Political Correctness

3965 Views 12 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Rail-Rider, Nov 7, 2005

Gary

Discussion Starter · Oct 21, 2005 (Edited by Moderator)

Good on the Germans!

Fleischmann named a train set after "Prinz Eugen", a second world war German pocket battle ship.

Now this got me thinking.

I have been looking at loco models of "Ark Royal", "Agincourt" and "Fighter Pilot" this morning and it occured to me that it only seems to be the British that name their trains. Every other country sticks with loco numbers and thats it.

Now the British probably have the richest historical heritage of any nation in the last 1000 years or so and so the naming of locomotives is seen as a celebration of this.

However the last 5-10 years has seen a trend towards political correctness and not wanting to offend people. Thats probably why recent locomotives have been named after "Thunderbirds" puppets!

Now loco names like "Agincourt" and "Fighter Pilot" under the new PC rules are clearly not acceptable. So in a way we are very lucky that nearly all trains were named before PC took over the world.

Going forward I suspect new locomotives are going to have very bland names that are designed not to offend.

Now lets be PU (Politically Uncorrect) here and come up with loco names that those who live in the PC world simply would have collywobbles about!

No prizes for the best loco name. Its just a bit of fun. But please don't go over the top!

I have one for an American loco:-

"The Boston Tea Party"

Happy modelling
Gary

See less See more

Save

1 - 13 of 13 Posts

Rail-Rider

· #2 · Oct 21, 2005

QUOTE the British probably have the richest historical heritage of any nation in the last 1000 years or so
XENOPHOBIA

That has a nice ring to it.

Save

double00

· #3 · Oct 21, 2005

I enjoyed reading Gary's latest topic offering. It would be most interesting to learn of how many modellers are in fact members of the "loony PC party"? As modellers are kept busy building layouts or doing improvements, going to exhibitions etc, I feel confident that no true modeller is a "PC" nutter. Forget these "PCs" and allow the modellers freedom to name their locomotives as we modellers choose and if non-modellers take offence at names given to locomotives then "tough".

See less See more

Save

Dennis David

· #4 · Oct 21, 2005

QUOTE Now the British probably have the richest historical heritage of any nation in the last 1000 years or so

Yeah just don't mention that last 230 years.

See less See more

Save

Captain Grumps

· #5 · Oct 22, 2005

I think the one named British locomotive which irritated the most people was 86238...

European Community

One I must model sometime, if only to annoy people.

From the 1980s onwards, locomotive names have been generally pants. "BBC Midlands Today" for example. How well does that compare to, say, Ark Royal, even if you're a pacifist.

The original Class 60 names were a notable exception, being great British landmarks and inventors. What a shame EWS removed the original names and replaced them with such memorable monikers as "Mini-Pride of Oxford" and "BP Gas Avonmouth".

I don't mind loco names being a bit on the racy side, especially if the alternative is the corportate pandering the late BR and EWS/FTL so specialise in.

Rich

See less See more

Save

Gary

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 22, 2005

QUOTE I don't mind loco names being a bit on the racy side

There have been racing cars sponsored by Durex.

How about naming a locomotive after the princess in Greek mythology that Zeus had an affair with - "Viagra"?

A Virgin Pendilino perhaps?

It will never happen!

Happy modelling
Gary

PS could you imagine one of those bendy buses being sponsored by this brand?

See less See more

Save

Colombo

· #7 · Oct 22, 2005

There were so many non - PC loco names in the days of steam.

The naming policy of the LNER would not do at all today.

For example the A3 Class included 60108 "Gay Crusader" and 60099 "Call Boy" which nowadays have new connotations, the former could also be subject to religious discrimination.
The preserved A4 60009 "Union of South Africa" has in recent years been subject to criticism.
There was one whole class of locomotives, now sadly extinct, that could have lead to protests by the anti blood sports brigade. I am thinking about the LNER D49/2 Class, the Hunts. Fortunately a D49/1 Shire Class has been preserved: Morayshire is PC.
The LNER also built the D11/2 Class in 1924 and continued the North British Railway tradition of naming locomotives after characters in Sir Walter Scott's novels. They gave us 62686 "The Fiery Cross", which was even then a symbol of racial persecution by the Klu Klux Klan in the Southern States of the USA.
However amongst the North British Railway Class D30 I have found my all time favourite. Above the prejudiced 62441 Black Duncan and 62427 "Dumbiedykes" stand the religious extremes of 62438 "Peter Poundtext" and 62439 "Father Duncan", and then finally, the absolute gem that should send all the ladies into fainting fits: 62440 " Wandering Willie".

Come to think about it, the new Class A1 60163 "Tornado" is not all that PC if you happen to be on the receiving end, especially if you are Argentine, Arab, or a citizen of the Southern States.

Besides all these magnificent precedents set by the NBR and LNER, how can we possibly come up with anything to rival them?

My suggestion of how to raise a real stink: yesterday was the bi-centenary of the battle of Trafalgar. We have a few Jubilees around, lets renumber them 45712 "Victory" and 45682 "Trafalgar", 70013 could become 70014 the "Iron Duke" and Britannia could come undisguised. To give our group of Francophobes a GWR flavour, also disguise a King as 6019 "Henry V", the victor of Agincourt. Then assemble them all at Waterloo Station and name a Eurostar "Lord Nelson" at one end and "Waterloo" at the other. That should do it.

Colombo

See less See more

Save

Doug

· #8 · Oct 22, 2005

Talking about the Virgin "Thunderbird" livery, didn't this cause a slight problem with the holder of the rights to the "Thunderbird" toys when they came out as models?

Also, in our topic: "What should Hornby produce next", it was mentioned that the Rebuilt West Country / Battle of Britain class loco was long overdue. Now the obvious choice of a model for that would be 34039 "Boscastle". Now if they did that, who would start talking of profiteering on the back of a famous name and unfortunate disaster?

Save

60134

· #9 · Oct 24, 2005 (Edited by Moderator)

Ooops! According to Columbo I'm not PC at all!

60134

See less See more

Save

Rail-Rider

· #10 · Oct 29, 2005

Political Correctness?

Save

hoonsou

· #11 · Nov 1, 2005

What about 'World Cup '66'

See less See more

Save

Colombo

· #12 · Nov 7, 2005

There were two Great Western Saint class locomotives with interesting names for Saints:

2904 "Lady Godiva"
2905 "Lady Macbeth"

Also it is recorded that in a memo from Gresley's office to Doncaster works dated 13th March 1925, about names that had been selected for the new A1 Pacifics, one was to have been named "BEND OR", (this being a term used by the Royal College of Arms). In fact this name was dropped and replaced by "Solario".

Colombo

Save

Rail-Rider

· #13 · Nov 7, 2005 (Edited by Moderator)

QUOTE it only seems to be the British that name their trains. Every other country sticks with loco numbers and thats it.
Sorry, but your research didn't seem to stretch far beyond little Britain!
Many countries, probably most, do name their trains
Naming locomotives individually is less common but, for instance, check out Switzerland.

Save

1 - 13 of 13 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month