UK trains the best looking in the world?

[poshbakerloo]

UK trains the best looking in the world?

Am I the only one who shudders at the sight of most trains from abroad?
I really don't like the light rail look of a lot of these low floor trains that are used all over Europe now...

And its not just that, very high roofs, odd shaped windows and trains that looks like door stops! The list goes on...

Do you like any trains from other countries?

 

[TrainBrain185]

No!

Most if not all of the new rail vehicles entering service in the UK are foreign design and build.....
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Yes, there are some great looking trains beyond our shores.

 

[starrymarkb]

The Taurus is a pretty good looking Loco I'm also quite fond of the Re460/465, the RABe 535 and the Stadler Units. Oh and the ICEs

 

[SWT Driver]

poshbakerloo, you haven't been taking your medication again have you???

 

[jopsuk]

TrainBrain185- there's nothing foreign in design or build about Turbo and Electro Stars- unless Derby's now in a different country?

 

[Fincra5]

TrainBrain185- there's nothing foreign in design or build about Turbo and Electro Stars- unless Derby's now in a different country?

However some parts are made in other countries. However at least it is all put together in derby, making it british

 

[Lampshade]

Yes we have the best looking trains in the world, we have Pacers, Voyagers and Northern Sprinters caked in dirt :P

 

[ukrob]

How many more sites are you going to start this topic on? I guess there is more chance of people agreeing with you on this site as it is mainly a British site

 

[fgwrich]

In replying to the original point of the thread...

Borderline...

The British Rail built Locos and Most of the multiple units i dont mind, especially when it comes to the class 25s,31s,47s,73s

Aswell as some of the more modern post privitisation designs such as the 57s,59s and 67s...

But then we come to the class 70, The Scotrail 380s and well, The Whole Blandbadier Family...

Whereas over in ireland, Where Iarnród Éireann now has a rather large new fleet of 22000s, built by Hyundai Rotem...Aswell as the 5 year old 2900s by CAF...And up in the North, the NIR 3CK / 3000 Class, and in production 4CK/ 4000 Class...

Going back in time, i have always also liked the CIE / IE 121s, 141/181s & Much Larger 071 / 111 Class's - All General Motors Ontario built and well, Sadly the only locos still on mainline use today are just a handfull of 141/181s, 12? of the 071 Class and as for the NIR 111 class - who knows? There are only 3 of them under NIR owndership anyway...

The Silver 071 image is 'borrowed' from Wikipedia, the NIR CAF 3CK...Thats mine

CIE / IE 121 Class - from a good friend of mines fotopic...
http://irishrailwaylocomotivesandrollingstock.fotopic.net/p35827272.html

CIE / IE 141/181 Class
http://irishrailwaylocomotivesandrollingstock.fotopic.net/p36448010.html

CIE / IE 071 Class
http://irishrailwaylocomotivesandrollingstock.fotopic.net/p35827261.html

And Finnaly the 22's - Images from Eire Trains
http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery...ides/22012 Phoenix Park station pictures.html

So really im on the ballance, Some of our locos / units etc are rather neat in design, others not so, whilst there are some locos / units in other countries that are again, neat and nice in design and others not so...

Anyway - Surely what matters more is the reliability and purpose of the train, rather than the appearence...

But ill make an aception on the 70s

 

[fgwrich]

Slightly off topic, but here is something else you might like to see...

The Class 67 is of course a largely alstom designed loco, built of course under contract from GM.

And here is the rest of the Family...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prima_(locomotive)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vossloh_Euro_4000

 

[Drsatan]

Agree and disagree.

Some locos look alright, especially the 33s, 37s, 47s, 50s, and 52s. The 377s and 442s are quite attractive units as well.

However, there are some more attractive locomotives/multiple units in use in mainland Europe. The Siemens Taurus design is an attractive one, plus it makes an absolutely fantastic noise when accelerating away from the station (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1Yy-AOQcUs). Some of the French locomotives are quite attractive especially the BB 15000 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNCF_Class_BB_15000. I like the look of the Re 460 locomotives and the Re 420 (probably because it looks really robust) of SBB.

As for multiple units, I like the design of the ICE3 units, Pendolinos, the TGV Duplex, and SBB's RBDe560 units http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SBB-CFF-FFS_RBDe_560

 

[Daimler]

I would agree were we talking steam locos - in the UK we always made much more of an effort to hide the 'workings' of the loco and create something elegant.

Compare this to, say Green Arrow - the former isn't exactly pretty, while the latter is a model of compact beauty.

