• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Trivia: Locomotive names named after birds

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

hexagon789

Veteran Member
Joined
2 Sep 2016
Messages
15,715
Location
Glasgow
A4s:

Falcon
Golden Eagle
Great Snipe
Sparrow Hawk
Kingfisher
Sea Eagle
Seagull
Gannet
Peregrine
Wild Swan
Woodcock
Osprey

Might be a couple I've forgotten
 

etr221

Member
Joined
10 Mar 2018
Messages
1,037
In steam days there were many other - look up GWR Bird class - more than I just know, or am willing to look up...

Wren was one of ng shunters at Crewe or Horwich.
 

Western Lord

Member
Joined
17 Mar 2014
Messages
782
A4 bird names were:- (in build order)
4482 Golden Eagle
4483 Kingfisher
4484 Falcon
4485 Kestrel (renamed Miles Beevor)
4486 Merlin
4487 Sea Eagle (renamed Walter K. Whigham)
4488 Osprey (renamed Union of South Africa)
4489 Woodcock (renamed Dominion of Canada)
4493 Woodcock (name reallocated from 4489)
4494 Osprey (reallocated from 4488 but renamed Andrew K. McCosh)
4495 Great Snipe (renamed Golden Fleece)
4496 Golden Shuttle (renamed Dwight D. Eisenhower)
4497 Golden Plover
4462 Great Snipe (reallocated from 4495 but renamed William Whitelaw)
4463 Sparrow Hawk
4464 Bittern
4465 Guillemot
4466 Herring Gull (renamed Sir Ralph Wedgwood)
4467 Wild Swan
4468 Mallard
4469 Gadwall (renamed Sir Ralph Wedgwood, destroyed in air raid at York and name transferred to 4466)
4499 Pochard (renamed Sir Murrough Wilson)
4500 Garganey (renamed Sir Ronald Matthews)
4900 Gannet
4901 Capercaillie (renamed Sir Charles Newton)
4902 Seagull
4903 Peregrine (renamed Lord Faringdon)
The other original A4 names were:-
2509 Silver Link
2510 Quicksilver
2511 Silver King
2512 Silver Fox
4490 Empire of India
4491 Commonwealth of Australia
4492 Dominion of New Zealand
4498 Sir Nigel Gresley
 

TheEdge

Established Member
Joined
29 Nov 2012
Messages
4,489
Location
Norwich
Gresley was famously a bit of a bird spotter which is one reason why so many A4s got bird names.
 

rick pike

Member
Joined
6 Jan 2013
Messages
106
Location
Grimsby
Not forgetting the Tinsley unofficial names on the Duff's. Cant think of any other diesels with bird names
 

43096

On Moderation
Joined
23 Nov 2015
Messages
15,162
Not forgetting the Tinsley unofficial names on the Duff's. Cant think of any other diesels with bird names
43089 Hayabusa

Then there’s the Brush prototypes Hawk, Falcon and Kestrel.
 
Last edited:

70014IronDuke

Established Member
Joined
13 Jun 2015
Messages
3,686
From another country, so not sure if it counts: Der Adler. (Loco, not the magazine).

.. Wren was one of ng shunters at Crewe or Horwich.

Horwich.
I'd forgotten all about that. I see it's preserved. Excellent.
 

Karl

On Moderation
Joined
16 Aug 2011
Messages
710
Location
Bamber Bridge
Wow! I feel ashamed. I can't believe I didn't know all this. My excuse, I wasn't around in the steam era. Thanks all for your responses.
 

FGW_DID

Established Member
Joined
23 Jun 2011
Messages
2,724
Location
81E
Quite a few modern locos named after ‘Birds’

A few examples:

66540 Ruby
66708 Jayne
66776 Joanne
66777 Annette
67023 Stella
73107 Tracy

:lol::lol:
 

geoffk

Established Member
Joined
4 Aug 2010
Messages
3,223
A4 bird names were:- (in build order)
4482 Golden Eagle
4483 Kingfisher
4484 Falcon
4485 Kestrel (renamed Miles Beevor)
4486 Merlin
4487 Sea Eagle (renamed Walter K. Whigham)
4488 Osprey (renamed Union of South Africa)
4489 Woodcock (renamed Dominion of Canada)
4493 Woodcock (name reallocated from 4489)
4494 Osprey (reallocated from 4488 but renamed Andrew K. McCosh)
4495 Great Snipe (renamed Golden Fleece)
4496 Golden Shuttle (renamed Dwight D. Eisenhower)
4497 Golden Plover
4462 Great Snipe (reallocated from 4495 but renamed William Whitelaw)
4463 Sparrow Hawk
4464 Bittern
4465 Guillemot
4466 Herring Gull (renamed Sir Ralph Wedgwood)
4467 Wild Swan
4468 Mallard
4469 Gadwall (renamed Sir Ralph Wedgwood, destroyed in air raid at York and name transferred to 4466)
4499 Pochard (renamed Sir Murrough Wilson)
4500 Garganey (renamed Sir Ronald Matthews)
4900 Gannet
4901 Capercaillie (renamed Sir Charles Newton)
4902 Seagull
4903 Peregrine (renamed Lord Faringdon)
The other original A4 names were:-
2509 Silver Link
2510 Quicksilver
2511 Silver King
2512 Silver Fox
4490 Empire of India
4491 Commonwealth of Australia
4492 Dominion of New Zealand
4498 Sir Nigel Gresley
A1s 60120 Kittiwake, 60122 Curlew, 60130 Kestrel. 60131 Osprey, 60139 Sea Eagle, 60146 Peregrine - some previously on an A4.
 

geoffk

Established Member
Joined
4 Aug 2010
Messages
3,223
There will be loads! Half the a4's were named after birds! A quick google/wiki would shiw this
A4 60027 and King Arthur 30740 were both named Merlin but only the A4 refers to the bird. The Arthur is named after the magician/wizard.
 

83G/84D

Established Member
Joined
28 Oct 2011
Messages
5,952
Location
Cornwall
Not forgetting the Tinsley unofficial names on the Duff's. Cant think of any other diesels with bird names

47003 Wild Swan

47005 Harrier

47008 Peregrine

47009 Guillemot

47012 Magpie

47051 Great Snipe

47096 Rook

47097 Falcon

47098 Oriole

47100 Merlin

47102 Buzzard

47105 Goldcrest

47108 Golden Eagle

47116 Gannet

47117 Sparrow Hawk

(Displayed as two separate words on nameplate as shown)

47118 Lapwing

47120 Osprey

47121 Pochard

47123 Jay

47200 Jackdaw

47209 Bittern

47217 Kingfisher

47218 Firecrest

47219 Sandpiper

47226 Seagull

47245 Linnet

47270 Swift

47284 Stormcock / Mistle Thrush (dual naming)

47298 Kestrel

47306 Goshawk

47307 Bunting

47309 Kittiwake

47310 Raven

47313 Curlew

47314 Blackcap

47316 Wren

47338 Cormorant

47355 Avocet

47360 Fulmar

47376 Skylark
 

83G/84D

Established Member
Joined
28 Oct 2011
Messages
5,952
Location
Cornwall
Following on from the earlier post regarding the A4's :-

60095 A3 Flamingo
60120 A1 Kittiwake
60122 A1 Curlew
60130 A1 Kestrel
60131 A1 Osprey
60139 A1 Sea Eagle
60146 A1 Peregrine

Some of these were posted previously by geoffK.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top