Duchess of Hamilton

Coronation class locomotives, including the Duchess of Hamilton (1938), were designed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway for power. They had large boilers and streamlined steam and exhaust passages, giving them the ability to cope with steep hills on the West Coast route between London and Glasgow. Duchess of Hamilton was exhibited at the 1939 New York World's Fair, as the best example of British engineering and style.

Duchess's streamlined casing reflected the modern, elegant look popular in the 1930s. The design increased aerodynamic performance but added weight and made it difficult to access the engine for maintenance, so it was removed in 1948. Yet for all its speed and clever engineering design, it is also truly beautiful. I refer not just to the paintwork, but the whole appearance; one can detect the art deco style even in its metalwork.

We sometimes make a dichotomy between that which is beautiful and that which works: art is useless while mechanisms are ugly. Not so, here, and nor the planet on which we live. It is functional, useful and resourceful, yet it is also wonderful, lovely and awesome. Show me an engineer who is also an artist, and I will show you one who is a reflection of the Creator God. 

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

Job 38:407, NKJV