In my [American] opinion the GE BQ23-7 is the ugliest locomotive ever built for American railroads. It looks alot like a foreign locomotive (which are very un-attractive in my opinion).
BQ23-7 Link:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=244003&nseq=6
Random UK Locomotive:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=283583&nseq=10
How do you guys feel about the attractiveness or the un-attractiveness of the BQ23-7?
-Cody Jackson
They're odd looking, and unpopular, but they are still interesting...
CSX got rid of them when they got rid of most of their other B23-7s in the late 90s. By then they had been relegated to B units, but were originally intended for long haul trains. The Q stands for quarters, so that SCL could eliminate the caboose by having enough space in the cab for those who would usually ride in the tail end.
3003 was the only Burger Queen to get YN2 paint.
http://www.trainweb.org/csxphotos/photos/BQ23-7/3003CSX-bc.jpg
Ahhh, once again we show that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. The 'random uk locomotive' is in fact a class 55 Deltic diesel. Back in Blighty these beasts have a fond following, I remember watching them thunder across an old viaduct close to where I lived. They are so named after the cylinder arrangement inside the engine, 3 cylinders arranged in a triangle (the Greek symbol delta), in case anyone cares.
Dan
Quote from: Cooped on June 07, 2009, 10:54:15 AM
Ahhh, once again we show that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. The 'random uk locomotive' is in fact a class 55 Deltic diesel. Back in Blighty these beasts have a fond following, I remember watching them thunder across an old viaduct close to where I lived. They are so named after the cylinder arrangement inside the engine, 3 cylinders arranged in a triangle (the Greek symbol delta), in case anyone cares.
Dan
Deltic.....? I knew the class but sense we're on the subject.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYYSSzR1xDU. Great series and it should be on subject. Well.... The deltic is not that bad... Just different, the BQ23-7 is not around my time period but it looks like a slug! let me explain: A slug is a uncommon engine but is interesting to see. I would not mind seeing one at berea. :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYgvgG2Wz_M, looks great for a mow loco ;)
Back in the 70's there was a TV show, the name of which I forget, but the plot delt with the moon getting blasted out of orbit and aimlessly wondering the galaxy. This loco looks a lot like some of the vehicles on that program, especially a shuttle/cargo sort of craft. I think I like it.
Rusty
Quote from: jettrainfan on June 07, 2009, 11:44:50 AMA slug is a uncommon engine but is interesting to see.
Erm, no... A slug is a frame with trucks that retain traction motors. The traction motors are powered by electricity produced by another locomotive's generator. The reason they still retain a cowl is because it is weighed down with cement blocks (Prime Movers weight a lot) so that it will have comparative traction to a normal locomotive. B&M's slug was made out of an ex UP GP9 that was wrecked. Everything except the frame and trucks was unusable, so the B&M bought it, and permanently MUed it to GP40-2 300 for freight trains from East Deerfield MA-Mechanicville NY.
Looks like a '65 VW bus I owned for a summer. Unique.
Rick
not only were they uniquely ugly, they also probably ran aas bad as they looked. ask any locomotive engineer what he thinks of dash 7 ge's.......
Yeah they are ugly but I don't like the Dash 9s ,SD70s , GP/ SD 7s and 9s either
These were very neat. The odd look is kind of like General Electric's BL-2, so they're even. I personally love these beautiful locomotives! They are so amazing! Model Railroader has that Cody's Office series that showed, on one episode, the Milwaukee, Racine, and Troy Railroad GE BQ23-7, with a bit of information on them too! I almost flipped when he said they were selling it, but again, I don't a new locomotive is in my era, or in my so-called 'budget'.
uncbob,
All the locomotives you named are in my top 20 favorite ones, with the BQ23-7 as second, of course. Here's my list:
1. GE U30C
2. GE BQ23-7
3. EMD BL-2
4. GE Dash 9-44CW
5. GE Dash 8-40C
6. GE Dash 8-40-CW
7. EMD SD60
8. EMD SD70
9. EMD SD40-2
10. EMD GP15-1
11. EMD GP7
12. EMD SD7
13. EMD SD9
14. GE Dash 8-40B
15. GE Dash 8-40BW
16. GE Dash 8-40CM
17. ALCO RS1
18. EMD FT
19. Baldwin RF-16 "Shark"
20. Lima GS-3
Joshua
Quote from: Santa Fe buff on June 14, 2009, 10:05:57 PM
These were very neat. The odd look is kind of like General Electric's BL-2, so they're even. I personally love these beautiful locomotives! They are so amazing! Model Railroader has that Cody's Office series that showed, on one episode, the Milwaukee, Racine, and Troy Railroad GE BQ23-7, with a bit of information on them too! I almost flipped when he said they were selling it, but again, I don't a new locomotive is in my era, or in my so-called 'budget'.
