Trivia: Good Designs

[PeterY]

I've just read 200+ pages of major design faults and some post are quite amusing.

Thinking totally opposite, I'm sure there must be some good designs as well .

IMO the S8's on the sub-surface underground lines are a nice design.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Class 43 HSTs.

May as well close the thread now.

 

[dgl]

The 444's seem pretty good and apart from the slow doors the 159's with the now upgraded air-con are lovely.

 

[Groningen]

Any train that arrives on time on its destination and has so no technical defect in the system.

 

[Minilad]

Any train that arrives on time on its destination and has so no technical defect in the system.

What about ones that arrive on time but have plenty of technical defects.

But yeah I agree with Matt. HST. The pinnacle. Close thread

 

[D6975]

No contest
08 by a mile

 

[91103eastcoast]

I agree with the HST, but I will also nominate the 91 and mk4 coaches, although they had teething problems at first they seem to be better now and they are being utilised more intensively than when they were introduced.

 

[TEW]

SWT 455s (after refurbishment). Just a great train at doing what they do, inner suburban work. Always seems like a lot of work went in to their current interior, giving a balance between a decent comfortable seating area and plenty of standing room.

 

[47271]

The British Rail corporate identity of the 1960s, not least the double arrow and the Rail Alphabet, the first of which lives on everywhere. The second would still be with us everywhere if someone had properly thought through privatisation in the 1990s.

 

[superkev]

The Rocket. Basic design with enhancements lasted till the end of steam.
K

 

[Dai Corner]

The Southern Railway and Southern Region stock with the vast majority interoperable, even to the extent of EMUs being able to work with diesel and electro-diesel locos and be driven from the EMU cab, such as between Bournemouth and Weymouth pre-electrification.

And as others have all ready said, the HST.

 

[Phil.]

With the exception of the class 23 any locomotive built by English-Electric.

 

[Cowley]

I agree with the last two posts. The BR Southern regions systems were well designed and at some point will probably be reinvented in the modern era and hailed as revolutionary...
The majority of EE diesel classes were successful with few design mistakes compared to other types but I'd single out classes 08, 20 and 37 as being outstanding (and that's coming from a 47 fan ). You cannot but respect the fact that they're still doing a job, day to day in 2016, at least 50 years after many were built.

Other good designs : Obviously the HST (power cars and mk3s), I'm so used to looking at it for as long as I've been alive (43 years) that surely I could work out by now if it looks old or not? Do they? They've been the best for so long now that I probably take them for granted these days, but I'll miss them when they're gone.

The London Underground map. In fact all of it's design. The style of its architecture, maps, literature. etc, just brilliant and always evolving.

Some of the original railway viaducts and bridges, 150 years old and still working. Some need a lot of maintenance but some don't and it's interesting to wonder how say the Medway viaduct will be performing in 150 years time?

 

[73001]

Blue square and blue star multiple working systems.

 

[yorksrob]

The Victorian trainshed - an elegant and effective solution to keeping people dry in a smoky environment.

Third rail electrification - relatively easy to install, robust and effective at what it does.

The 1st class config Mk3. To this day, no better travelling environment.

EPB's. Basic, yet comfortable and effective at getting thousands to work and back every day.

The L&SWR, like all railway companies, developed over time, but developed into the perfect tree like network of trunk, route and branch, aided by the many grade separated junctions installed.

Class 158's/156's - excellent workhorses of the Regional railway and pleasant to travel in.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The British Rail corporate identity of the 1960s, not least the double arrow and the Rail Alphabet, the first of which lives on everywhere. The second would still be with us everywhere if someone had properly thought through privatisation in the 1990s.

Does that include Trojan and Bournemouth Blue moquette ? I think it should.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I should also add, the Southern Railway/Region. Large scale electrification, fixed formation trains, clock face timetables. They must have been doing something right because the whole railway has copied them.

 

[rf_ioliver]

The 444's seem pretty good and apart from the slow doors the 159's with the now upgraded air-con are lovely.

There's a thread elsewher on this year's Golden Spanner awards ... the 444 and 159 seem to feature there.

But sticking more with good design, the 37, 47, 158/159, HST all seem to have stood the test of time well.

t.

Ian

 

[Ianno87]

The unobstrusive (near-invisible) overhead wires in the trainshed at King's Cross.

 

[yorksrob]

The modern, yet understated curves of the 1973 Kings Cross concourse.

Also the impressive curves of the current Kings Cross concourse.

 

[Hadders]

As far as outer suburban units go the 365s are about as good as it gets, particularly the unrefurbished versions. Large windows, good seat alignment, good mix of bays and airline seats, decent PIS and automated announcements, reasonable 1st class section for the type of train and 2+2 seating throughout.

