Trivia: Nicknames we use

Interesting thread.

As well as the more commonly named Westerns. Waships, Peaks, Hymeks, Claytons and Deltics, in the early 1970’s in the North West we had the following nicknames (or should I say abbreviated names) for these locos:-

Class 20s – EE1s
Class 37s – EE3s
Class 40s – EE4s
Class 31s – Brush 2s
Class 47s – Brush 4s
Class 24s – Bobos
Class 25s – Sulzers
Class 22/29 – North British

For some reason we didn’t have a nickname for Class 50s although technically they were still English Electric Type 4’s.

More recently I have seen Class 455 units called “Cybermen” units after the Dr Who characters.

http://www.branchlinebritain.co.uk/index.php?page=southerncaterhamreview1


Finally, in line with Star Trek fans being called “Trekkies” I call track bashers “Trackies”.

Here's some of my favourite nicknames

Class 20 - Choppers, Bombs or Whistling Wardrobes
Class 25 - Rats
Class 26 - McRats or Teacups
Class 27 - Tip Tops
Class 31 - Goyles or Peds
Class 33/0 - Cromptons
Class 331/1 - Bagpipes
Class 33/2 - Slim Jims
Class 37 - Tractors or Growlers
Class 40 - Whistlers
Class 44/45/46 -Peaks
Class 47 - Brush, Spoons, Duffs
Class 47/7 (Push Pull) - Shove Duffs
Class 50 - Vacs, Hoovers or Logs
Class 55 - Deltics
Class 56 - Grids
Class 58 - Bone
Class 60 - Doughnut
Class 66 - Shed
Class 67 - Skip
Class 73/0 - JA, ED or Shoebox
Class 73/1 or 73/2 - JB, ED or Shoebox
Class 81-85 - Roarers
Class 86 - Can
Class 87 - Lasers
Class 90 - Skodas

xotGD said:

Also Bish Vegas - Bishop Auckland

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Never heard it called that and I am from that neck of the woods. Only ever heard it called Bish IIRC.

Grockles = ordinary rail passengers.

The Kremlin = York HQ

Board = semaphore signal eg "The boards against us".

Parly = train which stops at all stations.

Pinza-C55 said:

Parly = train which stops at all stations.

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Isn't a Parly/Parlo just a once-a-week service that keeps a line open?

An all-stations train is an "all-shacks"!

GW43125 said:

Isn't a Parly/Parlo just a once-a-week service that keeps a line open?

An all-stations train is an "all-shacks"!

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Not sure but I think a Parly normally ran every day and called at all stations.
PG Wodehouse was fond of referring to the "Milk Train" which ran very early and was often used by his characters to escape from the stately home

Body Snatcher = Class 57

Dogbox = Class 153

Flying Banana = NR New Measurement Train - I sure used before for HSTs

Plastic Pig = Class 442

Skoda =Class 90 locomotives

Spoon = Class 47 locomotives.

Super Gronk = Class 09

Super Skoda = Class 91 locomotives, as they're essentially a vamped up class 90.

Thumper = Class 20X series of DEMUs

U-Boat = Class 55 locomotives, because their engines have also been used in boats.

mackeral1234 said:

Skoda =Class 90 locomotives

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How did the 90s end up being nicknamed "Skodas"?

GusB said:

How did the 90s end up being nicknamed "Skodas"?

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I think it's because they were somewhat unreliable in their early days.

GW43125 said:

I think it's because they were somewhat unreliable in their early days.

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Still are slightly unreliable aren't they!

TimSYoung40145 said:

Still are slightly unreliable aren't they!

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Not as unreliable as the 92s!

Pinza-C55 said:

Likewise
Cas Vegas - Castleford
Ponty Carlo -Pontefract

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See also Normanhattan - Normanton. There really ought to be similar nicknames for Featherstone and Knottingley, to get a full "Five Towns" flush!

A possible one for 442s given the number of times they've caught fire over the years: "Smokey Bacon"

SpacePhoenix said:

A possible one for 442s given the number of times they've caught fire over the years: "Smokey Bacon"

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This made my day

A few more offerings:

