Rail enthusiast terminology


 * This page was transwikied from: https://uk-transport.wikia.com/wiki/Rail_enthusiast_terminology.

This page is a list of common rail enthusiast terminology and will act as a dictionary of sorts.

A

 * Aventra - the brand name for a future series of class 345 electric multiple units to be built by Bombardier for London's Crossrail.

B

 * Body Snatcher - common nickname for class 57s, because they were rebuilt from older class 47 locomotives.
 * Bone - common nickname for class 58s because of their distinctive shape.
 * Bubble car - a name given to class 121 units.

C

 * Can - a nickname given to class 86s.
 * Capitalstar - the brand name for London Overground's Bombardier class 378 electric multiple units. The name is a portmanteau of capital-, as they operate in the UK's capital city (London), and -star, which comes from Electrostar, which is the name of the family of units that they come from.
 * Caravan - a nickname for class 92s because they are often towed around on non-electrified lines while on Channel Tunnel duties because of diversions.
 * Cat / Big Cat / Caterpillar - all of these are nicknames for class 68 locomotives, each coming from the locomotives' use of Caterpillar engines.
 * Chopper - common nickname for class 20s, stemming both from their engines sounding like a helicopter and because the engines make a "chop chop chop" noise.
 * Crompton - a nickname for class 33s with is derived from the Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment that these locomotives use.

D

 * D-train - brand name/nickname for upcoming London Underground D78 stock conversions into heavy rail diesel-electric multiple units for the north of England.
 * Daddy Shed / Daddy Yings - a nickname for class 59s because they are like older class 66s (Sheds / Ying Yings).
 * Deltic - common name for class 55s, stemming from their Napier Deltic engines.
 * Desiro (Desiro UK) - the brand name for a series of electric multiple units (and also one diesel multiple unit) built by Siemens, consisting of UK classes 185, 350, 360, 444 and 450.
 * Desiro City - the brand name for Siemens' successor to their Desiro series which will consist of UK class 700 in the future.
 * Dogbox - a nickname given to class 153s due to their small size.
 * Duff - a common nickname given to class 47s.
 * Dusty Bin - nickname for class 321s with originates from a cartoon character on popular 1980s Yorkshire Television game show 3-2-1.
 * Dyson - a nickname for class 92s due to their sounding like a vacuum cleaner.

E

 * ED / Electrodiesel - common name for the class 73 electro-diesel locomotives.
 * Electrostar - the brand name for a series of electric multiple units built by Bombardier, mainly for the UK market, consisting of UK classes 357, 375, 376, 377, 378, 379 and 387.

F

 * Flying Banana - nickname for the New Measurement Train due to it's high speed and yellow livery. By extension, it can also be used to refer to any Network Rail test train.

G

 * Goyle - nickname for class 31s.
 * Grid - short for gridiron, this is a nickname for class 56s because of the gridiron-like grille on the front of early examples.
 * Gronk - nickname for class 08 shunter locomotives derived from the sound that their engines make.

H

 * Hoover - nickname for class 50s because of the vacuum cleaner-like noise they originally made. Reliability upgrades early in their lives meant that they no longer make this noise but the nickname has stuck.
 * High Speed Train - another name for the Intercity 125 sets consisting of two class 43 power cars top-and-tailing a varying number of Mark 3 carriages.

K

 * Kettle - a derogatory nickname for steam locomotives, usually used by rail enthusiasts who do not have an interest in steam.

L

 * Log - another nickname for class 50 locomotives due to their long, rectangular shape when viewed from above.

M

 * McRat - an originally derogatory nickname for class 26s because they were "as common as rats".

N

 * Networker - the brand name for a series of diesel and electric multiple units introduced by British Rail on Network SouthEast, consisting of classes 165, 166, 365, 465 and 466.
 * New Measurement Train - a special departmental High Speed Train operated by Network Rail.
 * Nodding Donkey - a derogatory nickname for the Pacer series of diesel multiple units due to their poor suspension, which makes passengers feel like they are riding on horseback.
 * Notworker - a derogatory nickname for the Networker series of multiple units due to their reliability issues.

P

 * Pacer - British Rail brand name for a series of diesel multiple units based on buses built in the 1980s, consisting of classes 140, 141, 142, 143 and 144.
 * Peak - a nickname given to class 45s.
 * Ped - short for pedestrian, this was originally a derogatory nickname given to class 31s due to their poor acceleration.
 * Pig / Plastic Pig - a nickname for class 442s because of their controversial pig-like looks and plastic construction.

R

 * Rat - a derogatory nickname for both class 24s and class 25s because they were formerly "as common as rats".

S

 * Shed - nickname for class 66 diesel locomotives because of the distinctive shaping of the front end cab roofs, which look similar to a stereotypical garden shed roof.
 * Shoebox - nickname for class 73 electro-diesel locomotives due to their diminutive size and square boxy shape.
 * Skateboard - a nickname for class 153s.
 * Skip - a nickname for class 67s, because their sloping cab ends and windscreens at either end make them look like upside-down skips.
 * Skoda / Škoda - derogatory nickname for class 90 electric locomotives because of their unreliability in their early life. At the time, Škoda cars were seen as being cheap and unreliable.
 * Spoon - a nickname for class 47s.
 * Sprinter - British Rail brand name for a series of diesel multiple units introduced in the 1980s and 1990s, consisting of classes 150, 151, 153, 154, 155, 156, 158 and 159 as well as unbuilt classes 152 and 157.
 * Steadfast - British Rail's marketing name for their class 60 locomotives when first introduced.
 * Super Gronk - nickname for class 09 diesel shunters. This comes from the class 08s' Gronk nickname, as class 09s are effectively more powerful class 08s.
 * Super Shed - nickname for class 59s. This comes from the class 66s' Shed nickname, as class 59s are effectively more powerful class 66s.
 * