Modern Locos Have No Character!
 

Is it just me or does anybody else think locos are going the same way as cars, becoming boring boxes? Oh, a freight train, class 66 loco, maybe a different livery, where’s the interest in that? In my day there were God knows how many different classes on BR, each with their own character. I was certified on 14 different classes not to mention sub classes when refurbished versions came out, i.e. 37/0, 37/7 etc. Standardisation is a great thing from the TOC’s point, stick any loco on any service, only complication now is if a loco has aim for a TMD for an exam or repair.

Hi Steve,
I have managed to get into my 70's without being certified !!
There is something in what you say especially when comparing DMU's and EMU's but even I can tell a 70 from a 66. There is still a fair amount of interest to see, espcially around Derby station from reports in the blogs.

NO Wrong

The classes of loco's continue to have different characters

the Ying Ying of a class 66 as it sits idling

the burning smell of a class 70 as it catches fire again

the Thump Thump of the class 60 exhaust is almost as good as a 37 opening up with Clag and power
nothing sounds like a class 20 starting up and it's turbos whining

OK they're not as spectacular as a Steamer especially when the driver gets it wrong and she slips on starting

If you look the stuffs there but still nothing beats a Deltic in full cry

You mentioned 20s, 37s, 60s, they are locos of my period, drove many, many of them. They had character but 66s? I was trained on 66s as a Traction Inspector, 67s as well and I always found them kinda sterile :( Can I compare it to modern and vintage cars? A nice, new modern car, looks OK, you know not much is going to go wrong with it but it's doesn't fire up the soul, a vintage car, yes things will go wrong, it'll break down now and then but it's fun to drive :D

If you want clag 37s were good but a 56 took a lot of beating. We used to run loaded coal trains south out of Millerhill on the ECML, 36 HAAs and two 56s in multiple. The trains started from Millerhll so the 56s hadn't had a chance to "clear their throats" for a while! Joining the main line at Monktonhall Jcn was on a sweeping left hand curve, you'd be hanging out of the cab window checking the train, as soon as you saw the last HAA clear the junction the throttle went right round to full. Both 56s would wind up and the world disappeared in a cloud of reek :eek:

[QUOTE=stevestrat;74556]Is it just me or does anybody else think locos are going the same way as cars, becoming boring boxes? Oh, a freight train, class 66 loco, maybe a different livery, where’s the interest in that? QUOTE]

I'm so glad most of my few years working as a fireman on British Railways was spent on steam locos. I agree with Steve modern locos have no character and look like boxes.

The only diesels I worked on was the Prototype Deltic (which had a bit of character) and a few Type 4 EEs. I know nothing about electric trains or 20s 37s 60s and 36 HAAs whatever that means. I worked on all the Pacific types, plus V2s 9Fs B1s at Kings Cross (all proper engines) .
Photo shows me and Arthur my driver at Kings Cross on Prototype Deltic waiting for right away to Doncaster in 1960.
http://tinyurl.com/6fqpttw

HAA is the MGR type coal wagon (see below), been replaced by the huge hoppers that are on the go now.

Deltics, now yes they had character, bucketfulls of it. I was rarely on one, I was at Millerhill just outside Edinburgh, predominantly freight with some passener work, the Deltics were worked by "Brylcream Boys" at Haymarket.

Like the photo Joe! Looks like you were having fun! Well we are all showing our age when we no longer see the modern stuff as exiting! Got to agree with all being said, and for me steam was and is king! That said I do like the Deltics, Peaks, brush 4s, 37s but that is as far as I go with that!
Cheers
Phil

Really good day at Duffield today, as we were clearing the area ready for the platform to be extended, in the gently falling snow - oh the joys of per way work!

Just as I arrived a 60 towing two tampers. Then an HST. not long afterwards a DRS 37 going north light engine. Then another tamper under it's own power. Finally another HST.

What a change from the normal diet of Meridians, Voyagers and (153/156 Matlock Branch Trains!

Just goes to show that not all days are boring on Network Rail!

Best wishes,

John H-T.

Until quite recently I used to think the class 70s looked awful but now I think they are not so bad but nothing nowadays beats first generation BR locos. I have to say however that my dislike of the 66s is as strong as ever, especially the cab design.

Just cant take to the freightliner class 70"s,but do like the 66"s and 67"s but you cant beat the 37"s...

I think the 66's, 67's & 70's are ugly with no character at all. The older diesels ie Deltics, Peak, & EE4's, CoBo's did & though may not have liked them replacing steam, they were more preferable to modern diesels.

I think all manners of steam and diesel have got character in their own separate ways. For example, even a 43 storming through Tilehurst under full braking.. they always smell like a burnt out clutch.. Pendo's, 66's, 165/166, 43's even Deltics have all got a different sound to them.