However, modern trains are rather different. Any TGV, for instance, is in my view miles better looking than the IC225s, and how anyone can fail to love these is beyond me! The X73500 series of single-car DMUs in France has also always appeared to be the spiritual successor to the GWR DMUs, in my eyes.

 

[gordonthemoron]

If you ask me, voyagers look like toys

There are indeed some hideous trains abroad, e.g. the new Dutch/Belgian Fyra and some of the older AVEs. However the Railjet, ICE, AGV and TGV are rather nice looking, even if the Railjet is more style than content.

 

[SouthEastern-465]

I would say I only really like british trains, there looks , and everything else but when it comes to foreign Locomotives and Multiple units I can safely say I am not to keen on them.

My opinion on this is because I have been brought up in Britain and have always been interested in British trains nothing else as I think most foreign locomotives are ugly and weird looking and they probally have the same opinion about our trains too as they was brought with the type of trains where they live.

 

[gordonthemoron]

you get class 66s in germany, they look like toys compared to the DB electric & diesel engines. I have to say that the DB diesel locos are hideous

 

[MCR247]

However some parts are made in other countries. However at least it is all put together in derby, making it british

Pendolinos were assembled in Washwood Heath IIRC. Does that make those british?

 

[jopsuk]

Would qualify them for a "made in Britain" sticker!

 

[90019]

I think European trains in general have good design (Obviously there are exceptions).

There seems almost a spectrum across the world, with America at one end having little style to the trains, at the other end, Japan having some completely mad looking things. And Europe seems to slot into the middle, with a god mix of form and function. (I'm not meaning Japanese trains aren't functional btw).

 

[Wyvern]

However some parts are made in other countries. However at least it is all put together in derby, making it british

The Turbostars and Electrostars are developments of trains first built by BREL in York and Derby.

 

[j0hn0]

I like ICE, AGV, Virgin Pendolino, TGV Duplex, and HST so a mixture of all.
For wow factor tho its tough to beat the Japanese, awesome stuff.

Commuter trains are different though and I can't say that there are any that I like apart form the dutch VIRMs with their sinister looking fronts and massive bulk

 

[TrainBrain185]

TrainBrain185- there's nothing foreign in design or build about Turbo and Electro Stars- unless Derby's now in a different country?

The last I heard, Adtranz or Bombardier were of foreign origin, unless things have changed? Comments.........

 

[MCR247]

But BREL was bought by ABB, which merged with Daimler-Benz to from ADtranz (ABB-Daimler Transportation) which was bought by the Canadian Bombardier. So people say the turbo* and electro* are of british origin. Which IMO is a load of total crap

 

[Drsatan]

Yep. Bombardier's a Canadian company, while Adtranz (later bought out by Bombardier) was a German-Swedish company that resulted from a merger of ABB and AEG transportation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adtranz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_Inc.

I still think that a 170 built by Adtranz still counts as British because it was built in Britain, and some of the components came from British suppliers (I presume). Whether or not the 158, which was built 10 years earlier by BREL is more "British" than the 170 simply because BREL was British-owned is open to debate.

 

[jopsuk]

The last I heard, Adtranz or Bombardier were of foreign origin, unless things have changed? Comments.........

The parent company is Canadian, but the design and build (barring components) is British through and through.

 

[43021HST]

I like ICE, AGV, Virgin Pendolino, TGV Duplex, and HST so a mixture of all.
For wow factor tho its tough to beat the Japanese, awesome stuff.

Commuter trains are different though and I can't say that there are any that I like apart form the dutch VIRMs with their sinister looking fronts and massive bulk

With japenese trains its more of a bleurrgh factor than a wow factor, I reckon the best looking trains are in Germany, the ICE is a particularly nice train, some of the locos are quite handsome. The pendolino looks like a dildo, I wouldnt call that very nice looking.

 

[jon0844]

The parent company is Canadian, but the design and build (barring components) is British through and through.

You can tell that from the way the trains are put together!!

When BREL was bought, the new owner presumably acquired patents, designs and other material. If not, why would they have been purchased?

This presumably puts Bombardier in a strong position when it comes to building trains here.

 

[Wyvern]

But BREL was bought by ABB, which merged with Daimler-Benz to from ADtranz (ABB-Daimler Transportation) which was bought by the Canadian Bombardier. So people say the turbo* and electro* are of british origin. Which IMO is a load of total crap

When ADTranz took over they carried on the Clubman series leading to the Turbostar and Electrostar as it gave them a design which was already tried and tested and tested on British lines.

The Voyager and later Meridians were built in Belgium I believe to presumably a continental design.

The turbo star and electrostar new models are getting to be less and less British. For instance I believe the Capitalstar has lightweight German bogies.