[Pennine MC]

Sunil on the DEMU forum has posted this link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5326800.stm

Give you something 'useful and meaningful' to talk about while I'm out

 

[neil_s_wood]

Is it only in the UK that trains are given names. Do they do this in the USA or Germany. I haven't seen this antwhaere else?

 

[mow]

First Great Western recently renamed a Class 43 - The Environment Agency - could this be the worst name given to a locomotive?

 

[boilermaker69]

QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 9 Sep 2006, 18:07) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Is it only in the UK that trains are given names. Do they do this in the USA or Germany. I haven't seen this antwhaere else?

The Victorian Railways have a habit of naming locos, currently all the "N" Class locos are named after provincial Victorian cities/towns.

 

[Gary]

A comment made by a gent and posted on the BBC website:-

QUOTE I think naming a train (any name) is rather childish, and people who name them need to grow up (and the same goes for 'planes).

I'm lost for words really!

I wonder what Winston Churchill, Lord Nelson, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and other British greats are thinking right now?

This is a British tradition going back to the days of "The Rocket".

How about naming a loco "Fred Dibnah"

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Pennine MC]

QUOTE (Gary @ 9 Sep 2006, 11:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I wonder what ... Isambard Kingdom Brunel, [is] thinking right now?
Churchward will be along to tell us that, presently. He has regular visits y'know

 

[Oakydoke]

.
QUOTE (mow @ 9 Sep 2006, 10:54) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>First Great Western recently renamed a Class 43 - The Environment Agency - could this be the worst name given to a locomotive?

And highly inappropriate.

Clag Clag and more Clag

 

[Gary]

QUOTE And highly inappropriate.

Yes they did used to smoke a lot however are not the Class 43 fleet all getting more environmentally friendly green engines fitted?

That might be the thinking behind the name.

Apart from Winston Churchill are there any other locomotives named after politicians or with names that may have a political influence behind it?

I cannot see a "Tony Blair" appearing for a very long time and I cannot think of any others.

"Dwight D Eisenhower" was a general before he was a politician.

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[Clydfan]

In reply to Neil Wood
TRAINS in US still carry the names of the famous early 20th century expresses.Until recent times The Rhinegold ran from Basel to Cologne and of course in the 30s the Flying Hamburger from Berlin to Hamburg was the world's fastest train.
Some LOCOMOTIVES in the USA carried names in the19th century and the earliest German locos were aaaalso named-Der Adler for e.g.
ON the Blue Train of course the original was the nickname given to the train de luxe with its blue wagons-lits which ran to the South of France and became a by-word for swish travel.[Hornby sold a set in gauge 0 in the 30s]

 

[MRE]

It used to be meaningful at one time.............kettles were always known by their names and not numbers, and the better diesels carried on that tradition. We always called the Deltics by name as well as number, I guess the same happened with the Westerns.

The familiarity went once they started calling locos MacDonalds or the Association of Ant Collectors or some such rubbish (apologies to ant collectors everywhere....) and the names were removed almost as soon as they had been fitted and did not stay with the loco for the remainder of its natural.......

There is geater respect for a sensible name and not transient rubbish (now theres an appropriate idea for a modern loco name if ever I heard one....)

 

[dwb]

Here's a named SBB inter city multiple unit I snapped at Zurich a couple of weeks ago. I've clipped the name at full size so you can see it clearly. I don't know if the SBB have named other locos or not but they certainly like to apply "all over" one off liveries as a visit to the Roco or HAG websites will attest.

David

The unit:-

The name:-

 

[MRE]

When we learnt the HST's back in 1978, it was suggested they should be named. A list was put up on the messroom notice board and soon attracted suggestions like :

Bubble & Squeak
Marks & Spencer
Hinge & Bracket
Thick & Thin
Duck & Dive

plus many others I can't recall now.

Sadly, BR never saw fit to adopt any of the proposals, but maybe with the passage of time some would be considered reasonable now...........

 

[cbeagleowner]

Chas and Dave
Eric and Ernie
Marge and Homer
Phillip and Elizabeth

Give me racehorses any day!

 

[DS239]

QUOTE (Gary @ 9 Sep 2006, 11:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>How about naming a loco "Fred Dibnah"

They'd have to put that name on a steam loco,-he'd spin in his grave if they applied it to a diesel or electric...

 

[bangerblueed]

put my reply up on the DEMU forum you'll have to read my drivel there

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (boilermaker69 @ 9 Sep 2006, 20:03) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The Victorian Railways have a habit of naming locos, currently all the "N" Class locos are named after provincial Victorian cities/towns.

I just remembered that last night. I have seen the "City of Ballarat" going through Richmond pulling a V line train while I was waiting to change trains a few times.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (Clydfan @ 9 Sep 2006, 21:18) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>In reply to Neil Wood
TRAINS in US still carry the names of the famous early 20th century expresses.Until recent times The Rhinegold ran from Basel to Cologne and of course in the 30s the Flying Hamburger from Berlin to Hamburg was the world's fastest train.
Some LOCOMOTIVES in the USA carried names in the19th century and the earliest German locos were aaaalso named-Der Adler for e.g.
ON the Blue Train of course the original was the nickname given to the train de luxe with its blue wagons-lits which ran to the South of France and became a by-word for swish travel.[Hornby sold a set in gauge 0 in the 30s]
I was thinking more of names of locomotives than of actual train services.

 

[boilermaker69]

QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 10 Sep 2006, 10:28) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I just remembered that last night. I have seen the "City of Ballarat" going through Richmond pulling a V line train while I was waiting to change trains a few times.

There are other locos that have been named as well, R707 (a Hudson/Baltic 4-6-4) is named "City of Melbourne". All the "S" Class locos also had names (Matthew Flinders, Sir Edmund Henty etc.). There was even an "E" Class shunter that was named "Dynon Donk" which worked the Dynon Freight Yard.