Ugliest EMU/DMU

[318259]

Hello,

Time for another 318259 "opinion thread".

What, in your opinion, is the ugliest DMU or EMU ever made? Not in terms of livery, just in terms of shape, window position, things like that?

I can't decide between the ScotRail class 380 and the Gatwick Express class 442.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I rather like both of those, though the 5-WES does look better if the lockers for the jumper cables are closed (and still exist!)...

A couple of historic nominations here (not my photos)- The 151:

And the unrefurbished 141:

 

[Domh245]

I'm going to have to say that my vote goes to southern's 455s (both before and after refurb!)

before

after

South West Trains managed to make their /8s look nice(r), why couldn't southern!?!


Not my images

 

[317663]

Class 158/159 DMU

Class 323 or 319

 

[ash39]

I agree, 455's are pretty nasty.

DMU wise, 143's. Not ugly per se, but uninspiring to look at.

Surprised at the OP's suggestion of 380's - they look modern and striking to my eyes.

 

[317663]

I'm going to have to say that my vote goes to southern's 455s (both before and after refurb!)

before

after

South West Trains managed to make their /8s look nice(r), why couldn't southern!?!


Not my images[/QUOTE

Whaaat?????
The old 455 looks fine. New I will agree on though.

 

[Qwerty133]

Class 153

 

[jopsuk]

high level jumper cables on "modern" (ie 80s designed) units are not a good look- the 456s especially. Were the unrefurbished 141s and the 140 the only DMUs of that vintage to have high level cables instead of autocouplers?

 

[318259]

The 380s are really nice, but the cab ends look like a train wreck. Quite ironic, since that ugly design is supposed to help in the event of a collision.

Yikes! Those 455s are horrendous. The other trains in the family look so much better. Especially the 318.

 

[gazthomas]

140, 141, 151, 318 (botched refurb front) and 458. The mark 2 based EMU's weren't lookers either!

 

[Beveridges]

Class 380 without a doubt. Horrible.

Voyagers are ugly as far as DMU's go.

MPV's, which are technically a DMU, are really, really ugly.

 

[talltim]

Darth Vader's private train (or airport express train Osaka) by elisabet.s, on Flickr

 

[FQ]

Class 142 and class 319.

 

[bigdelboy]

Class 126

http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Glasgow_Central_Cravens_split_code_end_Class_126_and_Class_107.jpg

.. Though I really don't care for the look of the cab ends of Southern 455's .. a right mess compared to SWT 455's.

 

[Class172]

DMU - class 140 (the most literal box on wheels we have).

EMU - class 333 (simply aesthetically displeasing to my eye)

 

[yorksrob]

Class 126

http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Glasgow_Central_Cravens_split_code_end_Class_126_and_Class_107.jpg

.. Though I really don't care for the look of the cab ends of Southern 455's .. a right mess compared to SWT 455's.

That is an interesting photo. Gangways on units are often seen as ugly, but in that case, you can see the unit misses them.

 

[EM2]

The 380 would be my nomination, it looks like it's been punched.
The Nankai 50000 is the most amazing-looking unit ever produced.

 

[Hyphen]

Not technically a DMU (although it's sporting a Class 252 number here, and HSTs were classed as DEMUs for a while), but the ugliest fronted UK rail vehicle I've ever seen has to be the prototype HST power car.

(picture from Wiki)

A couple of historic nominations here (not my photos)- The 151:

Hmmm, I've tried, but I don't actually think I can agree with that. For a train built in the 80s it does have a 'futuristic' look (as such a thing would have been considered back then) with its angled edges. Fairly nice panoramic windscreen for the driver, too (I can't imagine the production gangwayed Sprinters are the best things for looking out the front of). I reckon that'd look decent even in 2014 in Dynamic Lines.

That said, I don't think the interior would be much to write home about in the modern day. I can't find any pictures of the prototype's insides but I couldn't imagine it being any better than the refurbed interiors of today's 150s (i.e. thoroughly depressing).

 

[cjmillsnun]

Hello,

Time for another 318259 "opinion thread".

