From: nilknocgeo@earthlink.net   
      
    wrote in message   
   news:7p2k4ade9d4ltuq5ugajtuu3c8q9958998@4ax.com...   
   > On Wed, 22 Oct 2014 11:42:29 -0400, "conklin"   
   >  wrote:   
   >   
   >>   
   >> wrote in message   
   >>news:4f7b1eea-9196-482e-b45f-1d6bb89c16ef@googlegroups.com...   
   >>> The Hudson Line blogger visited the locomotive plant and posted a series   
   >>> of photos.   
   >>>   
   >>> http://www.iridetheharlemline.com/2014/10/17/geinstawalk-tou   
   ing-ges-rail-locomotive-production-facility-fort-worth-texas/   
   >>   
   >>Interesting pictures.  A long-time railfan friend of mine used to comment   
   >>that the British claimed American steam engines were rolling slums.  But   
   >>with the streamliners (early diesels), that reputation faded.   
   >   
   > As a Brit I can't say I have ever heard North American steam Locos   
   > described  in that denigrating way though at 60 years of age the   
   > American steam loco was no longer around much even when I was   
   > young.Had some picture books  as a child which featured some of the   
   > later designs such as the N+W J class ,Grand Trunk Western/CN U4's   
   > ,Southern Pacific GS Locos which would be hard to describe as Slums.   
   > As far as most Brits were the majority of workaday black coloured   
   > locos such as a Pennsylvania Railroad  PRR I1s weren't even thought   
   > about though some of the generation before mine  encountered them when   
   > sent to North America for military training in WW2.   
   > Some of them may have thought such locos a bit brutal looking with   
   > much of the piping and other bits visible compared to a British Loco.   
   > Conversely after that the period the final post war builds of British   
   > Locos were designed with features incorporating North American ideas   
   > where the accessibility to maintain the bits was becoming more   
   > important than an uncluttered look.   
   > A lot of  people probably thought American Steam Locos all looked   
   > something like the General  due to a diet of Western Films and TV   
   > shows in the 50's and 60's, Casey Jones has a lot to answer for. Those   
   > early 4 4 0 s with the varnished wood cabs and all those brass   
   > embellisments were probably  prettier than ours were at the time.   
   >   
   > G.Harman   
      
   You are rightt that ease of service was the issue, with the  sleek look   
   making service harder and the American focus was on keeping the working   
   parts accessible.   
      
   However, fo diesels, I don't see the ugly designs we get today, compared to   
   the "steamliners," is a service issue.  Ugly cars don't sell.  Ugly engines   
   do.   
      
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