And a smiley face on the front

 

[Ianno87]

As far as outer suburban units go the 365s are about as good as it gets, particularly the unrefurbished versions. Large windows, good seat alignment, good mix of bays and airline seats, decent PIS and automated announcements, reasonable 1st class section for the type of train and 2+2 seating throughout.

And a smiley face on the front

And they go like the clappers!

 

[47271]

Does that include Trojan and Bournemouth Blue moquette ? I think it should.

If you like, although if you visualise a Turbostar or Pendolino fitted out internally using BR materials of the 1970s it would be more of a period piece than a classic. My opinion anyway...

Your point did make me think of something else though. The dark grey moquette used by BR to trim First Class seats of the same era? I'm sure it's still used on drivers seats on a lot of stock, there must have been a lot left over, or am I imagining things? Can anyone confirm or refute this?

 

[birchesgreen]

Class 20, 60 years old next year and outlived its "replacement" by about 45 of them.

 

[yorksrob]

If you like, although if you visualise a Turbostar or Pendolino fitted out internally using BR materials of the 1970s it would be more of a period piece than a classic. My opinion anyway...

Your point did make me think of something else though. The dark grey moquette used by BR to trim First Class seats of the same era? I'm sure it's still used on drivers seats on a lot of stock, there must have been a lot left over, or am I imagining things? Can anyone confirm or refute this?

Oh, I think a lot of modern units would be vastly improved with the addition of BR moquettes

The grey charchoal check was contemporary with Trojan and Bournemouth blue. I remember it being in the 1st class compartments on the Southern Region in the late 80's.

As to why it's still very much around in cabs across the network, I can only assume that either they wanted to make the drivers feel 1st class, or York or Derby massively over ordered 1st class moquette back in the 80's

 

[Hadders]

And they go like the clappers!

Indeed. No need for air con on a 365 on a hot summers day when they are flat out at 100mph on the ECML with all the windows open. A wind in the hair experience

 

[fredk]

The London overground class 317s and 315s. For years they have had a shoddy and inconsistent range of liveries and seat cover patterns. Travelling on the overground refurbished ones is a real pleasure.

 

[Ianno87]

Indeed. No need for air con on a 365 on a hot summers day when they are flat out at 100mph on the ECML with all the windows open. A wind in the hair experience

Just hope you aren't getting on one at King's Cross that's been sat in the blazing sunshine at Hornsey all day! But the open windows do give a satisfying burning brakes smell approaching Hitchin

 

[bramling]

I've just read 200+ pages of major design faults and some post are quite amusing.

Thinking totally opposite, I'm sure there must be some good designs as well .

IMO the S8's on the sub-surface underground lines are a nice design.

Can I be controversial and mention the Networker concept?

Not perfect by any means, in particular as they had the disadvantage of being designed and built during a period of very rapid technological advance. But good for their time, and in my view a very nice train to travel in (when properly cleaned and maintained!). The 365 in particular.

On a related note, how about a mention for the unsung 1995 Tube stock. Very much a workhorse, but a very reliable one. Very rare for one to sit down, and generally they're designed to be easy to be got moving again when they do have issues.

 

[Ianno87]

Can I be controversial and mention the Networker concept?

Not perfect by any means, in particular as they had the disadvantage of being designed and built during a period of very rapid technological advance. But good for their time, and in my view a very nice train to travel in (when properly cleaned and maintained!). The 365 in particular.

On a related note, how about a mention for the unsung 1995 Tube stock. Very much a workhorse, but a very reliable one. Very rare for one to sit down, and generally they're designed to be easy to be got moving again when they do have issues.

I would raise you with 2009 stock (Victoria Line). The way the designers maximise use of the internal space for maximum passenger-shifting capability really is impressive. It seldom feels like effort to squueze onto a packed train.

That and the smoothness of the ATO acceleration and deceleration.

 

[bramling]

I would raise you with 2009 stock (Victoria Line). The way the designers maximise use of the internal space for maximum passenger-shifting capability really is impressive. It seldom feels like effort to squueze onto a packed train.

That and the smoothness of the ATO acceleration and deceleration.

Yes I'd agree with that. The Victoria Line's ATO really is very good indeed. It's a shame the Jubilee and Northern lines are decidedly inferior by comparison.

In fact, I'd put down the entire Victoria Line Upgrade as an example of good design. 34tph in/out of the two-platform terminus at Brixton was once thought to be impossible, yet not only is it achieved, but it is achieved regularly and reliably. The Victoria Line has shown how attention to detail and chasing seconds here and there really makes all the difference when running a railway.

 

[Strathclyder]

The Forth Rail Bridge. Pure engineering brilliance, what more need be said?

While the men who perished building this leviathan will not (and should not) be forgotten, what they gave their lives to help create has stood the test of time, has come to define a era and has become a symbol of Scotland. It's World Heritage Status was long overdue.