What classic Loco Names should return....

Baily9531 · Post by **Baily9531** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:03 pm

ForburyLion wrote:I'd like to see First Great Western rename their entire HST fleet with the Class 52 Westen names.

nothing against HST's but that would be insulting to 52's!

alexnick · Post by **alexnick** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:13 pm

I'd like the FGW fleet to all have old GWR names - i.e. Castles and Halls, possibly even Manors - perhaps Arriva Trains Wales could also use these?

Alternatively, why don't we name trains after places on the lines they serve - that seems pretty logical to me.

I don't know why, but naming trains after people always seemed a little annoying to me. But then I liked my A4s named after waterfowl!

Nick

arabiandisco · Post by **arabiandisco** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:18 pm

alexnick wrote:I'd like the FGW fleet to all have old GWR names - i.e. Castles and Halls, possibly even Manors - perhaps Arriva Trains Wales could also use these?

Alternatively, why don't we name trains after places on the lines they serve - that seems pretty logical to me.

I don't know why, but naming trains after people always seemed a little annoying to me. But then I liked my A4s named after waterfowl!

Nick

Their Bodysnatchers are named after castles. But then since there are only 3 of 'em that hardly counts!

I don't like naming trains after people who haven't done something really special. Naming a 60 "Ernest Rutherford" is fine by me, as he made a hugely significant discovery (to the world of physics), but the A4s that were named after LNER directors strikes me as an unnecessary ego trip. The ducks are much better names...

alexnick · Post by **alexnick** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:25 pm

Actually, I do quite like the names on Eurotunnel locomotives - named after famous singers.

It's naming after railway directors and managers which I don't get, as how is the public supposed to recognise the names?

Have GNER named any of their fleet - I'm thinking that the 91s would be good if named after major landmarks passed along the route (there are a few - I can see at least one from my window!).

Nick

Thrashin · Post by **Thrashin** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:29 pm

I must admit, I quite like the names of the 221s. They serve as a history lesson for me, and a history test for dad...

allypally · Post by **allypally** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 9:10 pm

alexnick wrote:Actually, I do quite like the names on Eurotunnel locomotives - named after famous singers.

It's naming after railway directors and managers which I don't get, as how is the public supposed to recognise the names?

Have GNER named any of their fleet - I'm thinking that the 91s would be good if named after major landmarks passed along the route (there are a few - I can see at least one from my window!).

Nick

GNER have named a fair few of their locomotives - mainly after locations along the route, various famous things and so on, eg Harrogate Spa, Scone Palace and so forth.

n863dwt · Post by **n863dwt** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 9:15 pm

arabiandisco wrote:
alexnick wrote:I'd like the FGW fleet to all have old GWR names - i.e. Castles and Halls, possibly even Manors - perhaps Arriva Trains Wales could also use these?

Alternatively, why don't we name trains after places on the lines they serve - that seems pretty logical to me.

I don't know why, but naming trains after people always seemed a little annoying to me. But then I liked my A4s named after waterfowl!

Nick
Their Bodysnatchers are named after castles. But then since there are only 3 of 'em that hardly counts!

I don't like naming trains after people who haven't done something really special. Naming a 60 "Ernest Rutherford" is fine by me, as he made a hugely significant discovery (to the world of physics), but the A4s that were named after LNER directors strikes me as an unnecessary ego trip. The ducks are much better names...

actually their are 4x FGW "Body Snatcers" hence 57602-57605

Ghostcav · Post by **Ghostcav** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 10:05 pm

I despise having to drive a 175 named "Rovers return (coronation street)" around. If I had longer time spare when I had that one I would be peeling the nameplate off (Tuh modern stick on name plates anyway)

.

Most of the old Intercity era & before 47 nameplates were good for me.

