Pendolino Names

[fowler9]

Couldn't find a thread directly related to this but by all means shunt this over to the relevant place.

Penny the Pendolino? I mean really. X Men? Sorry. Any of the ones with Virgin in the name? Please. Purely a personal opinion but I really don't like the names of a decent number of them. Sorry to moan but have just been watching clips of 87's going up the WCML and they had really good names. There are also a lot of good ones, Cities, prominent people, charities etc.

Just interested to know if anyone feels the same or can confirm I am a grumpy old git.

 

[sprinterguy]

I like the "Virgin" themed names. It gives a homogenous feel to the fleet, and is in keeping with traditional values of grouping names for a particular class of loco, as with the "Westerns" and Great Western "Castles", even if the modern angle is a bit more commercial ("Virgin Stagecoach" in particular)!
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I do agree, however, that the current crop of names on the West Coast don't match up to those carried by the 87s in particular. British Rail really, really got it right when they revived their naming policy for the class and applied a range of traditional names that really stirred the imagination.

 

[Bob Ames]

I confess that I've never paid any attention to their names, but since you've brought it up, I've just looked-up my favourite set (390127) and find that its name is Virgin Buccaneer. Ugh, I think I'll continue to call it 390127...

 

[455driver]

I confess that I've never paid any attention to their names, but since you've brought it up, I've just looked-up my favourite set (390127) and find that its name is Virgin Buccaneer. Ugh, I think I'll continue to call it 390127...

Wheres your Buccaneers?
At the sides of your buccanhead!

 

[fowler9]

Some of them just sound wrong. Virgin Invader and Virgin Explorer. They sound more like accusations or crimes.
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I like the "Virgin" themed names. It gives a homogenous feel to the fleet, and is in keeping with traditional values of grouping names for a particular class of loco, as with the "Westerns" and Great Western "Castles", even if the modern angle is a bit more commercial ("Virgin Stagecoach" in particular)!
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I do agree, however, that the current crop of names on the West Coast don't match up to those carried by the 87s in particular. British Rail really, really got it right when they revived their naming policy for the class and applied a range of traditional names that really stirred the imagination.

I do agree to an extent about the names having a theme. I just don't personally feel that sticking a company name in front of some random words is the same as naming trains after things or people etc. I loved the 50's being mostly named after Warships, the Welsh and Scottish 37/4's having regional names etc. Goodness knows I am no prude but sticking Virgin in front of words is odd. Northern wouldn't be so bad if that was the TOC, it would look weird having a 142 called Northern Princess though.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I found 390050 somewhat amusing: "Virgin Invader" sounds like something you'd see in the backroom of a video shop!

 

[fowler9]

I found 390050 somewhat amusing: "Virgin Invader" sounds like something you'd see in the backroom of a video shop!

It tickled me anyway. Virgin Explorer made me laugh out loud as she flew through South Parkway.

 

[Strathclyder]

I'm not that fussed about the Pendolino names. The 87s had proper names, though. My personal favorite was 87027 Wolf of Badenoch.

 

[fishquinn]

I'm not that fussed about the Pendolino names. The 87s had proper names, though. My personal favorite was 87027 Wolf of Badenoch.

Vote 'Wolfey'!

My favourite too.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I do like the 'City of ...' (or 'Dinas Bangor') nameplates but I too think some of them are a bit odd, for example Invader and Crusader. I doubt it would ever happen, but naming them after the towns or regions (as I believe some VXC Voyagers did) vice meaningless nouns would be nice - 'Town of Stafford' or even something cheesy like 'Explorer of the Lakes' would be relevant.

 

[fowler9]

I loved Wolf Of Badenoch, Redgauntlet, Hal O' The Wynd, Cock O' The North, Black Douglas etc.

Penny the Pendolino and Virgin Princess are just garbage. I bet some management committee got paid a lot more to come up with the new names.
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If you googled the old names you might learn something. If you googled Virgin Explorer you'd get porn.

 

[user15681]

Can't wait to see Virgin Invader crossing the Scottish border and arriving in Glasgow having come from London, post Scottish independence!

*Not because of my persuasion on the matter of independence, just because it would be amusing.

 

[fowler9]

Can't wait to see Virgin Invader crossing the Scottish border and arriving in Glasgow having come from London, post Scottish independence!

*Not because of my persuasion on the matter of independence, just because it would be amusing.

Ha ha. True.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

I do like the 'City of ...' (or 'Dinas Bangor') nameplates but I too think some of them are a bit odd, for example Invader and Crusader. I doubt it would ever happen, but naming them after the towns or regions (as I believe some VXC Voyagers did) vice meaningless nouns would be nice - 'Town of Stafford' or even something cheesy like 'Explorer of the Lakes' would be relevant.

VXC 220s had "[Something] Voyager", for example "Maiden Voyager" and "Tyne Voyager", though there were some exceptions, "Welsh Dragon" perhaps being the main one.

