What a pleasant surprise seeing this photo. I used to see these engines running in service every morning as I walked to school when I was a kid. I still remember the sound quite clearly and I see them far from ugly. I would just call them different and unique.
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J never saw them in person, but in the 2nd Diesel Spotters Guide. Looks like a B unit and an EMD safety cab collided.
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They weren't called the "Cheap and Nothing Wasted" because they spent a lot of money! Sad that the last ground semaphore fell late last year.
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I'm with Chris on this one. I don't think they are that ugly. They do have a different look to them, that's for sure though. Looks like someone's first attempt at the North American Safety Cab.
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This is another clear example of the CNW's Function over form mentality.
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I don't know, Janusz. It really looks okay when compared to a lot of other models thru the years
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The Crandall cabs were either UP E8BR or E9BR units. The R for rebuilt (new engine). Thus they had a lot of miles left. The UP had a diminishing need for E-units and many As and Bs ended up working for the Rock Island and the Northwestern. The Northwestern's commuter locomotives were in bad shape and the Bs were useless as commuter units w/o a cab. Thus the Crandall cabs, named after C&NW Assistant Superintendent of Motive Power M. H. Crandall. The CNW Historical Society on their website refers to an E8 Crandall as E8B/A. My vote for the ugliest is the GE C36-7 as in: http://railfan44.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=990007
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I agree there are others besides this one that are uglier, this one isn't too bad. Besides, I am a little partial to the name (at one point we think someone changed the e to an a to be different).
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No, I think they were an adaptation of the safety cab. Gave C&NW and excuse to NOT buy F40PHs or F45s. BTW: I think the ugliest diesels were the Krauss-Maffia trio. Horrors!
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Speaking of F40s, that Metra unit in the background looks menacing
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