-Thor
-Fire-fly
-The countys (especially County of Norfolk [47582] My fav loco of all time)
-Benjamin Gibert GC (SP?) Think that was the driver of a WW2 ammo train that did some heroic shunting after a fire started on the wagons to save a village from destruction if I remember rightly.

etc
etc

n863dwt · Post by **n863dwt** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 10:10 pm

Ghostcav wrote:I despise having to drive a 175 named "Rovers return (coronation street)" around. If I had longer time spare when I had that one I would be peeling the nameplate off (Tuh modern stick on name plates anyway) .

Most of the old Intercity era & before 47 nameplates were good for me.

-Thor
-Fire-fly
-The countys (especially County of Norfolk [47582] My fav loco of all time)
-Benjamin Gibert GC (SP?) Think that was the driver of a WW2 ammo train that did some heroic shunting after a fire started on the wagons to save a village from destruction if I remember rightly.

etc
etc

Benjamin Gibert GC if menry serves has his name on an EWS class 66 along with the name of the other chap that dies at the event.

MuzTrem · Post by **MuzTrem** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 5:18 pm

arabiandisco wrote:Naming a 60 "Ernest Rutherford" is fine by me, as he made a hugely significant discovery (to the world of physics), but the A4s that were named after LNER directors strikes me as an unnecessary ego trip.

I don't think that comment is completely fair. You must remember that those men spent their lives in the service of Her Majesty and the nation, working for a modest wage...no, wait a minute, that's civil servants

Nevertheless, if a railway company want's to say "thank you" to a long serving member of staff why shouldn't they? After all, it's more appropriate than advertising names.
Personally, I would like to see some of the old LNER racehorse names revived...they were unusual, but they had character!

thenudehamster · Post by **thenudehamster** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 5:37 pm

I'd like to see Princess Anne again. Poor girl's only loco was written off at Harrow and Wealdstone shortly after being named, and never replaced, AFAIK (well, the loco was replaced by Duke of Gloucester, but it's not quite the same).

I'm not necessarily sure about reviving too many of the old names, but reviving the practice of naming locos and trains after notable people and places is a lot better than the transient popularity of a TV programme.

Should we perhaps look for Ian Botham, and Mike Brearley, Sir Stanley Matthews and Bobby Charlton, Fred Perry and Virginia Wade, the recently departed Don Thompson; Stirling Moss and Jim Clark?
Was there ever a Winston Churchill? I can't remember one.
What about 617 Squadron, the Dambusters? Royal Marine Commando? How about Colonel H. Jones? or every holder of the VC ever awarded? Port Stanley and Goose Green? Sheffield and Sir Galahad?

While there may be a very good case for naming Driver Fred Bloggs, or Deadsville Train Repair Depot, they're not very inspiring, and nobody's heard of most of them outside railways anyway.

Jingoistic it may be, but let's get some admiration back into Britain's trains!

BarryH - thenudehamster

JSReeves86 · Post by **JSReeves86** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 5:45 pm

Post Deleted

JSReeves86 · Post by **JSReeves86** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 5:53 pm

thenudehamster wrote:Was there ever a Winston Churchill? I can't remember one.

Last time i checked 34051 Which actualy pulled the great mans funeral train was named Winston Churchill and was quite apttly a Battle Of Britan class loco.

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thenudehamster · Post by **thenudehamster** » Fri Oct 20, 2006 6:44 pm

JSReeves86 wrote:Last time I checked 34051, which actualy pulled the great man's funeral train, was named Winston Churchill and was quite aptly a Battle Of Britan class loco.

My apologies to the great man, and to the Southern Railway and BoB class in general. Being a fan of a generally nameless railway, I hadn't kept up with those who did. I should have guessed.

dikkidee · Post by **dikkidee** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:48 pm

There is a few South Eastern 375's named - and quite honestly I think it is good to use names - it introduces some individualism and variety into a railway that could well be described to be "as interesting as a sausage factory". Strangely if an 8 or 12 coach train pulls in with one of the named units in the formation it is always full of passengers as people seem be attracted to it. Dick.