ugly trains

[flyboy559]

UK locos are actually easier to maintain as they have less components. Plus, most of them lasted a good deal longer than their US counterparts.

Not always. The Heisler at Roaring Camp in California was built in 1899/1900 and worked for its original owner untill 1963. Its been running there since about 1965. But I digress. Personally Ive never been a big fan of russian locomotives.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=432496&nseq=1

 

[haddock56]

Oh really Nathanmallard? Well, the PRR had some of the best steamers out there. N&W's steamers were also among the best. The NYC S-1 Niagaras were an exceptional class of engines. Oh, and by the way, SP 4449 looks better than the British A4.

 

[Blutorse4792]

The F-7 Hudson was just as attractive, if not prettier than the Mallard and rivaled its speed - 125mph recorded on a run between Chicago and Milwaukee. Used to get orders to "slow to 100mph" when they hit the diamond at Rondout.

 

[nathanmallard]

What? I never critiscised US locos in my post. I just drew a comparison for jadebullet., I wasn't saying US locos are unreliable. Go and take your stupid contrived argument somewhere else! (Also read the CoC)

 

[flyboy559]

Woah, I was just saying that lack of maintenance requiring parts does not always mean longevity. I don't want to be misunderstood that way. If it came across like that, sorry.

 

[505657j]

What? I never critiscised US locos in my post. I just drew a comparison for jadebullet., I wasn't saying US locos are unreliable. Go and take your stupid contrived argument somewhere else! (Also read the CoC)

Your original post said that just because they were not takin out of service until much later in their lives meant longevity, because diesels were fast to replace steam in the US, even the ones that were built during the late steam era. Many of the more modern steam locomotives had some of the shortest life spans, because they came at the end of their era

 

[nathanmallard]

Your right. I had the flawed argument. I forgot that diesels came much earlier in the US. I made a dumb mistake. Sorry

 

[opus722]

Forget debating the aesthetics of US vs UK locomotive design. Google some of the East German Deutsche Reichsbahn equipment and gasp in horror at the truly ugly monsters that came out of the DDR. Keep in mind that most, if not all, modern rail equipment that survived WWII was hauled off by the Soviet Union as reparations so the East Germans were still running steam in mainline service well into the 1970s and even the 80s. I've read stories of steam operations on branch lines continuing right up to reunification. Not sure if any of these have been posted before since I didn't read all 1200+ posts.

DR Class 119. What a P42DC would look like if you smashed it into a wall and tried to fit into a narrow tunnel.

DR 250. Intermodal containers have more curved lines than this thing.

 

[haddock56]

*le gasp* Those things are just.....................ugly. That DR 250 looks like a chopped and modified intermodal container one wheels. O.O

 

[Blutorse4792]

The vast majority of U.S. steam was gone by 1960. A few smaller railroads held out for another 5 years or so.

 

[chickenlover]

One day I saw a pee yellow BNSF Dash 9 and a BNSF SD40-2 with pee yellow lettering.

 

[rjhowie]

That should be 'Britain' chickenlover not 'England.'

 

[jadebullet]

I am just wondering how UK steam had less components than US steam. I know that UK had more instances of poppet valve gear, which is pretty cool, but a maintenance access issue. (and have a problem above a certain speed, which is a shame because they are really cool.)

I was just talking about the base components of running a steam locomotive that I thought all post 1920 locos had. Air system, steam system, and water system. What components do US engines have that UK engines don't have?

BTW, I am not being all US is greater than UK here. I am legitimately curious.


Oh, and you can't claim that US engines didn't have as much longevity as UK engines due to how long they lasted after dieselization, you would have to compare prewar figures, which would probably be comparable. The US was able to dieselize faster than the UK since the US wasn't bombed to all hell during the war and had a bunch of spare capital, while the UK had to spend that money on reconstruction so they had to make due with steam.

 

[Blutorse4792]

Dieselization in the U.S. may have actually occurred even earlier if not for WWII. It is to my understanding that the production of new diesel locomotives was halted to divert those materials to the war effort (EMD was allowed some leeway, as their locomotive production was exclusively diesel).

 

[Kris94]

Dieselization in the U.S. may have actually occurred even earlier if not for WWII. It is to my understanding that the production of new diesel locomotives was halted to divert those materials to the war effort (EMD was allowed some leeway, as their locomotive production was exclusively diesel).

Yes that's very true. However Baldwin and ALCO had built diesels too. I think the S class switchers were one of them I can't remember which company though and I don't know what diesels were built by ALCO and Baldwin however.

 

[bassist118]

I'm pretty sure I'm entitled to my opinion. i don't care why its so famous....its ugly to me. actually i find all british loco's to be ugly

Oooooh watchout lads he's got his handbag out, your a true Diva, just turn on those heals and flick that hair :hehe:

You just stopped me from buying anything else from Jointed Rail................Heehee

Andy

 

[jadebullet]

Dieselization in the U.S. may have actually occurred even earlier if not for WWII. It is to my understanding that the production of new diesel locomotives was halted to divert those materials to the war effort (EMD was allowed some leeway, as their locomotive production was exclusively diesel).

You are partially correct. During the war there were restrictions in place on the manufacturers but it wasn't a blanket ban. Instead the manufacturers were restricted in what they could make. EMD was given exclusive right to cab unit manufacture while Alco, Baldwin, and Lima were given all hood type units as well as steam locomotive manufacture. Numbers for all of these were restricted though as was maintenance and materials used. As such, diesel purchases were pretty low until post war when the restrictions s were lifted. The war provided the railroads with a surplus of capital but also an almost destroyed physical plant due to deferred maintenance and high volume of traffic during the war. As such they had to spend this money on repairing and replacing tired track, equipment and locomotives. Some railroads went with steam such as the Norfolk Western which ended up producing the most advanced steam locos until a president change, while others like the Susquehanna diesel iced as soon as they could. Sadly the capital invested in repairing the plant drained the accounts of the railroads and a changing economic environment made it so that they couldn't recover these costs. Had WWII never happened though it probably would have been a longer time until the railroads went full diesel due to the depression as well as there not being a forced need to upgrade.

 

[chickenlover]

That should be 'Britain' chickenlover not 'England.'

I have no idea on what you are talking about

 

[jadebullet]

Pretty much the United Kingdom of England is kind of complicated in its naming. Correct me if I am wrong but the UK and England refer to the empire as a whole, and included Scotland, Wales, and Britain and some more places that I am forgetting I think. Britain on the other hand refers to the country of Britain only. It is kind of like a state, but also different.

Correct me if I am wrong though. I am American so I don't have the best understanding of how the procedures of the UK are carried out though I am extremely eager to learn.

 

[simulatortrain]

Oooooh watchout lads he's got his handbag out, your a true Diva, just turn on those heals and flick that hair :hehe:

You just stopped me from buying anything else from Jointed Rail................Heehee

Andy

It's funny cause he wasn't even a JR member when he said that... Heehee