Train Nicknames...

[43067]

I'm new to this but i am curious as to why some 66's are known as fred's and dred's

 

[Vulcan]

I'm new to this but i am curious as to why some 66's are known as fred's and dred's

This is why I don't like nicknaming of engines, it m akes no sence to 'normal' people.

66s are nicknamed 'sheds' because of their roof profile (never seen an actual shed this shape, but never mind) So some wise person decided that Freightliner 66s should be called 'Freds' because its a shed with an F on it. Isn't that so witty and funny? [/sarcasm]

Dred is a new one to me, but I'm guessing it referes to a DRS 66.

 

[LE Greys]

I'm new to this but i am curious as to why some 66's are known as fred's and dred's

To which you can add "Greds" (for the GBRF version) and "Fleds" (for the Fastline version). Not heard a Colas one called a "Coed" yet. All of them pretty daft, and I'd be curious to know what the drivers call them.

 

[broadbander]

Class 175: Hippo

 

[Sherlock37]

My mate and me have some right laughs with the 153's on the North Staffs...

Dog Box
Derby Dog Box
Dog Kennel
Derby's Finest
Crate
Skateboard
Flying Brick
Seats-on-floor
Tin Rockets
Rocket
Rollerskate
Tin Can
Sardine Can
Standing-only

Plenty more mind!

 

[Juniper Driver]

Ice Cream Van.

 

[jon0844]

Personally I hate "Pretendolino" to describe the VirginTrains Mk3 + DVT rake, sounds a bit chavvy to me

Always preferred bendy-leano myself.

And for a 313, I'd call them coffin-dodgers.

 

[LE Greys]

And for a 313, I'd call them coffin-dodgers.

<HAH>

Didn't 302s used to be called "Dinosaurs" for similar reasons.

 

[D6975]

Apparently I was wrong in my presumption of Class 90's being known as skoda's. I thought they were called that as they look similar to the ZSSK class 350, Built by Skoda in CS.

No, you were right, 90s were known as Skodas, 91s Ladas
No prizes for guessing what had nicknames of Skoda Estate and Lada Estate.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Didn't find it on a search, but it might have been mentioned..

304 units were known as Dongs
Anyone who remembers the noise they used to make will know why.

 

[gareth taylor]

66: a mate now calls em 'dishwashers'

I like the sound of that one.

 

[deltic1989]

Pretty correct there on the loco front, just a few others i know of:

03: Flower Pot
14: Teddy Bear
24: Never heard em called skinheads, thought that was 31's without headcode blind or marker lights.
26 & 27: McRat
33: Bagpipe if a /1
37: For those that don't like them nose-ped has been known.
46: Nose Duff
52: Lawnmower
57: Ronnie, although the origins of that I do not know.
81-85: Roarers
90: Skoda
92: Hair dryer.

Think the 57's got nicknamed ronnie because 57001 was originally out shopped in a horrible purple livery by porterbrook hence ronnie as in purple ronnie.

 

[gareth taylor]

158s cows rear end

 

[220010]

220/221 vomit commit
08 gronk
143/142/144 nodding donkeys
66 shed
67 skip
390 pendadildo
153 scud
150 tin can
43: Tram
222 Corner Shop

 

[Vulcan]

220 / 221 Vomit Comet? Whyyy???

They arn't rough riding in the slightest, IMO anyone that thinks they are needs to take advice from the nice man on the Snickers adverts, and get some nuts. Seriously.

 

[4SRKT]

220 / 221 Vomit Comet? Whyyy???

They arn't rough riding in the slightest, IMO anyone that thinks they are needs to take advice from the nice man on the Snickers adverts, and get some nuts. Seriously.

I would guess it has something to do with the original livery, but I could be wrong.

 

[220010]

Its from the smell of the toilets
and making people feel sick
as the XC ones cant be called supermarkets no more?

 

[Vulcan]

True, the toilets are particularly smelly, and they seem very unreliable as well. I was on one from Birmingham New Street to Basingstoke recently which was full and standing, and I had no option but to stand in the vestibule with a particularly stinking toilet. (well, apart from staying in Birmingham, but that'd be even worse )

 

[12CSVT]

As well as most classes of loco and unit being given nicknames there are several individual locos which were given nicknames (where the name wasn't actually carried by the loco)

Some examples I know of are

25322 (later 25912) 'The Ice Cream Van' - due to its non-standard livery
33115 'Zebedee' (after it was converted for departmental use)
47370 'Pinky' and 47379 'Perky' (these class 47s received an experimental modification for MGR workings in the late 1970s). Also class 319 units 319364 and 319365 are now known as 'Pinky' and 'Perky' respectively.
A class 50 (I think it was 50033) was nicknamed 'Old Smokey Joe' in its last year of BR service due to its excessive clag.

 

[LE Greys]

33115 'Zebedee' (after it was converted for departmental use)

I always though that 'Zebedee' referred to the 86/2s because of their flexicoil springs.

A class 50 (I think it was 50033) was nicknamed 'Old Smokey Joe' in its last year of BR service due to its excessive clag.

Someone once told be that 45149 was nicknamed 'Benson' for similar reasons.

 

[bluebottle]

I always though that 'Zebedee' referred to the 86/2s because of their flexicoil springs.

Similar reason, see here http://www.departmentals.com/photo/83301

 

[SouthEastern-465]

'Electrostars' = 'Electrosh*ts'

 

[57603]

A few odd names we used in the late 60's early 70's in the north west.

class 20: muck grinders
class 24: skinhead sulzer
class 37: bag o nails
class 40: blogs


all electric loco's: leccy's
all DMU'S: bug crates/pi** cans

 

[prod_pep]

508s were nicknamed "Wombles" when new on Merseyside. Fairly obviously to do with their former base at Wimbledon depot.

 

[DMUchap]

Here's a few of mine:

Cl47: Spoon (try saying spoon in a high pitched voice and you get the idea.)
Cl57: Bodysnatcher (Re-engined Cl47)
Cl70: Ugly duckling (They're butt ugly and have an awful whining sound)
Cl139: Bus (They look like a bus and they have bus seats in them)
Cl153: Sardine tin ('cos there's not always enough seats on them)
Leyland Mini (Same manufacturer & could be with us for years to come)
Class 155 impersonators (For when you get two 153's coupled together turn up)
Cl158: Flying Coffin (90mph capability and the front end looks like one. Maybe BR were trying to tell us something)
Sweatbox (Dodgy air conditioning)
Cl450: Mother-in-law (The whining stops at the end of each journey)
______________________________________________________
"The next train to arrive in platform 3 does not stop here...."

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The class 158 front end reminds me more of the Ford Edsel and the reason why that car never sold in the quantities it should have done.....

 

[scotsman]

Cl158: Flying Coffin (90mph capability and the front end looks like one. Maybe BR were trying to tell us something)

Ironically, one of them became one when a disturbed person stepped off the platform at Lenzie as an express for Glasgow approached at 90mph. He stepped off to late and went through the corridor connection door and landed next to the driver.

 

[Hydro]

New Measurement Train - Numpty, because it is one.

 

[LE Greys]

New Measurement Train - Numpty, because it is one.

Or Flying Banana (obviously).

 

[12CSVT]

In the 1980's some East Anglian enthusiasts called class 31/4s 'Ewoks' (probably something to do with the 'Star Wars' character)

 

[Juniper Driver]

When I first joined the railways in the early 1980's and cleaned the 315's they were referred to as "Mickey Mouses" probably due to the wrap around cab paint scheme thingy at the time.

CL 450 V1?

When they reach London they stop whining.