Vote for the World's Ugliest Train - Just for Fun

To be honest, what's inside a train really doesn't count since 90% of the time your first impression is what's hauling those passenger cars: the engine. Of course, in the case of the DMU/EMU, this is all one in the same. On top of that, you have to balance form with function -- or how beautiful it is in the context of what it's hauling. Yeah, the engine may be as ugly as a pug but if it's hauling freight, you forgive it.

So you have a range (with examples): beautiful (FL-9), meh (GP series), ugly (modded GP9's), so ugly it's beautiful (steam engines), and OMG PUT IT OUT OF IT'S MISERY (that Scotrail Class 385).

And thus my takes:

• Scotrail Class 385: No, Jimmy "Schnozzola" Durante or even Jamie Farr are beautiful in comparison with this EMU set. Even if you EMU'ed the Bombardier MultiLevel that MARC/NJT use would be better than this mess.
• Chop-nozed GP9: Oh gawd, what happened? They took something ugly and made it uglier. I wouldn't want this even as a road switcher.
• SD40-2 on an SD45T-2 frame: Ugly. Needs viagra.
• CP1152: Almost as bad as the chop-nozed GP9. Going on a diet via a chainsaw would be better. This is a GP9 to GP20 to specialty equipment conversion... and it looks "Why?"
• ALCO RS2M: Meh. Kinda like the GP40's.
• RRPX 2001 (modded GP9): Ugly. Forgivable if it was a road switcher but everywhere else makes you wonder.
• RPI RP15BDF: Meh.
• NRVE 5007: Meh. It's a BART utility vehicle.
• SC-44's: Beautiful, but on the low end.
• Stadler FLIRT: Also beautiful, on the low end.
• Stadler NJT RiverLINE DMU: Ugly.
• MTA Maryland Light Rail: Ugly.
• BritRail Class 745: Straddles the line between beautiful and ugly. A Brit would think otherwise.
• Talgo 350: It looks like a comic book duck. Ugly.
• Taglo Avril: It looks like a duck in a wind tunnel near a black hole. Slighly less ugly than the 350, but still ugly.
• Acela Avelia Liberty: Meh. Not ugly, but not beautiful. Better than the Taglo's!
• BQ23-7: Freight. Meh.
• BritRail 785/196: Oh so THAT's where that came from. I'd rather look at the 196 (which is meh) than the BOMBARDIER AVENTRA (785) (right inside ugly) and the 385 (WTF?!?)
• UPP 403: That's a power unit. SKIP.
• Caf/Sunsundegui 2700: Meh.

That said, a few words on East Japan Railway's Train Suite Shiki-shima: Gah they got the ends wrong. It's a beautiful train otherwise... but the ends ruin it. The designer must of gotten inspiration from beluga whales, sharks... no, Sergals. Freakin' cheese-head Sergals. Outside of that... damn, that train goes on the bucket list.

Oh oh. The new Acela may be in the running now too!

Those eyes give me the creeps.

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:30 pm Oh oh. The new Acela may be in the running now too!Acela.jpg

See! That engine up front is pure "meh".

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:30 pm Oh oh. The new Acela may be in the running now too!Acela.jpg

The "mouth" needs some shark teeth.

spRocket wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 3:50 am

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:30 pm Oh oh. The new Acela may be in the running now too!Acela.jpg

The "mouth" needs some shark teeth.

Is great idea! Is great idea!!! Om nom nom, om nom.

(It's the morning, I'm just having coffee now and feeling silly. Sue me. )

Amtrak should make the power cars all one color- maybe black or silver. That would help.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 7:53 am

spRocket wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 3:50 am

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:30 pm Oh oh. The new Acela may be in the running now too!Acela.jpg

The "mouth" needs some shark teeth.

Is great idea! Is great idea!!!
Acela-omnomnom.jpg
Om nom nom, om nom.

(It's the morning, I'm just having coffee now and feeling silly. Sue me. )

This is beautiful!

Also the power cars could have been painted better, but they should still be in amtrak colors.

The Acela power cars need antennae added, one on each side of the face of the power car.

SouthernRailway wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 10:35 am The Acela power cars need antennae added, one on each side of the face of the power car.

I really doubt the addition of deely boppers will help the looks... or aerodynamics.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Sun May 10, 2020 9:21 am

SouthernRailway wrote: ↑Sat May 09, 2020 10:35 am The Acela power cars need antennae added, one on each side of the face of the power car.

I really doubt the addition of deely boppers will help the looks... or aerodynamics.

I'm seeing a whole different face on the top above the cab. It kind of looks like boppers.

Or cat ears. Like this experimental Japanese high speed train (Fastech 360): https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2006/ ... rgg5eopA0M

But for now, here is the Avelia with boopers.

Worth noting - some stuff is much better in person, IE Scotrail 385. It's not amazing, but not offensive like we perceive it to be.

I don't have a big list of "ugly" trains but I don't really like any shops-based mods of the cab/nose, IE chop noses. There are some really rough GP9, RS1/2/3 (IE Detroit & Mackinac), and especially those Mexican early roadswitcher mods with full-width cabs. Woof. There's also an RS1 in NOLA with no nose at all. Just a big platform.

Thomas the Tank engine and friends. Ok on TV, not so much for real.

Get off my weeds( no grass to speak of).

phillyrube wrote: ↑Wed May 20, 2020 9:27 am Thomas the Tank engine and friends. Ok on TV, not so much for real.

Which one?!

Thomas, the poor-performing LBSCR E2 in real life, Diesel, the British Rail CLass 08 replacement, or Rosie, the E2s' actual replacement based on the USRA 0-6-0 export tank engine? Specific examples of other characters can be listed here too.

phillyrube wrote: ↑Wed May 20, 2020 9:27 am Thomas the Tank engine and friends.

Cute enough to save Edaville! Well most of it anyway.