I like a good mix of the new and the old.. Although I'm not too much of a fan of electrics.. Steam power thumps, Diesel power roars... what does electric do? buzzes or squeaks!

Variety on the network is still there, you just got to find it these days, adaptability I believe it's known as. Without loco hauled stock, I go for infrastructure, disused railways, liveries etc...and you certainly need to travel to 'get' the variety these days!

Immingham,still good place for good diesel movements...

Mmmmmh!.......Well, being an avid "Steam" fan, whenever I feel the need to hear the roar of a diesel engine I go down the Bus Garage! :D
However, if you look in the right places you can find true inspiration in modern diesel or electric traction.
Ladies & Gents, I include 4 photographs which show the evolution of the railway which will end the need for short & medium haul jet flight.

Will this ever happen here in the UK?........

I agree with you. I still love our HST - even though it's old it's still a stylish design. And the ICE train which your photos show is very modern and sexy.

I reckon the main reason the 66 looks so awful is because when General Motors were asked to produce a twin cab design of their standard US loco for the UK the first requirement was...."build it as cheap as possible".

So they bolted a steel shed on top of a shortened chassis and modified the bogies to steer round our tight curves. Cheap and nasty.

I agree with Madcaravanner about a Deltic in full cry, one came from Barrow Hill through Langley Mill a few weeks ago I think she was going to the Severn Valley, the driver must have spotted the enthusiasts on the platform and opened her up, the sound was SUPERB!
It reminded me of my spotting days at Newark when we quite often saw the prototype.

As a non-railway man, I cannot understand why here in the UK we treat locomen so badly. The GWR didn't like to put full cabs on their steam engines in case the engine crew fell asleep! That mentality seems to rule to this day. Why spend £500,000 on a locomotive, then give the driver such poor driving conditions? No-one would buy a car which was draughty, let in water and vibrated as I believe "modern" locos do.
In 1961/2 I used to curse the newly introduced Deltics on the East Coast line, I lived in Tollerton North of York and the full throated howl could be heard at night from Thirsk down to York. The noise was always waking my baby girls.

Gent's all, please forgive me my "poke", at the non steam fraternity amongst our elite midst!........:)

I am most definately a "pro HS2", and in my opinion, a pro 21st century railway railway fan. One that WILL see the the end of the short haul jet!

My gripe, is that the 21st Century Ludites in mid home county leafy England wish to stay in their 17th century idol and to hell to anything north of Watford! The rest of Europe and the world however.... is moving on!

Oil availability and price of, is becoming a greater issue. One that we, the British have NOT yet addressed. Short haul jet flight will become an issue.

Europe however, over several decades now has built
thousands of miles of NEW HST track obviating the need of this short haul jet flight.

Yet we NEVER hear any of this argument when we discuss the "Heathrow" expansion debate. Why not?.....

Surely the HST would obviate the need for ALL shorthaul jets to Heathrow and therefore the "Expansion"?.......

Surely...It's a No brainer!.........

Are all our politicions all pillocks or corrupt?.....

"Flabbergasted" of the NW :)

To be honest right now I am in agreement

In France when they are planning a new TGV people WANT it to stop at their town/city and complain if it DOES NOT because THEY WANT EASY TRAVEL without travelling miles to an airport

WE in the UK are being ruled by the NIMBY generation of short sighted grumblers

and on top of all this we have the politicians who are only out to line their own pockets




going to stop now before I start saying bad words

As this will be my first proper post after `the hello` , i find myself looking on the WWW for lots of photos of the area i was brought up

Then closing my eyes to try and visualize the locos running past our house in the 60`s and 70`s . It did give me a great sense of satisfaction to find out my memory was still good it was a `Robinson O4`that trundelled past....... i remember a big black steam train..............

Then of course diesels came along and my `research` tells me classes 20,25,31,37,47. oh and 08`s (until we moved)

When steam trains stopped runnning past our house and diesels started as a kid i thought ........... boring ............... but now i look at a photo of a class 37 and 47 with fondness i suppose it brings back memory of childhood and all that goes with it

I wish i had a time machine so i good go back and walk the area i lived in, the stations, signal boxes and engine shed it must have been an awesome sight, in both eras

Well there i go waffling on and hitting the nostalgic button again !!!!

I dont want to get involved in the political debate about rail travel ,but it does seem that other countries spend more on there infrastructure than we do, i remember watching a Pete Waterman documentary and he was sat on a train looking out the window at cars on a motorway and saying `why would anyone want to travel distance like that` ............or something like that

i`m going look around for some more pics now so i can reminisce a bit

Cheers Tony :)