Piece or Frog - Ticket
Ching - Fare
Effing it - Travelling without a ticket
Area F - Alternative term for Effing it - As in an Area F Rover
Effer - Person travelling without a ticket or trespassing on the railway
Lamp - Spotter standing on the end of a platform (resembling a lamppost)
Nedex - Railtour, i.e. a service for Neds
Popex - Specials that ran to York when the pope came to visit
Ethex - Saga specials (Carrying Ethels, i.e. elderly people)
Kettlex - A steam-hauled excursion
Mystex - An excursion where the destination is unknown (except to people with gen!)
Caped - A service that is terminated prior to reaching its destination, or that is cancelled entirely
Cupboard - Class 153
Bendy bus - Classes 141/2/3/4
Turd - Class 142 in original brown livery
Generator - 47401-47420 (fitted with generators rather than alternators)
Wagon - Class 46
Dub-dub - Class 50
Fish - Class 81 (With picture of a fish on the side)
Flower pot - Class 03 with an exhaust resembling a flower pot
Small Engine - Classes 26 & 27
Tram - HST
Bog unit / bog cart / charriot - 1st generation DMU
Scud - Class 158
Set of vacs - Rake of Vacuum braked coaching stock
Compos - Compartment coaching stock
Drag - An electric train being hauled by a diesel locomotive
Nought-nought - A zero minute connection between services, aka Dead Connection
Minus 10 - When the train you are hoping to catch is due to depart 10 minutes before the train you are currently on is due to arrive (other negative numbers are also available)
Plus 10 - As above, but a positive connecting time (other positive numbers re also available) - can also be applied to the the time remining to get back from the pub/chip shop/etc. in order to catch your train
Bail - get off a train
Flagged - To have not caught a train (i.e. you flagged it off)
Fagged - A train that has broken down
Cloth caps - Barnsley to Scarborough service
The Coast - Newcastle to Darlington (and reverse) via Sunderland sleeper portion, which later became a loco-hauled connecting service with no sleepers
The Hole - The sidings next to the old Platform 10 at Newcastle Central
Chuck out turn - Service for which the loco diagram was something of a lottery
Bowled, bowled out or withered - To miss a train you really wanted to travel on, have a loco not turn up on the expected service, or any other general form of disappointment when out bashing
NB Season - The summer months when locomotives without train heat supply (i.e. Non Boilered) were permitted to work pssenger services
Scratched - To have travelled behind a previously required locomotive
Cleared - To have travelled over 1,000 miles behind a given locomotive
Overdoss - To miss your stop due to being asleep
Gen merchant - Person who was able to supply information on which locomotives were working which trains (usually someone with access to TOPS)
Duff gen - Incorrect information pertaining to the above
F1.7 at 10 years - Attempting to take a photograph in very challenging light conditions
Up midnight / Down midnight - The Paddington - Penzance sleeper services
Every lamppost - The stopping pattern of an all stations service
Insect - A certain type of annoying enthusiast
Slops house - Facility for buying tea on a station (back in the days prior to Costa Coffee, etc.)
The Blocks - Kings Cross (or other terminus station)
Throughout - Travelling on a train from its point of origin to its final destination (if the latter is a terminus then you could "Do it to The Blocks")

Fudged-When someone's sight gen is of questionable quality.

Some more offerings:

Gargoyle/Goyle/Pedal Car/Ped/Joke Engine – Class 31
Strum Box/Strummer/Joseph (from Joe Strummer)/Sire Keith Joseph/Spoon – Class 47
Twank – Class 47/8 fitted with Twin Tanks
Cover – To be in a suitable location to be able to travel on a train if the desired traction turns up
Moves – A series of journeys enabling someone to travel on and/or cover services of interest. Someone with no gen or no ability to read a timetable would often ask “What’s the move?”
Thrash – Noise made by a locomotive when working hard
Thrash merchant – Driver who “gives it some stick” and generates a lot of noise from a locomotive
Clag – Visible products of incomplete combustion from a diesel engine (i.e. smoke!)
Clag monster – A locomotive with a reputation for generating lots of smoke. Note – When a clag monster is being driven by a thrash merchant, the results can be entertaining and could be described as Dreadful or Hellfire
Kop or Dock – To see something for the first time
Docking session – A period of time spent in a location to see stuff. If you take a camera this then becomes a Photting Session.
Fast helicopter – Mode of transport required to get to a suitable location to travel on a train when other modes of transport won’t get you there in time.
Mileage move – Travelling a long distance on a train or, when used ironically, travelling a very short distance, especially when done by a Line in the Book Merchant / Scratch Merchant.
Nosebleed – Used to describe the situation when someone travels further from base than normally the case. For example, someone who never travels south of Darlo would be asked “Did you get a nosebleed?” if they announced that they had been to York.

I should also extend the definition of Drag to include a locomotive hauling a failed DMU or HST (i.e. fagged bog cart or tram) ,as well as hauling an electric train ‘when the juice is off’ or when it has to be diverted.

Bug = DMU
Block ender = Multiple unit or other train with no corridor connection at the end.
McRat = Scottish based Class 25

xotGD said:

Minus 10 - When the train you are hoping to catch is due to depart 10 minutes before the train you are currently on is due to arrive (other negative numbers are also available)

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Also known as a Negative Leap.

My nick-names come from the 1960's - apologies if they are repeats.
CHEESE BOX = Met-Vick Co-Bo (D5700 - 19)
BUG CART = Any DMU (Some folk called them BOG CARTS)
SKIN HEAD = Class 24 without a roof-mounted Headcode box
STREAK = A4 Class steam loco (e.g. Mallard)
SEMI = Stanier Pacific steam loco (e.g. 46202)
JINTY = Fowler 3F steam loco
BIG 8 = Stanier 8F steam loco
HORSE BOX = Non-Corridor Carriage