Best looking traction and units.

[Offertonhatter]

I know it is shallow to decide on the best looking trains, but hey, we all like trains, the appeal of the motion, the sound of steam, the exhilaration of the speed.
So, I ask for you to have a think of the best looking of the following.
Obviously most will rely on the colour scheme too.
so for the first five catagories, there will be two answers.

So here we go

Best looking Diesel Locomotive (current and all time)
Best looking Electric Loco (Current and all time)
Best looking DMU (current and all time)
Best looking EMU (current and all time)
Best looking railcar (current and all time)
And for all you heritage lovers
Best looking Steam loco

Give it a go, it might be fun

 

[BestWestern]

Diesel Loco - Class 50. Looks powerful, impressive all round.

'Leccy Loco - Class 90. Not glam, but functional and smart.

DMU - Class 175. Bit of a one hit wonder but one of the nicest looking second gen designs. Class 158 would be the smartest ganway-equipped design.

EMU - Class 442 Wessex Electric and Class 332/3 Siemens stock. Sorry, can't decide between the two!

I'll leave the kettles to those with a more vintage judgement!

 

[Tracked]

Diesel - 37

Electric - 92, then 87

DMU - 180, then 101

EMU - 323, then 309

 

[sprinterguy]

Gresleys' V2s were a thing of beauty. A more compact variant of his wonderful Pacifics, and still just as elegant.

Rather worryingly, now that I've lived in Birmingham for a few years, I've started to appreciate the look of certain Great Western loco classes, specifically the Castles, Manors and Granges, and the 4300s.

Of the entire diesel and electric spectrum in the UK, I would have to vote the fantastic "Blue Pullman" trainsets as the best looking of the lot.

I'm not normally a fan of hydraulics, but I do like the look of the Westerns. As for more modern diesel locos, the look of 56s seems to exude power and a workmanlike attitude, and I feel the same way about 60s. I like EE locos with noses, specifically 37s and 40s, the Deltics look far too bulky though from a purely aesthetic point of view.

I really like the look of 87s, especially in their original form with the small "laser" headlight.

170s have a very pleasing, neat and tidy, appearance IMO, and although they are by and large purely functional, I think the 156 is a very well "balanced" design. I think I'd vote 156s as the best looking of the currently operated DMUs. In terms of older stuff, 124s looked good, and I also like the 108s and 110s.

I'd probably have to give the 323s my vote as the best looking 25kV overhead EMU, although the 332s and 333s are also good looking trains. Of the third rail stuff, then I'd have to suggest the class 442 Wessex Electrics, preferably with the panels over the jumper cables attached.

 

[Alan1310]

Best looking Diesel Locomotive class 60 and all time class 60
Best looking Electric Loco class 91 and all time class 91
Best looking DMU class 180 and all time ????????
Best looking EMU class 365 and all time 303 when blue
Best looking railcar class 153 and all time 121

Best looking Steam loco morphy richards Black Opera II with opional
wistle on boil :roll::roll:

 

[Offertonhatter]

Nice choice there BestWestern

As I started the thread, I better put mine

Best looking Diesel Locomotive (current and all time)
Current - Virgin Class 57 "Zombie" without additional coupling - What a way to give the
Old Class 47 a new and glamorous look.
All time - Class 35 "Hymek" in either BR green or BR blue. It's not the glamourpuss Deltic, but I love its little size and clean lines...
Best looking Electric Loco (Current and all time)
Current - Class 90 in intercity colours
All time - Class 87 - It exudes class and power, just looking at it you knew it was the king of Electric locos. Of course in BR blue.
Best looking DMU (current and all time)
Current - Class 180 "adelante" - In GC colours. The shape apes speed, very sleek, but with a retro classic GC colour of black with orange band. Very cool.
All time - There is only one, the HST! But which scheme? It did look rather great in Intercity colours.
Best looking EMU (current and all time)
Current - 390 of course! Sleek, stylish and wears the Virgin colours beautifully. Like the 180, it exudes speed. Special mention must go to the 323 in GMPTE colours. Wonderful train, wonderful colours.
All Time - Errr - 390! It is a better looker than the 370 APT.
Best looking railcar (current and all time)
Current - Err, It has to be the 153 in regional railways colours
All time - GWR railcar aka "the flying banana" Typical Art Deco design of the period, and beautiful as a result.
And for all you heritage lovers
Best looking Steam loco
I am a lover of GWR Castles and Kings with their brunswick green and brass, but there is something about a blue Gresley A4 with spats - aka Mallard - Beautiful!

 

[150222]

Diesel locomotive: Class 67.
Electric locomotive: Class 89.
DMU: Class 142. (Yes really!)
EMU: Class 333.
Railcar: Class 153.

