ALL the known Loco and Multiple unit nicknames

[sonorguy]

But which would you rather be driving. And anyone who says the Skoda is clearly a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

Having owned or driven both of recent vintages, the Skoda (new top of the range Superb) as I'm more likely to get to my destination and it's got all the toys that the Jag has, is less likely to get keyed, same power and kit for 70% of the price, Skoda has vastly more room for rear seat passengers etc etc.....

Nothing wrong with the Jag per se (and better than an equivalent priced BMW) and the quick XFs are lovely, just much less bang for the buck for the more standard variants.

However, back to topic!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I'm not sure how widespread it was, but I remember 141s being called "Nationals" or "Trackys " due to that being the nickname for Yorkshire Traction, the last company round these parts to use Leyland Nationals, apart from BR of course!

 

[plastictaffy]

Class 153 round my depot is known as a Skateboard by some of us.

 

[4-COR 3142]

Was at Newhaven Harbour recently to watch one of the steam specials that visited Seaford recently. There was a gang from Network Rail working on the points and a couple of them kept referring to the 313's that were passing as 'Milk Floats'.

Quite apt I think?

 

[plastictaffy]

Awful units. Truly dreadful units.

 

[4-COR 3142]

My nicknames for them.


66: FL=Gurkin, EWS/DBS= Red Deaf, DRS+GBRF= Blue Deaf and Colas=Yellow Peril

Shouldn't that be Red Death? as their arrival from across the pond meant the cutter's torch for so many loco's.

 

[L+Y]

The ones I tend to use...

20: Chopper
23: Baby Deltic
24/25: Rat
26/27: Scottish Rat
31: Brian
33: Crompton
35: Hymek
37: Syphon
40: Whistler
42: Warship
44/45/46: Peak
47: Duff
50: Hoover
52: Western
55: Deltic
56: Grid
58: Eggtimer
59: Yank
60: Tug
66: Shed

 

[Tracked]

my own, probably no-one else's:

70's (when it was just the Freightliner ones) - Firelighters
142 - Rattly Death-Traps
180's (mainly the black GC ones) - Fiery Coffins

 

[cactustwirly]

A few from my area

165/0 Chiltern Turbos
165/1 & 166 Thames Turbos
(these are more 'family' names)
168 Clubmans
170, 171 & 172 Turbostars
375, 376, 377, 379 & 387(under construction) Electrostars
378 Capitalstars
165, 166, 325, 365, 465 & 466 Networkers

 

[Whistler40145]

Class 26 McRats or Spinning Teacup

 

[FQ]

My name for a 180 is... Inadequateantes. As in They are inadequate Andantes.

 

[Buttsy]

Wasn't an 09 a super gronk and a 13 a double gronk?
The IOW 05 was known as Nuclear Fred
I always knew 26s & 27s as McRats

101s 1st gen DMU was a Met-Cam and the 110 a Calder Valley. 309 EMUs were Clactons, but these latter 2 have more to do with the routes worked.

 

[ash39]

Anyone know why 86's are referred to as 'cans' ?

 

[TukayAway]

45 - Dinosaur
60 - Polo
68 - Cat
70 - Plug
73/2 - Danger Excitement (Something about an advert for the Gatwick Express?)
317 - Bedpans (took over the name when they replaced the DMU 127s)

Was speaking to a couple of guys a couple of years back who both referred to 33's as Monkeys.

 

[Bevan Price]

1st generation dmus - "Bog Cart", or "Sardine Can"
(showing 1960s steam enthusiasts' contempt for such things...)

Early Sprinters (150, etc.) - "Plastic"
(possibly because some haulage fans thought they were cheap & nasty compared with loco-hauled stock.)

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Someone earlier referred to 31s being nicknamed 'Toffee Apples', but I always thought that referred only to handful of the class that didn't have headcode boxes above the front windows.

Another I remember from a while back is (for obvious reasons) 'Linfords' for 150s.

 

[Buttsy]

Someone earlier referred to 31s being nicknamed 'Toffee Apples', but I always thought that referred only to handful of the class that didn't have headcode boxes above the front windows.

Another I remember from a while back is (for obvious reasons) 'Linfords' for 150s.

Non-headcode 31s were also known as skinheads.

 

[Whistler40145]

Why are 50s sometimes called Logs?

