Railway Slang

[ralphchadkirk]

I have bumped into one who liked to touch departmental Mk. 2's. Had to shout at him to stand clear as we departed.

I know the type. There are some very, very odd people out there.

 

[CosherB]

Indeed. I don't laugh at them either and they do no harm - live and let live I say. But it would churlish to pretend that society generally doesn't laugh at them.

 

[ralphchadkirk]

Indeed. I don't laugh at them either and they do no harm - live and let live I say. But it would churlish to pretend that society generally doesn't laugh at them.

Can't argue with that - we agree on something for once!

 

[Scotrail84]

On the subject of slang can somebody tell me why certain train have nicknames??? Like 67s = Skips

What are the nicknames for classes of trains and why?

 

[4SRKT]

I never said society doesn't laugh at them. Have you read the thread? I said society didn't used to laugh at them. And it didn't.
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On the subject of slang can somebody tell me why certain train have nicknames??? Like 67s = Skips

What are the nicknames for classes of trains and why?

If you turned a 67 upside down its shape would resemble a skip.

20s = choppers. Not sure why TBH. Also 'whistling wardrobes' because of the whistling sound combined with the large number of doors on the sides.
24s/25s = rats, supposedly because they were so common, you were never far from one.
26s/27s = McRats, like 24s/25s but found in Scotland
31s = peds due to their pedestrian performance, or Goyles because they were so ugly.
33s = Cromptons due to Crompton Parkinson traction motors (a bit lame this one TBF)
37s = growlers/tractors due to their noise, or Syphons for reasons I don't know
40s = whistlers due to the noise
44s = Peaks because they were named after mountains
45s/46s also Peaks because they were souped up 44s and weren't named after mountains
47s = duffs 'cos nobody likes 'em
50s = hoovers because before refurbishment they made a sort of sucking sound
52s = Westerns because they were on the Western Region and all called things like 'Western Champion' etc. Also 'whizzos'. Better ask someone who likes hydraulics why.
55s = Deltics. Powered by Napier 'Deltic' engines
56s = Grids because of the square horn grille on the front.
58s = bones because of their shape
66s = sheds because of the shape of the roof
81s-85s = roarers because they roared
86s = electric duffs (TBF this may only have been me that called them this)

 

[Wyvern]

THey were actively encouraged by BR when the railways were nationalised, even to handing out quite expensive spotters books out at schools. I wish I still had mine.

THey felt that young spotters grew into old railwaymen. There are a number of older drivers and crew who will admit to being spotters in their school days.

 

[185]

A dalek can often be seen near the four foot, flashing at passing trains.

 

[Scotrail84]

I never said society doesn't laugh at them. Have you read the thread? I said society didn't used to laugh at them. And it didn't.
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If you turned a 67 upside down its shape would resemble a skip.

20s = choppers. Not sure why TBH. Also 'whistling wardrobes' because of the whistling sound combined with the large number of doors on the sides.
24s/25s = rats, supposedly because they were so common, you were never far from one.
26s/27s = McRats, like 24s/25s but found in Scotland
31s = peds due to their pedestrian performance, or Goyles because they were so ugly.
33s = Cromptons due to Crompton Parkinson traction motors (a bit lame this one TBF)
37s = growlers/tractors due to their noise, or Syphons for reasons I don't know
40s = whistlers due to the noise
44s = Peaks because they were named after mountains
45s/46s also Peaks because they were souped up 44s and weren't named after mountains
47s = duffs 'cos nobody likes 'em
50s = hoovers because before refurbishment they made a sort of sucking sound
52s = Westerns because they were on the Western Region and all called things like 'Western Champion' etc. Also 'whizzos'. Better ask someone who likes hydraulics why.
55s = Deltics. Powered by Napier 'Deltic' engines
56s = Grids because of the square horn grille on the front.
58s = bones because of their shape
66s = sheds because of the shape of the roof
81s-85s = roarers because they roared
86s = electric duffs (TBF this may only have been me that called them this)

Thanks a lot for the info. I like to call our 170 4s shiote

 

[Schnellzug]

Good job I'm not one, then, and never was. I can honestly say I have never written down a loco number in me life, or owned an Ian Allan book.

