Diesel/Electric loco nicknames

I'm a steam man, but I'm quite intrigued about nicknames given to diesel and electric locos, these are the ones I know:

08 - Gronk
14 - Teddy Bear
25 - Rat? I'm not sure where I heard it
31 - Brian? Again, don't know where I heard it
33 - Crompton, which is sort of a semi-official name isn't it?
37 - Tractor
40 - Whistler (bucket?)
45 & 6 - Peaks
50 - Hoover
52 - Lawnmowers
55 - Unofficially called Deltics
60 - Tug
66 - Shed
67 - Skip
70 - Betty/Hamster

Have I got any wrong or missed any out, feel free to add more or correct me or give background info on why they have these nicknames?

 

This page is interesting......
http://www.rodge.force9.co.uk/faq/nicknames.html
Steve

 

Ah thank you, very helpful

 

in my young days we used to call 33s "slugs"...never heard it since.

Alll DMUs were "bog units" i seem to recall
SR DEMUs which (except for "tadpoles") were always called by either "Hampshire" or "Berkshire" .EMUs were known by their proper names too.

 

Couple of questions relating to this thread
Were the 22s called "baby warships" while they were in service or this nickname posthumous? Ditto fo the "baby deltics".

Also, does anyone know of a site where steam loco nicknames are listed?

 

Class 58 --- bone

 

I just remembered one, 57 -- Bodysnatcher

 

Most of the above are mentioned in Bestieboy's link.

 

60 = "polo mint" or "politician" as you can see right through them!

 

i've heard 20's are called cupboards because of the doors, sure i've heard them called moose and also ******** because of their phalic shape when viewed from above, 56's grids because of the horn grids on the front and christmas trees because of the light layout on the front of the loco. 37's syphon's as some of the first trains they used to work from new were trains out of paddington consisted of old great western syphon type coaches. 25's used to be rats as they were common as rats the same with scottish class 26's except Mcrats.

 

Class 33's were never "slugs" on the South Western Division. Quite a few insulting names, not suitable for a public forum, but not slugs... The regular nicknames are already shown on the earlier link.

Class 74 EDL's were sometimes called washing machines due to the noise of the traction motor blowers.

Cheers, Neil

PS: Greehouses - Freightliner class 66 Bluebirds - GBRf class 66
Class 70's picked up the name "Bettys" on another forum "Ugly Bettys" after the imported TV show.

One which should have been adopted was SD47 for the class 57's. The engine from a SD40 plus the body of a class 47.

The use of nicknames by working railwaymen seems to be quite rare. It's normally the loco number and a string of expletives!

 

A Liverpool loco driver I know used to refer to Class 90 electric loco's as 'Skodas' and 91's as 'skoda hatchbacks.' It was a derogatory term in keeping with the build quality and cheap finish synonymous with that brand back then! I dont know if the nicknames were widespread or just scouse humour.

 

90s are commonlly known as Skoda's I've not heard the skoda hatchback for a 91, super-skoda is the common nickname for them.

 

Stealth Bombers is one i've heard for a 91.

 

Or, er, Hastings units! ;-)

One thing that really bugs me is the way Hastings units are referred to as 'Thumpers' by modern enthusiasts. When they were in service, Hastings units were referred to as just that, never 'Thumpers'. Indeed, 'Thumpers' was only adopted as a nickname for the Hampshire/Berkshire/East Sussex units quite late in thir lives. But there, those that use the term now largely weren't even born when the Tonbridge-Hastings line was electrified!

Refurbished 4CEPs were commonly referred to as 'concrete slab stock' for a number of years after Swindon butchered them, due to the appallingly hard seats that had replaced the highly comfortable pre-refurbishment ones.

 

Class 92s were actually 'polo mints', because of the three-ringed Channel Tunnel metal logo thingys stuck to the side.

 

werent 60's doughnuts as they had the hole you could see right through? and they were also called tugs!