 

[BestWestern]

After a good few years on the rails now I can honestly say the use of nicknames among crew at our firm is very rare indeed, and I suspect most of this stuff is probably from the spotters ratger than staff?! The only ones that ever come up are both for 150s, with 'Rattlers' referring to any of them and 'Strokers' being the /1 sets. Even then, those terms are used only by a small number, and everyone else simply uses class numbers or 'HST'! Adelante, Turbo and of course Sprinter are used commonly (180, 165/166 and all 15X), but these were/are official names so don't really count.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Someone earlier referred to 31s being nicknamed 'Toffee Apples', but I always thought that referred only to handful of the class that didn't have headcode boxes above the front windows.

Another I remember from a while back is (for obvious reasons) 'Linfords' for 150s.

I think you are right about it referring to the early non head code fitted versions, but Iam sure the name was given by the drivers I think due to the fact the power controller had a large round red Handle on the end which somewhat resembled a toffee apple.

 

[FQ]

Why are 50s sometimes called Logs?

Its the derogatory term for people who don't really like them.

Most 47 bashers hated them and when a 47 failed on a XC service heading northbound, just before Oxford, a 50 was sent out and since it was before train doors had locks, all of the people who hated 50s actually opened a door and got off, before walking to Oxford station.

 

[Strat-tastic]

Non-headcode 31s were also known as skinheads.

Yes! Thanks for reminding me

 

[Beveridges]

66s - Red Death as their arrival saw off the 56's and 58's. Then later with Freight liner they saw off the 47s and 57s.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I've occasionally seen 350s/450s/444s nicknamed Doodlebugs as when they reach London they stop whining.

 

[plastictaffy]

Someone earlier referred to 31s being nicknamed 'Toffee Apples', but I always thought that referred only to handful of the class that didn't have headcode boxes above the front windows.
.

Toffee Apple refers to the shape of the drivers' control key in the earlier class 31's.

 

[scarby]

1st generation dmus - "Bog Cart", or "Sardine Can"
(showing 1960s steam enthusiasts' contempt for such things...)

A steam-era spotter I chatted to the other week said he and his mates called them "Green Slime".

 

[sprinterguy]

Most 47 bashers hated them and when a 47 failed on a XC service heading northbound, just before Oxford, a 50 was sent out and since it was before train doors had locks, all of the people who hated 50s actually opened a door and got off, before walking to Oxford station.

There were folk back then who rated 47s over the rarer 50s? hock: A good part of the reason that class 47s gained the nickname "Duffs" was from Western men disappointed when one was booked on a working, although that was way back when the alternative was Hydraulic haulage.

I'd be surprised to hear of folk on the Western ever accepting anything that was considered "normal" the rest of the county over! Certainly, from what I've heard, nobody else was ever impressed when a 47 dropped onto anything.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Anyone know why 86's are referred to as 'cans' ?

Derogatory term for a ubiquitous class of loco in the same fashion as class 47s were "Duffs" as far as I know. Big, square metal boxes that were everywhere.

I always liked the nickname "Lasers" for class 87s. Coming out of the dark with their original sealed beam headlights, it was easy to understand how they gained that title.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The only engine I've heard referred to by anything other than it's class number is an 08/09, which is never a 'Gronk', but always a 'Pilot', 'Shunt engine' or '350'.

"Jocko" or "350" seem to be the going terms amongst some Tyseley men still. I wonder if "Jocko" is more of a Midlands term for shunt locos?

 

[David Goddard]

Following from the 150s and 155/156s being Sprinters and Super Sprinters, and then 220s and 221s being Voyagers and Super Voyagers, we have taken to using the same logic with other fleets, hence we refer to the 444s as Super Desiros.
390s have become just "Pennies" in our house, while 395s will always be Javelins.
442 will always be Wessex Electrics as far as I'm concerned.

Of note is how most use "HST" but for some they still are and always will be "125s".

 

[Buttsy]

Those of us who disliked the clamour around 50s on the Western were always pleased when a 47 appeared on a service as all the 50 nutters didn't mass around it like ants around a pile of sugar. No leaning halfway out of windows, 'chopping' their hands until throttled off when one hand would fly outward like an umpire signalling a 4.

 

[Kazington]

365's are sometimes referred to as "The Happy Train" due to cab-end AC. Never heard it in practice though.
Can someone explain to me why the 43's/HST's are considered trams?