Nicknames of Multiple Unit Trains

[gage75]

do any of the D/E/DE MU's have nicknames, having thought about I think the new cls 7xx/8xx could/should be called Mutton-chops or Wiggys as the sides coming down the 'face' look like the Mutton chop style sideburns as sported by Sir Bradley Wiggins

 

[HarleyDavidson]

The SWT new stock is apparently going to be class 707, which some wag has nicknamed them Boeings!
Let's hope it doesn't bowing under the weight of punters or the on board computers don't keep crashing!

458's were known as a pedal bins, because of the "pedal" above the coupler and of course their previously rubbish reliability.

444's are sometimes known as Arkwright's after Ronnie Barkers "Open All Hours" character, 4....4....4!

442's Wessies or Plastic Pigs.

 

[Strathclyder]

A few of my own nicknames for the stock in my area:

Class 314s: 'Dinosaurs' - due to them being the oldest members of the Scotrail fleet.
Class 318s: 'Flat-Faces', due to their completely flat front ends.
Class 320s 'Mini-Dusties', on account of their design similarities to the 321s and being one car shorter.
Class 334s: 'Cyclops' - due to that big singular headlight above the cabs.

 

[corin paul]

Class 153 unloved by most, and called 'Dogboxes' or 'Scuds' missiles. Abit unfair on a little work horse, but if you get a nickname it dose mean people are talking about you.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Class 153 unloved by most, and called 'Dogboxes' or 'Scuds' missiles. Abit unfair on a little work horse, but if you get a nickname it dose mean people are talking about you.

Two additional names for 153s, Plastic or Tin Rockets and Super Bubbles.

 

[59CosG95]

Think all the electric Desiros (360, 450, 444, 350, and 380) are called UFOs after their traction motors.

 

[deltic1989]

I have heard the Pacer family of units referred to as 'Bone Shakers' and 'Nodding Donkeys' before. There are several other names for them but I don't want to wear my * key out.

 

[rebmcr]

Class 153 unloved by most, and called 'Dogboxes' or 'Scuds' missiles. Abit unfair on a little work horse, but if you get a nickname it dose mean people are talking about you.

Two additional names for 153s, Plastic or Tin Rockets and Super Bubbles.

Skateboards.

 

[SeanG]

321s are Dusty's/Dusty Bins after the quality 1980s gameshow 3-2-1

Of course some units have been given 'official' names which are used, such as Voyagers (221/220s), Meridians (and formally pioneers) (222s), Coradias (175s) and Adelantes (180s).

Some have been given 'official' names which haven't suck. Pennines (185s) and Zephyrs (180s of Grand Central)

 

[Tracked]

142/3/4 - 4-Wheeled Rattling Deathtraps
180 - Fiery Chariots
185 - "Penni-Dead-Fulls" sounds great in my head ... alone, which you never are in them*.
220/221 - Bogbox/Portapotty



* someone caught one from Platform 13 Manchester Picadilly last week, and is still traumatised ...

 

[bronzeonion]

This thread would not be complete without a mention of the Thumpers! The class 201 - 207 Southern Region DEMUs, nicknamed Thumpers thanks to the distinctive thumping engine noise.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

Then there were that Taddies or Tadpoles, that used to run from Reading to Tonbridge, which were Thumpers with odd trailers.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Then there were that Taddies or Tadpoles, that used to run from Reading to Tonbridge, which were Thumpers with odd trailers.

In a similar vein there were the 207s that ran with a trailer from a 4CEP, which owing to the Thumper's narrower profile, bulged out leading to the lovely nickname: "Maggots".

 

[SpacePhoenix]

460s were known as Darth Vader

 

[DJH1971]

Class 153 unloved by most, and called 'Dogboxes' or 'Scuds' missiles. Abit unfair on a little work horse, but if you get a nickname it dose mean people are talking about you.

I also heard they were known as 'skateboards'.

 

[GB]

360s gained the nickname Doodlebugs on account of them often going bang in and around London when introduced.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

360s gained the nickname Doodlebugs on account of them often going bang in and around London when introduced.

I thought it was because that they had a nasty habit of stopping before London.

 

[GB]

Yeah could have been.

 

[Cheshire Rover]

In the 70's we used to call all DMU's "Bog Units". To be fair we were spoiled by the sheer number of loco hauled trains at the time so this derogatory name was probably unfair.

 

[melena]

In the 70's we used to call all DMU's "Bog Units". To be fair we were spoiled by the sheer number of loco hauled trains at the time so this derogatory name was probably unfair.

We used to call them 'Buggies'

 

[generalvegitable]

I've heard class 153's referred to as bricks before now, otherwise there were a few that haven't been mentioned yet:

pacer - bouncy castle
class 325: postman pat
11 car class 390: extendolino
class 390: bendy... erm well maybe not that one
and for some strange reason I've heard the alstom junipers referred to as jumpers

thats all I can think of off the top of my head at the moment, most of the nicknames I know are for locos rather than units

 

[HarleyDavidson]

The 458s when they first arrived were so abysmal for reliability that some folk used their designation of 4 - JOP for the nickname of 4 - Jump Out Push.

We all know now that after sometime in storage & much work, they actually became one of the most reliable units going. Now as 5 cars they've got their teething troubles back again for some reason, but they're getting there.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

.....Meridians (and formally pioneers) (222s),....

Midland Mainline's 222/0s have always been Meridians, Hull Trains' 222/1s were Pioneers. Now, of course, they are all used by EMT are usually referred to as Meridians.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Class 180s when on the Paddington routes the first time round.... "Addled Aunts". No prizes for guessing where that originated!

 

[SpacePhoenix]

I think the ex Hastings DMUs (might have been DEMUs), were known as Thumpers, class 20 something

 

[bigdelboy]

Shouldn't one-eyed 4-COR_3142 have been posting NELSONhere already?

Though quite frankly the BIG/HAL/BEL/BIL/CIG/CEP/SUB/... etc designations of southern emus sort of typically removed the need for nicknames, thought arguably official nicknames in themselves, though I suppose if still around they might have had 'ies' added in the way of 5-WES as mentioned earlier.

 

[MK Tom]

Single car first generation DMUs are known as bubble cars, principally classes 121 and 122.

Classes that have official names like 'Sprinter' and 'Turbo' tend to just have those names used. There often seems to be disagreement among enthusiasts as to whether 158s and 159s qualify as Sprinters or not. Those two classes get called coffins sometimes for the shape of the end gangway.

 

[Ash Bridge]

I think the ex Hastings DMUs (might have been DEMUs), were known as Thumpers, class 20 something

Plus the Class 205/207 Hampshire and Sussex DEMUs.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

309's - Were Clacton's.

 

[Ash Bridge]

Back in the 70s, we knew the Class 110 dmu's as Birmingham Rolls Royces. On account of the fact that 4 of said manufacturers engines were fitted.