Strange names

I've just seen a video of an engine at the Ruislip Lido railway, apparently called Mad Bess. When I commented on this, I was told it is named after a local wood, which doesn't really make it any less odd.

So, what other strange names have been applied to railway engines? Two I can think of are the A3, Sandwich, and an industrial loco called Asbestos-the latter being quite apt originally, but that hasn't aged well.

 

There's rich pickings among LNER pacifics; Gay Crusader, Call Boy, Wandering Willie, Trimbush just off the top of my head.

 

Some "Saint" class names were rather unusual (unless you're a Walter Scott aficionado) and another, 2982, was named after an epic poem written in 1817 by Irish poet Thomas Moore - "Lalla Rookh", a name first carried by one of Gooch's GWR 4-4-0 locos in 1855. (Thanks to OS Nock for this information - I'm not that well read!). There was no Saint Christopher, which I've always found strange!

 

I like some of the GWR Saint names, especially the Walter Scott ones. Later, the western got boring with long lists of Halls and Granges

Back to the eastern, the B1 called Bongo!

 

The GWR broad gauge 2-4-0 "Slaughter" named after the engineer Edward Slaughter.

 

I've always rather liked two small 0-6-0 goods engines on the LCDR named "Huz" and "Buz". Both were scrapped in 1901 without, seemingly, taking on new SE&CR numbers, but the currently preserved Wainwright C class 592 (built 1902) is the replacement in the capital stock list for "Huz".

The names incidentally are Biblical, from Genesis chapter 22: "And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, Behold, Milcah, she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor; Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother". There are a lot of interesting names in the Victorian era, but you need to be something of a classical scholar to realise where they came from. The early LSWR ranged far and wide with its names, everywhere from Saxon kings to Greek heroes. I wonder if they would have been more familiar to Victorians?

Tom

 

And talking of the LC&DR, Martley built a 2-4-0 express engine called Frolic and another of his engines was called Flirt (Not very Victorian!).

Mind you, the modern traction era takes some beating for daft names. I recall watching a class 37 pass me in Derbyshire in 1988 which was blessed with the entrancing name of BSC Hartlepool Pipe Mill and I think there are probably even less inspiring examples out there today.

 

Britannia No. 70047 was strange.

 

7 3/8, wasn't it?

For those who don't know, the Brit names were so varied that the rumour was that they were all drawn out of a hat, but this one was rejected so No. 47 had to do without!

 

30741 Joyous Gard. What about the driver and fireman?

 

And a contribution from the LMS. I give you Jubilee 45651, Shovell.

 

That's why I posted it in the steam section, modern traction naming is both bizarre and rather dull. Though naming the Virgin 57s after the Thunderbirds was a pretty inspired move.

 

On diesel names, I liked the Deltic racehorse ones, Alcydion, Crepello etc.

 

The Woodhead electrics, EM1s and 2s also had some of these, Ariadne, Pandora, Electra, Hector, Nestor and so on

 

And, for fans of ‘The Searchers’ ..... Needles and Pinza.

 

Lady Godiva (2904) and Lady Macbeth (2905) seem inappropriate!

Cheers, Neil

 

There was also a Patriot called Lady Godiva

 

Obviously a popular person!

 

One of British Admirals whose peer group group included Sandwich (45641) Howe (45644) Hawke (45652) Jellicoe (45667) Madden (45668) Howard of Effingham (45670). The Jubilee names gave hidden support for many a geography and history question.

 

841 being named 'Greene King'... Why were some Castles named after our not so successful aircraft of the Second World War (Defiant springs to mind) yet Aircraft like the Lancaster, Halifax and Dakota not considered?