Favourite Locomotive names?

[TheEdge]

It has to be the recycled Warship names that have gone onto the 68s. Chinook and Evening Star are two good ones as well.

Although my all time favourite will be the GWR Castle names, especially the batch named after various RAF aircraft (Spitfire, Hurricane and so on)

 

[driver_m]

As a railwayman, I'm particularly proud of our George Cross recipients, and the locos/units that carried or still carry their names. The 156 carrying John Axon is probably the only one I see with any regularity sadly.

 

[AnthonyRail]

Cock of the north

 

[johnr57]

55007 Pinza
Maybe because she was the first Deltic i recognised as such while on York station as a youngster. watching her Head Northbound from Platform 5 emitting a glorious noise and clag as thick as fog was a sight to behold - and i remember to this day. i have a picture taken on a kodak instamatic - will go and find it

 

[randyrippley]

Incorrect. D1660 to D1677 named in the mid 60s. I think they were steam heat boiler fitted only initially. Dual braked - vacuum and air. Possibly wrong on this and may have been no heat at all not even steam. However under TOPS no heat were numbered 47/3. Steam heat were 47/0 and electric/dual were 47/4

just checked, you're right. Built with steam heat and (some at least) converted to ETH early-mid 80's

 

[apinnard]

The first two loco’s I saw as a child that got me “into” the railways.

“The Sapper” and “Kent Youth Music.”

As for units; Mum in a million Doreen Scanlon.

 

[JohnMcL7]

55007 Pinza
Maybe because she was the first Deltic i recognised as such while on York station as a youngster. watching her Head Northbound from Platform 5 emitting a glorious noise and clag as thick as fog was a sight to behold - and i remember to this day. i have a picture taken on a kodak instamatic - will go and find it

That seems to be a second Deltic named after a race horse, was this a theme they had with them?

 

[themiller]

That seems to be a second Deltic named after a race horse, was this a theme they had with them?

I think it was the ones allocated to Doncaster which got racehorse names.

 

[stephens]

I think it was the ones allocated to Doncaster which got racehorse names.

No.
Finsbury Park allocated Deltics received racehorse names.
Gateshead and Haymarket allocated Deltics were named after Yorkshire/North-East and Scottish regiments respectively.

 

[70014IronDuke]

That seems to be a second Deltic named after a race horse, was this a theme they had with them?

I presume you are under 40, so since nobody else has explained it, I suppose I will. The LNER had named most of its A1/A3 locomotives (the 'Flying Scotsman' class) after Derby/St Ledger (I think) racehorse winners.
see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LNER_Class_A1/A3_locomotives

You thus had innocuous-sounding names like Melton and Lemberg along with off-the-wall stuff like Bayardo, Blink Bonny and St Frusquin (who he, or she?), plus the likes of Gay Crusader - which probably wouldn't have washed come the 1990s.

I don't know who, but soon after the Deltics came in, someone influential - possibly regional manager Gerard Fiennes* - continued the tradition on the GN. And this was against the tide of official thinking at 222 Marylebone Rd to boot. (The BRB turned against naming both locomotives and trains.)
* There is someone on this very forum whose father may have been involved in these decisions, who may contribute knowledge on this.

 

[70014IronDuke]

As a railwayman, I'm particularly proud of our George Cross recipients, and the locos/units that carried or still carry their names. The 156 carrying John Axon is probably the only one I see with any regularity sadly.

Couldn't agree more. I hope the children of Soham learn the names of Driver Gimbert and Fireman Nightall in their local history lessons, and all like them. It's just a pity there were surely so many more brave men and women who are not properly honoured. (Including, as it happens, the signalman at Soham that night.)

 

[themiller]

No.
Finsbury Park allocated Deltics received racehorse names.
Gateshead and Haymarket allocated Deltics were named after Yorkshire/North-East and Scottish regiments respectively.

Ah, yes. I remember, now. I knew the northern ones had regimental names and probably got mixed up in my head with the A3s

 

[JohnMcL7]

I presume you are under 40, so since nobody else has explained it, I suppose I will. The LNER had named most of its A1/A3 locomotives (the 'Flying Scotsman' class) after Derby/St Ledger (I think) racehorse winners.
see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LNER_Class_A1/A3_locomotives

You thus had innocuous-sounding names like Melton and Lemberg along with off-the-wall stuff like Bayardo, Blink Bonny and St Frusquin (who he, or she?), plus the likes of Gay Crusader - which probably wouldn't have washed come the 1990s.

I don't know who, but someone influential on the GN - possibly Gerard Fiennes* - continued the tradition on the GN. And this was against the tide of official thinking at 222 Marylebone Rd to boot.
* There is someone on this very forum whose father may have been involved in these decisions, who may contribute knowledge on this.

You are correct on both counts as I am under 40 and wasn't aware of this naming scheme, thanks for taking the time to explain it.

 

[70014IronDuke]

You are correct on both counts as I am under 40 and wasn't aware of this naming scheme, thanks for taking the time to explain it.

I realise I didn't really explain things too well in my original post. However, you seem to have got it. I shall tweak what I wrote to make it clearer for others.

 

[uvarvu]

I really liked 56312 and its unique livery when it was called Artemis.

 

[TRAX]

The general naming convention of the Classes 68 and 88.

 

[50039]

Implacable.... naturally... loco names don’t get better than that!

 

[JohnMcL7]

Implacable.... naturally... loco names don’t get better than that!

Sounds like you might be biased

The Class 50's did have great names particularly for what was a powerful engine at the time.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Sounds like you might be biased

The Class 50's did have great names particularly for what was a powerful engine at the time.

All fake! (Sorry to disabuse you.)

The real Implacable was like this:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2222527

I remember seeing this locomotive one afternoon on a Manchester London Rd - St Pancras working.Roughly 46 years ago, probably to the month. Summer, 62.
But you are correct on one thing - it is a stirring name.

 

[50039]

All fake! (Sorry to disabuse you.)

The real Implacable was like this:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2222527

I remember seeing this locomotive one afternoon on a Manchester London Rd - St Pancras working.Roughly 46 years ago, probably to the month. Summer, 62.
But you are correct on one thing - it is a stirring name.

That I did not know - thanks, very informative

 

[87electric]

Current: 68024 CENTAUR
All time fave: 55020 NIMBUS

 

[AJM580]

Currently like the 68 names - brings back memories of the class 50 and 42 names, in days past I always used to look out for the SF 47 namers 47577, 47579, 47580 to 47585 and the original Western region 47s with their low slung nameplates

 

[Rail Blues]

The Brontes of Haworth - 47421. Between them they wrote a couple of my favourite novels and it was the first loco I ever spotted as a kid, I had no idea who the Brontes were or where Haworth was but I liked the sound of the name.