When I look back to the cab units of the '40s and '50s, they look so nice, especially EMD Es and Fs, in that deep gloss coat that they applied. Then we went to the high nose geep. That was a step down. *** Dilworth did, as it says in “Nicholas Morant’s Canadian Pacific”, design an “Ugly duckling”. Then we got to the low nose units. They look pretty nice, but they still don’t compare with Fs. Then we got into the wide nose phase. The 2 window SD60s and 70s look niceish with their rounded nose. Meanwhile, GE designed their own wide cab. In my mind it is quite ugly. And now we have that new wide nose from GMD. It looks like it was designed around a door, and made from scrap metal. Compared to F-units, it is[censored]ugly. What do you think? Will they continue to get boxier and uglier, like they have done?
Trainboy
Locomotives today are more focused on function rather than form as they were in the '40s and '50s due mainly to the fact that they are freight and not passenger oriented. If there was a significant change in our transportation habits back to long distance trains, I am sure there would be a lot of re-styling done.
I don’t think so. Most modern American train designers seem to think that European trains are the epitomy of style. Bull; they’re at LEAST as ugly as they’ve always been, which is why American railroads traditionally didn’t copy them in the first place. If some doofus designer tried to create stylish modern freight engines for this market, they’d end up looking like a suppository (or worse).
And the F-series by EMD is generally considered to be the “standard” American stylish diesel. Even though they haven’t been seen regularly on the rails in almost 30 years, you can show Joe Public a nose-on profile of an F, and the’ll immediately recognize it (Metra still uses it on their “train station here” sign). And the F is a freight engine.
Personally, I think anything not steam or at least first generation diesel paint scheme is ugly as sin.
I think the locomotives that CP is currently using (don’t know diesel, so can’t say what they are) are nice looking.
It seems to me that, when diesels were first introduced, we were at the tail end of the Art Decco and Buck Rogers eras, so it should come as no surprise that the newest type of (future) locos should be rocket-like in appearance. Now, however, with rail competing against trucks and other forms of tpt, keeping solvent is the name of the game. It is now function, not form.
AC4400CW and SD90/43MAC
I don’t like Candy Apple Red as much as the old Action red. It is too dark, and with a little dirt or exhaust looks like crap.
Trainboy
I posted this on another thread, but this one rolls past my door. I think it looks pretty good.
of course they’re getting uglier, they’ve nbeen getting uglier since the day they decided steam was no more. Only way they’ll get better looking is to bring steam back. 
I actually think that the low-nose EMD cab isn’t that bad. It’s those new SD wide noses and the GE wide noses I’m talking about.
Trainboy
P.S. SteamerFan, you have to agree that F units look better than the new SD cab.
Actually, I think Trains are getting easier on the eyes- well, the equipment and not the paint. UP is the worst. That yellow’s been around since, the 30’s? Anyway, I like the look of an F40PH or F59PH better than the old “bulldog nose” F units. Also, you have to admit Dash 8’s and Dash 9’s are prettier than the U boats with their ugly little short hood. And some people dislike the euro- inspired styling of the AMD103/P40/P42? I love it![:D]
P.S. I hope I did’nt offend anyone that likes old trains. But anything is prettier than the BL2, right?
There is no competition in the locomotive market. I think GE and GMD don’t think they have to design anything better looking (and I guess they don’t). They are more involved trying to meet the tougher EPA regulations and such. Come to think of it, 18-wheelers are going the same direction. Most trucks on the road are the ant-eater design. You don’t see cab-overs any more, which I thought were butt-ugly anyway.
The only modern engines I have a problem with as far as their looks are concerned are switchers. They remind me of my ex-wife!. Need I say more…
I don’t know? The top mid section of the SD70ACe below the horn is pretty cool. Its not round but its angled enough to look like the old days.[8D]
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=72042
Locomotives of today are getting much sexier than the “UGLY” ones of the 40’s 50’s 60’s and 70’s They came from ugly now are getting nicer. Thank god for the sexy SD70Ms, Ac4400, and the SD90Macs
And uglier and uglier. they are just diesel engines and electric motors wrapped in a steel shipping container, no more no less, not meant to appeal to the eye, they are TRACTORS pulling stuff… I’m surprised they even bother to paint them.
My first thought when I saw the latest GE and EMD offerings with all the exposed piping, etc. (for ease of maintanence) was, “Man, those engines are ugly!”
Wait a minute Al. Your saying the Alco PA-1 and EMD E8 are not “sexy”? Whaaaaaaa?
Aren’t they the definition of “sexy diesels”?
The SD40-2 is the only modern diesel that can hang in the same coolness genre as the PA, Es, and F units.
I think everything through the Phase 1 SD70Ms and AC4400CWs are pretty good looking, with some exceptions. However, all of the locomotives currently being made are ugly.
I think the passenger diesels are looking better. The F59PHI and DE30 are quite sleek. I also like the fact that they are not trying to copy the older locomotives, last thing we need is a messed up rip off of an F7 or PA1 the classics should stay as they were. Compaired to the F40 and unstreamlined F59 the new units are positively beautiful.
As for the freight diesels, well nothing can hold a light to the old Alco RS series and the FM units. But one must realize that those units were also intended from the begining to look good. Modern freight diesels are not styled by superstar industrial designers. I think if Renzo Piano or Santiago Calitrava were to pick up the sheet metal on a modern locomotive like Raymond Lowey did they’d probably be amazing looking machines. However, today function plays above form in freight motors.
~METRO
Tatans brought up a good point. They are basically tractors- on rails. And I forgot to mention, The newest diesels I can think of with actual contours instead of being utilitarian boxes are the F59PHI and GE Genesis. I think alot of it has to do with fitting the style, such as these locos being on passenger trains, they need to flow visually with the cars. Freight trains are different, probably because the cars shapes vary greatly.