We get these nerds in aviation as well. I once made the mistake of showing one round a hangar full of very interesting vintage aeroplanes; all he wanted were the registrations to tick-off in his book. Plane spotters - no interest at all in aeroplanes. Very odd... must be a bit of the obsessive/compulsive there, I think.

Not at all, i don't think; surely it's perfectly rational to make a note of what you're seeing, particularly if it's something rare.
And have you never, ever owned a single book published by Ian Allan, not even one of their comprehensive aviation range? Really?

 

[4SRKT]

Not at all, i don't think; surely it's perfectly rational to make a note of what you're seeing, particularly if it's something rare.
And have you never, ever owned a single book published by Ian Allan, not even one of their comprehensive aviation range? Really?

It doesn't matter whether he has or not. It's his business what he does and doesn't do, likes and doesn't like. Rather like whether people choose to write down numbers or whatever isn't his business.

 

[Schnellzug]

Anyway, why did this turn into an enthusiast bashing thread? Seems unnecessary to me.

 

[district]

As long as the enthusiasts aren't causing an obstruction to the railway or trying to impersonate railway staff, then we are harmless, and as NR say 'the eyes and the ears of the railway'... that's a good thing, right?

 

[4SRKT]

Anyway, why did this turn into an enthusiast bashing thread? Seems unnecessary to me.

Old Timer and someone else busting a bloodvessel about basherspeak IIRR.

 

[CosherB]

I never said society doesn't laugh at them. Have you read the thread? I said society didn't used to laugh at them. And it didn't.

Oh yes it did. I was there. 1950s onwards. Saw it meself (can't vouch for pre-'50s, though). Sorry mate.
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Not at all, i don't think; surely it's perfectly rational to make a note of what you're seeing, particularly if it's something rare.

Which bit of 'no interest at all in the aeroplanes' don't you understand?

 

[4SRKT]

Oh yes it did. I was there. 1950s onwards. Saw it meself (can't vouch for pre-'50s, though). Sorry mate.

Well, I was there as well. 1980s. Didn't see it myself; indeed they were just left alone to get on with it. It appears we have a draw. 'Sorry mate'.

 

[AlexS]

Shed loads of old lingo floating around although how long it will last with plain english campaigns etc I don't know.

"Dyke the next down man in the lie by" and such phrases, long may they continue!

Nob up bobby, bring it in on the dodger, get the backing board off, go and find a can of shots, go bang road, and the perennial (and slightly rude in modern form with the original one largely being obsolete (although the first phrase mentioned refers!)) bell code 1-5-5 for suggesting the next signalbox is being a bit slow 'knocking out'.

As I say, still loads of it about!

 

[scotsman]

A dalek can often be seen near the four foot, flashing at passing trains.

Temporary Speed Restriction ahead?

 

[Mutant Lemming]

Rat's Coffin has now passed in to the annals of history as tunnel telephone handsets are no longer carried about by drivers on ther underground. You would always get some wag who thought it amusing to take out the handset and put a dead rat in the box as a joke. Not sure which came first though - the dead rat prank or the term rat's coffin for the handset box.

 

[t_star2001uk]

Scotsman

Don't you mean Emergency speed restriction.....

 

[Schnellzug]

Which bit of 'no interest at all in the aeroplanes' don't you understand?

then why would they visit an airfield and note down the registrations? If they had no intrerest at all in aeroplanes why would they go to all that effort? That makes no logical sense at all.

 

[Maxfly]

Not at all, i don't think; surely it's perfectly rational to make a note of what you're seeing, particularly if it's something rare.
And have you never, ever owned a single book published by Ian Allan, not even one of their comprehensive aviation range? Really?