uncbob,
All the locomotives you named are in my top 20 favorite ones, with the BQ23-7 as second, of course. Here's my list:
1. GE U30C
2. GE BQ23-7
3. EMD BL-2
4. GE Dash 9-44CW
5. GE Dash 8-40C
6. GE Dash 8-40-CW
7. EMD SD60
8. EMD SD70
9. EMD SD40-2
10. EMD SD15-1
11. EMD GP7
12. EMD SD7
13. EMD SD9
14. GE Dash 8-40B
15. GE Dash 8-40BW
16. GE Dash 8-40CM
17. ALCO RS1
18. EMD FT
19. Baldwin RF-16 "Shark"
20. Lima GS-3
Joshua
EMD produced the BL-2s, not General Electric, and EMD never made SD15s, only GP15s.
here is my list
1. emd sd45
2. emd sd80mac
3. emd sd35
4 alco rs3
5. emd e8
6. ge u25c
7. emd gp30
8, emd sw1200
9. alco c636
10. alco rsd15
11. emd sd18
12. fm h24-66
13. fm c liner
14. alco t6
15. emd f9
16. alco fa2
17. mlw m640
18. emd gp38-2
19. alco rsd5
20. emd gp60
Quote from: Guilford Guy on June 14, 2009, 11:10:14 PM
Quote from: Santa Fe buff on June 14, 2009, 10:05:57 PM
These were very neat. The odd look is kind of like General Electric's BL-2, so they're even. I personally love these beautiful locomotives! They are so amazing! Model Railroader has that Cody's Office series that showed, on one episode, the Milwaukee, Racine, and Troy Railroad GE BQ23-7, with a bit of information on them too! I almost flipped when he said they were selling it, but again, I don't a new locomotive is in my era, or in my so-called 'budget'.
uncbob,
All the locomotives you named are in my top 20 favorite ones, with the BQ23-7 as second, of course. Here's my list:
1. GE U30C
2. GE BQ23-7
3. EMD BL-2
4. GE Dash 9-44CW
5. GE Dash 8-40C
6. GE Dash 8-40-CW
7. EMD SD60
8. EMD SD70
9. EMD SD40-2
10. EMD SD15-1
11. EMD GP7
12. EMD SD7
13. EMD SD9
14. GE Dash 8-40B
15. GE Dash 8-40BW
16. GE Dash 8-40CM
17. ALCO RS1
18. EMD FT
19. Baldwin RF-16 "Shark"
20. Lima GS-3
Joshua
EMD produced the BL-2s, not General Electric, and EMD never made SD15s, only GP15s.
Sorry for the misunderstanding, I meant that the BQ23-7 was GE's version of the BL-2... Meaning it was GE's oddball locomotive, and EMD's was the BL-2...
The SD15-1 thing was a typo. I'm fixing it now.
Joshua
Rustyrails : I believe the show you speak of was Titled : " Space 1999 " . Martin Landau & his Wife Barbara Baines were some of the members of the cast . I remember the ships you speak of as well .
Jhanecker2: That's it! Thanks!
Rusty
Beauty (or ugly) is indeed in the eye of the beholder. I do not agree however that it looks a lot like a foreign locomotive. While the cab may look like that on some foreign locos, it has a narrow body typical of American "hood" locomotives. Most British and european locos have full width bodies. Those that have narrow bodies do not have that type of cab.
Hamish
Some people called them the "Aegis Cruiser" because it looked the bridge deck of a Navy guided missile cruiser, but calling it the "Burger Queen" that was hillarious! What was more hillarious was that once SCL became CSX, they repainted a couple of them and CSX being themselves couldn't keep them on the track. They abused the heck out of them and they flipped over. They (GE) only made 10 like this. Since the 5131 was the Bachmann product, I have obtained real photos of the real locomotives, they have historical value to me.
Quote from: Cody J on June 06, 2009, 09:43:55 PM
It looks a lot like a foreign locomotive (which are very un-attractive in my opinion).
I do find that line really very odd. Locomotives, whether steam, diesel or electric come in a huge variety but for me discriminating between one's own country's locomotives and 'foreign' is just bizarre. Every country's locomotive manufacturers have turned out some beautiful machines and a share of the ugly ducklings.
And I speak as a Brit who likes British, French, American, German and Spanish locomotives, albeit with a strong preference for steam and overhead electric.
Hmm, that unit's "face" doesn't look too far off from something some people around here wish Bachmann would make:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_E60
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_BQ23-7
Trying to find cab interior shots--may not have a lot available, let's see what we find:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3431896
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1147505
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3348303
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1147509
I was always of the opinion that form should follow function. Locomotives are designed to move trains as economically as possible . They are constructed to house the mechanisms , fuel , and crew , aesthetics is rarely a consideration . Streamlining to reduce friction at speeds is sometimes utilized for trains that attain high speeds but rarely a necessity for freight trains . Some railroads ran their hood engines long end forward to provide more crew safety , rather than short end forward to provide better forward vision. . John2.