 

[Minilad]

Diesel Loco Class 50
Electric Loco Class 87
DMU HST ?
EMU Class 442
Railcar Bubbles
Steam No Idea

 

[WL113]

Best looking diesel, the original Warships-D600 Class.

Best looking electric, Class 84.

Best units? Blue Pullman and APT-P

 

[Lampshade]

Current/All time

Diesel loco: 40/50 (in BR Large Logo)
Electric loco: 89/91 (IC Swallow)
DMU: 180 and... 180.
EMU: 458 as current and quite possibly 465 for all time, though I'd still say 458
Railcar: 153/121
Steam: Mallard. Just Mallard. Even the other A4s are mediocre by comparison.

 

[sprinterguy]

Steam: Mallard. Just Mallard. Even the other A4s are mediocre by comparison.

Nah, 'Gresley does it for me. Number 7 is my favourite A4. I'm quite keen on the short lived BR express passenger blue livery.

 

[Temple Meads]

Best looking Diesel Locomotive (current and all time) Hymeks, or if it counts, Class 43.
Best looking Electric Loco (Current and all time) Class 90.
Best looking DMU (current and all time) Class 180.
Best looking EMU (current and all time) Class 460.
Best looking railcar (current and all time) AEC No. 22
Best looking Steam loco A4 Pacific

As you can tell, I'm a big fan of pointed front designs.

 

[deltic1989]

Diesel: well you know what im going to say here..... Lol
Electric: 89001 just looks good to be for some reason.
DMU: i like 158's have always looked good to me maybe because i grew up with them.
EMU: though i never rode on one i liked the look of the southern slammers

 

[asylumxl]

Best looking Diesel Locomotive: Class 60
Best looking Electric Loco: Class 91
Best looking DMU: Class 222
Best looking EMU: Class 390
Best looking railcar: Class 153
Best looking Steam loco: SR Merchant Navy

 

[IanPooleTrains]

DMU: Class 142.

What were you smoking when you thought of that?

Best looking diesel - Class 42 Warships
Best looking electric loco - Class 91
Best looking DMU - Class 180, espec in the Grand Central livery, it just looks right!
Best looking EMU - Class 390! Especially 390004!
Best looking railcar - Class 108
Best looking steam loco - Earl Of Mount Edgcumbe, especially if the sun hits her in the right spot

 

[GNER 373]

My two-penneth...

Diesel loco: Class 55 Deltic Prototype with Whiskers
Electric loco: Class 91 in GNER colours
DMU: 180 in GC colours
EMU: 373 Eurostar in GNER colours (see Avatar)
Railcar: Class 158 in TPE Purple and Gold
Steam: Mallard. Or Flying Scotsman. Or Duchess of Hamilton (Streamlined).

 

[HSTEd]

Best looking Diesel Locomotive (current and all time): Cl 60, it just looks like it means business, nice utilitarian look
Best looking Electric Loco (Current and all time): Class 91, I just love the front end
Best looking DMU (current and all time): Cl 222 and Cl 251/61
Best looking EMU (current and all time): Cl 442, again utilitarian and functional look
Best looking railcar (current and all time): Cl 143 or Cl 101, the classic

 

[Simon Poole]

Diesel loco: Class 37
Electric loco: Class 86s or 87s
DMU: The Blue Pullman!
DMU Modern: Class 222
EMU: Class 350/1
Railcar: Class 121
Steam: 5043 Earl Of Mount Edgcumbe

 

[es373]

My two-penneth...

Diesel loco: Class 55 Deltic Prototype with Whiskers
Electric loco: Class 91 in GNER colours
DMU: 180 in GC colours
EMU: 373 Eurostar in GNER colours (see Avatar)
Railcar: Class 158 in TPE Purple and Gold
Steam: Mallard. Or Flying Scotsman. Or Duchess of Hamilton (Streamlined).

*thumbs up* Good man!

 

[Tomonthetrain]

Diesel locomotive: Class 66
Electric locomotive: Class 90
DMU: Class 172/2
EMU: Class 390/395 for that mousey look
Railcar: Class 139

 

[NSE]

Diesel loco: 67
Electric Loco: 91
EMU: 377 (don't shoot :P)
DMU: 222
Railcar: 153 if that counts

 

[CosherB]

All except the steam loco are boxes on wheels, and therefore by definition not good looking (though the Western Region tried, with the Westerns and Hymeks).

Steam locos? Tough call between a Stanier Coronation pacific (un-streamlined of course) and a 9F.