Ah, but that is looking at things as a spotter Most folk are quite happy to have known they have seen things, myself included. If somethings has a name then it is of course easier to remember but numbers certainly don't interest me and for myself is pointless. This isn't to say of course that I cannot understand why some people do this and enjoy it, I personally would get no enjoyment or fulfilment out of it and although I am 31 and maybe too young to remember far enough back, any time spotters were spoken of it was not regarded as a cool hobby and any seen often did fit the stereotype unfortunately.
Who is Ian Allan btw, sod Google, web sense has fell out with it right now lol.

Don't get too much slang here, well none that i notice that much lol mainly likes of cripple road, toy shop etc for Carrige Maintenace and Traction Maintenance that sort of thing

 

[4SRKT]

Nobody has said that being a railway enthusiast is a 'cool' hobby (what hobbies are?), but that in the past people didn't sneer at this perfectly harmless activity and simply allowed people to get on with it.

Ian Allan is a publisher of railway related literature, including stocklists and Modern Railways.

 

[matchmaker]

Most of mine come from signalling and are probably mostly terms used in Scotland. For example:

"Bell him on" - train entering section.
"Bell him by" - train out of section.

I also saw signalmen pronounce words differently. "Crane" was pronounced "cran", "route" was pronounced "rout".

 

[ralphchadkirk]

then why would they visit an airfield and note down the registrations? If they had no intrerest at all in aeroplanes why would they go to all that effort? That makes no logical sense at all.

I think what he means is that they had no interest in the actual planes, just wanting to tick the numbers off and be gone.

 

[Maxfly]

Nobody has said that being a railway enthusiast is a 'cool' hobby (what hobbies are?), but that in the past people didn't sneer at this perfectly harmless activity and simply allowed people to get on with it.

Ian Allan is a publisher of railway related literature, including stocklists and Modern Railways.

Hmm, football is generally guff but it is seen as 'cool' as so many people like it. Yep, cool might have been a bit generalised but am sure you know what i mean.
I love my cars, I love tinkering with them and some folk call me a boy acer, which slightly irritates me but tbh I have been called worse and I still smile everyday, really why should anyone care what others think of their respective hobby if it interests that person and makes them happy, that be life tbh

 

[4SRKT]

Football isn't seen as cool by me.............. Then neither is being a railway enthusiast. I do know what you mean tho.

 

[CosherB]

then why would they visit an airfield and note down the registrations? If they had no intrerest at all in aeroplanes why would they go to all that effort? That makes no logical sense at all.

I agree. They do it because they are 'collectors' (of registrations). Just like train spotters who have no interest in railways but have to 'spot' every loco of a particular class. As I said, probably a bit of 'obsessive / compulsive' disorder going on.

 

[4SRKT]

I agree. They do it because they are 'collectors' (of registrations). Just like train spotters who have no interest in railways but have to 'spot' every loco of a particular class. As I said, probably a bit of 'obsessive / compulsive' disorder going on.

DO trainspotters have no interest in railways?

 

[CosherB]

DO trainspotters have no interest in railways?

I don't know, but there might be some who don't, and merely want to cop the numbers. I do know there are plane spotters with no interest in aeroplanes who just want to cop the registrations - I've met them!

 

[Jobsworth]

I thought this started out as a thread on railway jargon not spotters jargon. Sometime back, somebody queried Temporary and Emergency Speed Restrictions. The ESR is fairly self explanatory. It will be communicated verbally to crews on a train by train basis until it can be published as part of late notices issued to crews as they book on. If the problem cannot be rectified in the short term, it becomes a TSR which is then published in late and weekly notices, with appropriate speed warning boards and AWS magnets/ATP chips being installed on the ground.

For what it's worth, I found trainspotting to be very educational. I learnt a lot about the geography of Great Britain and its industrial heritage. I also learnt a lot about organising my work in a logical manner probably because I was always referring to my Ian Allan ABC's for information, and they were laid out in very orderly fashion.