we have three stage crash provisions:

Stage 1 - Collapsible buffers
Stage 2 - Anti climbers engage to prevent climbing and also second stage crush zone
Stage 3 - Crush box hidden behind the buffers. "

So, there you go, form following function.

Rik.

[dorlan]

They've arrived....

First Class 70's Dock at Newport

[batling]

Hi,

Some good photos there.

Actually, although they are strange looking things and not exactly aesthetically pleasing, my first thought when faced with the finished article was they're not that bad... still a nasty design in terms of what has been in the past (and I guess what I base my opinions on) and what I think a loco should look like but its not as offensive as I thought it would be now they've had a lick of paint.

Its nicely proportioned and you can tell its based on the Dash 9 designs with the roof and the million access doors!

Ant

[salopiangrowler]

135 metric tonnes that effectivley makes it the UK's heaviest freight locomotive and meant to have the same RA as a 66

[Wikkus]

They've arrived....

First Class 70's Dock at Newport

Good find, Ian, thanks.

Now I've got over the initial reaction of recoiling in horror, I'll need to see one at work

Rik.

[Easilyconfused]

Looks are purely for the artistic types. As an engineer I am more interested in do they perform to specification. Function over looks.

Sure they have the same "beauty" as my mother-in-law i.e. about the same as a mature Jersey cow but if they can haul the loads and do the job then who cares ?

[jbilton]

Hi
Must just be me.... but I quite like them... although I've never been over keen of the Freightliner livery.

Cheers
Jon

[chriscooper]

Interesting seeing the cab for the first time. Looks to be the first UK train with a "glass cockpit" (other than the UK additions of AWS and TPWS, all instruments on on the screens). It also has big differences when it comes to braking controls from standard UK freight practice. It's actually the first new cab I've seen where I've really thought "wow, that's different". Even with new units the cabs don't look that far from what's gone before (those 395 cabs look very 1990s, basically a Eurostar with a few LCD screens), and the basic freight cab hasn't changed since the 58s (the same basic cab layout was used on the 58, 59 and 60, and heavily copied for the 66, with the 90s and 91s having a lot in common).

[danielw2599]

Im not sure I like the cab layout to be honest. At least with the 66 you could lean back with your upper body fully supported by the chair with all controls at easy reach. With this Class 70 it appears that you are going to have to lean foward to reach the main controls, which is not too good if your going to be driving for any length of time. The pillar seems to be in an awkquad location too.

As fo for the loco in general, its slowly starting to grow on me.

Though I guess time will tell.

[salopiangrowler]

Cruise control???

[spartacus]

Good find, Ian, thanks.

Now I've got over the initial reaction of recoiling in horror, I'll need to see one at work

Rik.

Best bet is to find yourself a vantage point between Birmingham and Crewe for the next couple of days.....