The aesthetic thread aka "Fugly"

[thenudehamster]

Couple of points, one to clarify a few things, one an opinion:
First, it's cheaper to build in the USA because the pound sterling is considerably higher in value than it used to be. This makes dollars comparatively cheap, so a loco which costs, shall we say, two million dollars to build in the USA, might well cost two million pounds to build in the UK. The US cost equates to only about one point three million pounds, so the logic is easy to see. A general rule of thumb if you're comparing is that whatever it costs in dollars over there, is probably numerically about the same as what it would cost in pounds over here. They're possibly a little cheaper to build over there because most US engines are two-stroke, therefore simpler mechanically, though I don't know precisely which engines they'll use in this new one. Most of the development work for the componentry - engine, transmissions, bogies, motors, etc. has already been done, so the cost of that does not have to be factored in, which it would be for a UK built machine - including designing or importing a suitable engine - and costs go up still further. Not only that, but the locomotive building capability of any of the UK's former works was run down donkey's years back; such manufacturing capability we still have is all MU based. It has little to do with build quality, reliability, or labour relations directly; it's pure economics.

The opinion is simple: How could anyone have designed anything of such pure and unrelieved ugliness? The Class 58 was an attempt at a nice looking loco that nearly made it, but not quite. The Class 66 was an exercise in elegance. The 67 was a classic example of how not to design simplistically; it may have had simple lines, but the proportions were all wrong, and the angles and curves poorly realised. It had no 'presence', which the 66 has in abundance.
This new thing takes all the worst features of the old 58 and combines them with the worst of the 67 into a nightmare. Yuk!

[AlistairW]

The engines will be GE J616 which although proven are only proven as natural gas engines (the train ones will be diesel ) starting static generators and will be 4-stoke.

[jbilton]

Hi
I wonder how it will sound ....... lets hope for lots of noise and clag...

As the article has moved from the original link



http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/sing ... wse/4.html

I must be in my own camp as I prefer 67s over 66s ........ paint one in BR Blueand they would look great.

Could be worse............



Cheers
Jon

[buffy500]

Is that the Manchester & Liverpool spec class 66 ?

[jbilton]

Is that the Manchester & Liverpool spec class 66 ?

Eear watch it lar ......(in a scouse accent)........

I previously forgot to add that the steel workers of Scunthorpe might not be quite so pleased with American imports ....... but perhaps they can complain to their newly elected BNP European MP.
I wonder if the now German owned railway will start to order at least European locos..... either that or go back to sinking American ships mid Atlantic..

Cheers
Jon

[jbilton]

Hi
I cant help thinking the designer got some help from these



Cheers
Jon

[alexnick]

Is that the Manchester & Liverpool spec class 66 ?

Eear watch it lar ......(in a scouse accent)........

I previously forgot to add that the steel workers of Scunthorpe might not be quite so pleased with American imports ....... but perhaps they can complain to their newly elected BNP European MP.
I wonder if the now German owned railway will start to order at least European locos..... either that or go back to sinking American ships mid Atlantic..

Cheers
Jon

But would the Germans know what to do with all these unelectrified lines? And the main German freight-hauling diesels are Russian built anyway.

AN

[jbilton]

But would the Germans know what to do with all these unelectrified lines? And the main German freight-hauling diesels are Russian built anyway.

AN

Ahh ... Russian diesels .......... now you're talking.
I'd love to see them things clagging past my house anyday.
Is there a Russian word for silencer ...

Cheers
Jon

[Wikkus]

Ahh ... Russian diesels .......... now you're talking.
I'd love to see them things clagging past my house anyday.

Really?! Or is my sarcasm filter defective?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH6TgfseK_4

Say what you like about the aesthetic appeal (or otherwise) of the GE thing that I set this thread off with, but sure as eggs is eggs it'll be a saint in terms of emissions compared to this beast.

Rik.

[arabiandisco]

That thing is overfuelling to a ridiculous degree to be making that much smoke. Some kind of turbo fault perhaps? No way is that normal & correct operation...

And no, the truck isn't ugly at all. I'd still rather see that GE thing pulling freight than the most aesthetically pleasing truck you could imagine...

[Wikkus]

That thing is overfuelling to a ridiculous degree to be making that much smoke. Some kind of turbo fault perhaps? No way is that normal & correct operation...

And no, the truck isn't ugly at all. I'd still rather see that GE thing pulling freight than the most aesthetically pleasing truck you could imagine...

Heh, check out some of the related vids in the list, including this gem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEETEOcQ ... re=related

Cheers, Rik.

[jbilton]

Hi
Thanks for them Rik ......... brilliant.
I'm back onto my Russian MSTS soon.

Cheers
Jon

[MCR247]

I guess thats their Class 37, and to them, our 37 is their eco friendly loco! :p

[overmarze]

No way this cant be?

http://twitpic.com/9vhyq

[jbilton]

Hi
Maybe

http://forums.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic. ... 43&t=96498

Cheers
Jon