VXC 221s were named after people, with the exception of 221122.

 

[Strathclyder]

VXC 221s were named after people, with the exception of 221122.

221122 was named Doctor Who, if memory serves me.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

221122 was named Doctor Who, if memory serves me.

Correct.

 

[fowler9]

Correct.

Don't! They'll name a Pendo Coronation Street next because it goes to Manchester a lot. Perhaps we could have one called Brookside because they come to Liverpool.

 

[Strathclyder]

Don't! They'll name a Pendo Coronation Street next because it goes to Manchester a lot. Perhaps we could have one called Brookside because they come to Liverpool.

A Class 175 (175107) had the name Coronation St. Rovers Return when it was operated by First North Western. It has been de-named for a quite a while now, though. Thankfully.

 

[fowler9]

A Class 175 (175107) had the name Coronation St. Rovers Return when it was operated by First North Western. It has been de-named for a quite a while now, though. Thankfully.

We could name the 507's and 508's after dodgy bars in Liverpool. Smokie Moe's and the Cabin! Perhaps a 156 called The Penny Farthing! One should be called Hollyoaks though.

 

[Darren R]

...If you googled Virgin Explorer you'd get porn.

I just did - and discovered there is a Virgin Explorer's Club!

 

[fowler9]

I just did - and discovered there is a Virgin Explorer's Club!

Yeah just be careful doing that in a workplace! Ha ha.

 

[dave87016]

I totally agree regarding the nameplates on the 87's , the best ones imo were the ones like Royal Scot, Patriot, King Arthur , Howard Of Effingham, Lord Of The Isles, Wolf Of Badenoch, Thane Of Fife, they certainly had the kind of nameplate that as someone said previously in this thread " stir the imagination"

 

[Crossover]

This all again reminds me of this that me and a friend drew up when bored - somewhat a forum newbie back then!

I don't know why but I always quite liked the name "Mission Accomplished", although it is no longer the last Pendo in the series now

 

[sprinterguy]

VXC 221s were named after people, with the exception of 221122.

All named after explorers, so "Doctor Who" still counts, albeit as a fictional example!

VXC 220s had "[Something] Voyager", for example "Maiden Voyager" and "Tyne Voyager", though there were some exceptions, "Welsh Dragon" perhaps being the main one.

Yeah, the vast majority of the 220s had regional based names, which I thought was quite a pleasing naming scheme, with a handful of exceptions at various points during their operation with Virgin: "BOMBARDIER Voyager" and "Stagecoach Voyager" being a couple of the more long-standing ones, though at the beginning there was also a "New Dawn" and a "Virgin Voyager". Both of those units (220004 and 220025) however quickly gained regional names.
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I don't know why but I always quite liked the name "Mission Accomplished", although it is no longer the last Pendo in the series now

I still think that one is a bit cheesy, but at least it completed the circle that started with 90002 being named "Mission:Impossible" at the launch of the West Coast franchise.

 

[physics34]

I loved Wolf Of Badenoch, Redgauntlet, Hal O' The Wynd, Cock O' The North, Black Douglas etc.

Penny the Pendolino and Virgin Princess are just garbage. I bet some management committee got paid a lot more to come up with the new names.
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If you googled the old names you might learn something. If you googled Virgin Explorer you'd get porn.

Great names, great memories

 

[Philip Elliott]

I totally agree regarding the nameplates on the 87's , the best ones imo were the ones like Royal Scot, Patriot, King Arthur , Howard Of Effingham, Lord Of The Isles, Wolf Of Badenoch, Thane Of Fife, they certainly had the kind of nameplate that as someone said previously in this thread " stir the imagination"

And all carried by previous locos so hardly original.

 

[fowler9]

And all carried by previous locos so hardly original.

Other people have had my name before but I still prefer it to Fi Fi Trixibell or Peaches which are to be fair very original.

I personally though Mission Accomplished was a bit cheesy as well.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

All named after explorers, so "Doctor Who" still counts, albeit as a fictional example!....

Not entirely sure I'd call Michael Palin an explorer, but I don't suppose it matters really.

 

[krus_aragon]

Not entirely sure I'd call Michael Palin an explorer, but I don't suppose it matters really.

Didn't he go around the world in 80 days?

Also, 221144 Prince Madoc was, in the eyes of some, fictional.

 

[deltic08]

I like the "Virgin" themed names. It gives a homogenous feel to the fleet, and is in keeping with traditional values of grouping names for a particular class of loco, as with the "Westerns" and Great Western "Castles", even if the modern angle is a bit more commercial ("Virgin Stagecoach" in particular)!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I do agree, however, that the current crop of names on the West Coast don't match up to those carried by the 87s in particular. British Rail really, really got it right when they revived their naming policy for the class and applied a range of traditional names that really stirred the imagination.

But Pendos are not locomotives, just a collection of almost identical carriages coupled together. Rediculous.