 

[ACE1888]

Best looking Diesel Locomotive (current and all time) Class 52 'Western'
Best looking Electric Loco (Current and all time) Class 87
Best looking DMU (current and all time) Class 118
Best looking EMU (current and all time) Class 442 'Wessex'
Best looking railcar (current and all time) Class 121 'Bubble'
And for all you heritage lovers
Best looking Steam loco Class 9F
and Best Looking One Off 'Prototype' 'Kestrel' (what a 'Beast')

 

[YorkshireBear]

Going to go Current/All time like some others have.

Diesel Loco: 37/25
Electric Loco: 90/87
DMU: 170/170 I like them
EMU: 333/333 I like them too
Railcar: 153 and 121 Both look great.
Steam loco: Really like the Standard 4 Tank

 

[chris89]

Best looking Diesel Locomotive: Class 52 'Western', Class 37's
Best looking Electric Loco: Class 91's, 92's
Best looking DMU: Class 150s, Class 172 2/3s, Class 221 (i know :P i like them alot)
Best looking EMU: Class 350s, 380s, 390s
Best looking railcar: Class 121s, 153 count? 139's

Best looking Steam loco: 78xx (Manors) 28xxs, Halls, Granges, Praries small and large, 1501, 56xxs,
Best Looking One Off: Class 89 Just looks ace and cool

Chris

 

[507 001]

Best looking Diesel Locomotive: Class 70's They have really grown on me haha
Best looking Electric Loco: Class 73's
Best looking DMU: 158 in the new ATW/WAG livery
Best looking EMU: got to be the Production PEP's, so classes 313/314/315/507/508
Best looking railcar: Don't really have one!

Best looking Steam loco: Does narrow guage count? either an SAR/SAS NG15 or the L&B manning wardles, because they are both low and long, sleek almost.
Best Looking One Off: Got to be the flying badger, Class 89

 

[GNER 373]

Best looking Diesel Locomotive: Class 52 'Western', Class 37's
Best looking Electric Loco: Class 91's, 92's
Best looking DMU: Class 150s, Class 172 2/3s, Class 221 (i know :P i like them alot)
Best looking EMU: Class 350s, 380s, 390s
Best looking railcar: Class 121s, 153 count? 139's

Best looking Steam loco: 78xx (Manors) 28xxs, Halls, Granges, Praries small and large, 1501, 56xxs,
Best Looking One Off: Class 89 Just looks ace and cool
Chris

Fully Agree!

 

[trentside]

Best Looking Diesel Loco: Class 55 'Deltic'
Best Looking Electric Loco: Class 91
Best Looking DMU: Class 180
Best Looking EMU: LU 1938 Stock (Class 483 - IoW)

 

[Schnellzug]

Nah, 'Gresley does it for me. Number 7 is my favourite A4. I'm quite keen on the short lived BR express passenger blue livery.

The certainly look a lot better without the fairings over the Wheels. Bittern looked a whole lot better as Bittern than as DoNZ.
Anyway, what where the questions...?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
So here we go

Best looking Diesel Locomotive
current 47
all time 47; they may be still disliked by some but it really doesn't look like a design that was introduced nearly 50 years ago, thanks to the lack of all those fiddly grilles and all that in the bodyside.

Best looking Electric Loco
Current hmm, tough one; they're not exactly noted for their beauty.
all time again, hmmm. I would say SNCF BB 7200/15000/22200, but I suppose we're talking about UK. In which case, dunno really

Best looking DMU
Current 180, easy (at least, as long as it has the covers over the couplers, which i really don't think there's any excuse for leaving off, as it's not as if they're used all the time.)
all time The Trans-Pennine ones were quite good looking, class 123, wasn't it.

Best looking EMU
current 442 (with, crucially, the covers over the pipes & cables, same as with 180s.)
all time

Best looking railcar
all time Daisy.

And for all you heritage lovers
Best looking Steam loco
Duchess (w/smoke deflectors), Castle (pref. single chimeny), Britannia.

 

[sprinterguy]

The certainly look a lot better without the fairings over the Wheels. Bittern looked a whole lot better as Bittern than as DoNZ.

I personally think that the best combination of appearance of an A4 is in original condition (with fairings) wearing LNER garter blue livery, and that the BR brunswick green treatment of their later years was shockingly bad. However, A4s look good regardless, and as I say I have a soft spot for the fairing-less 4498 and am keen on the BR dark blue livery.

all time The Trans-Pennine ones were quite good looking, class 123, wasn't it.

Depends which ones you mean: The 6-car units that were built specifically for the Transpennine route and had the nice, rounded full width cabs and curved glass windscreens were class 124. These were later joined by their class 123 cousins when they moved up from the Western region, which had the ugly cab end corridors.