What, in your opinion, is the ugliest DMU or EMU ever made? Not in terms of livery, just in terms of shape, window position, things like that?

I can't decide between the ScotRail class 380 and the Gatwick Express class 442.

I like the look of the piggies (in NSE or SWT trim with their jumper covers)

Plus the fact they're a damn fine unit (again in SWT/NSE trim)

 

[43074]

Another vote for the 380s from me: in terms of passenger comfort they're great, but aesthetically I'm not keen.

The 458/5s aren't don't look particularly appealing; they're so ugly they make the 458/0s look pleasing to the eye.

 

[jopsuk]

Plating over doesn't always have to look horrible- the class 318s are a far neater job than the Southern 455s.

Class 317/7s. What happened there? all the other 317 versions are inoffensive!

 

[nlogax]

Another vote for the 140. Holy cow, as if the bus body wasn't bad enough. The train equivalent of 'The Homer'.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I like the look of the piggies (in NSE or SWT trim with their jumper covers)

Plus the fact they're a damn fine unit (again in SWT/NSE trim)

The pigs looked far nicer in NSE days before their front jumper panels were semi-permanently removed to prevent injury!

 

[zn1]

the 317/1, 455/8 still need the edges smoothed off....they got it right on the 317/2 and 455/9 with the modifed nice curved front end on the cab ends...

442 always look good when their connection bonnets are closed(surely a gas bonnet strut to open and close em with a carriage key to secure would have worked) ..to add for me in NSE they looked their best and would have looked superb in Inter city executive...

as a North of river observer of things passing...if its a choice between DES or Electrostar...the electrostar wins on looks alone...


dmu prototypes are what they are....and were tidied up on production and fleet models...

 

[al.currie93]

I'm going to have to say that my vote goes to southern's 455s (both before and after refurb!)

before

after

South West Trains managed to make their /8s look nice(r), why couldn't southern!?!


Not my images

Watch it, 455driver will be along in a minute haha!

I personally like the 455s, but I do have a real soft spot for them as they've always been my local stock (even though 377s started to invade their territory) and I hear that a lot of people find them ugly. I do agree though, Southern's units without the gangways look a bit like they've had their poor noses cut off

In Britain, it would have to be the 458, the front end just looks incomplete... as if it never had a nose to cut off :P

I would also agree about the 140, 141 and 126 looking a bit odd too.

For a potential future EMU, I think the Siemens EVO tube train concept blows all of them out of the water:

http://cdn.londonreconnections.com/2013/siemens.jpg

Which is a bit like my current ugly-victor if we include trains from other countries:

http://www.bahnbilder.de/1024/3072011-1240-dsb-ic3-5067-534452.jpg

Not my photographs.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I find the 442s in Southern livery - particularly when it comes to the absence of jumper lead covers - much better from an angle like this, where the Mark 3 bodyshell seems to compensate pretty well.

442 411 + 442 405 at Gatwick Airport 29/04/14 by Sussex Eclectic, on Flickr

Staying on Southern, the 313s aren't ugly, but the shape of the driver and secondman's windows lend it to look quite sad. Maybe I should try and stop applying personification to trains.

 

[fowler9]

Those 380's look like they were designed by someone with a Cyberpunk perversion. Quite like the 442's when the jumper cables were covered. The 455's just look like they were designed to do a job and they've done it pretty well. The refurb looks like a tinned up house.

 

[Beveridges]

Darth Vader's private train (or airport express train Osaka) by elisabet.s, on Flickr

Thats actually the best looking unit I have ever seen

 

[GatwickDepress]

When joining up the gangways on the 380s, it does look fairly cool.

[youtube]ySZtLmS59YY[/youtube]
0:54 onwards.

 

[Beveridges]

It has a very heavy armoured look to it.

 

[fowler9]

When joining up the gangways on the 380s, it does look fairly cool.

[youtube]ySZtLmS59YY[/youtube]
0:54 onwards.

Looks like a weird alien robot sex act. Ha ha.