Just when you thought asthetics coulden't get any worse...

Those links don't work, chaps...

I maintain I'll believe it when I see the genuine article rolling off a ship.

 

The link works for me and has been stated that pic is on the website.

 

Working fine for me. Just try going to the FL website and looking through the press releases.

Interestingly i've just found a pic of the scale model at InnoTrans (here), and actually it isnt so bad... dont get me wrong, its still ugly but i can see why FL management wouldnt have been concerned enough to ask for a redesign if this is the kind of thing they were shown. Unfortunately the rounded edges, raked-back upper cab sides and that horrible dirt-trap of a grill have really not helped it!

Chris

 

there is now a video of the first loco undergoing testing, albeit with an incomplete front end.

http://www.freightliner.co.uk/newsdetai ... 20/07/2009

Chris

 

It's very hard to believe that even one of the morons employed as managers on the railways today could write a risk assessment that showed climbing down, possibly adjacent to a running line, walking the length of the loco and then climbing back up, to be more hazardous than walking through the loco.

Cheers
Alan

 

What GE seem to have done is quite clever really. Most of the bits between the cabs seem to have been lifted from their standard locomotive range. I think that the front end in the video shows a cab that is missing an aerodynamic fairing which will give it a sort of snout. The walkways and handrails are quite obviously add-ons for the test work as they are out of UK loading gauge. Interesting they seem to have borrowed heavily from the class 58 design - but that goes back to the concept of using bits from the parts bin I guess. One of those cabs is going to be mighty noisy though - I don't fancy spending hours on end next to the cooling fans.

 

http://gwilt33.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1782893

http://gwilt33.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1782895

http://www.youtube.com/freightlinergroup#p/a



Found on "Canadian Railway Observations" web site. Thanks for the tip Athelney.

Cheers, Neil

 

Great little center cab diesel doing the switching in the video -- we'll keep that and send you the 70's !!

 

Thanks for posting the links.

It's still fugly though.

 

Well the sight of one of those should be enough to put off any remaining kids who might harbour a desire to become an engine driver. Like a cross between a Cl58 and some kind of super bug. Looks like you could pull its head off! Ugh!

 

At least in works grey is had a sort of menacing look to it, painted it just looks comical, like some sort of pig on wheels, backwards of the driving seat is fine, but classic american outline in places but not too much wrong with that, it's just all that in and out crap around the grill/buffers/headlight area.

Only good point apparently it that it actually sounds like a diesel loco as opposed to yinging.

 

The class 70 is a wonderful machine. See the link to see what I mean. <BJ>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_70

 

The design makes a pacer look aesthetically pleasing. #-o Getting rid of the garden fence might help!

 

Pictures of the unveiling at Newport docks are online at http://www.jackboskett.fotopic.net/c1778331.html

 

Thanks for that link Bill,

Caption competition anyone?
http://www.jackboskett.fotopic.net/p62004854.html

"Quick, put that bloody cover back lads and slap a return to sender sticker on it"

 

wonder what they will look like in a muckyer state all those angles and such

 

How about a nickname for them.... Hamsters... Seeing as they look like they have their cheeks stuffed full of food!

 

I like that name, very good and I can see what you mean!

 

I know they are really ugy, but shouldn't the most important thing be how they are in service? I'm more intreseted in how they will preform. Also look at it this way, it makes the mainline secene bit diffrent from the class 66 which seem to be everywhere now. You certainly couldn't mistake them for anything else...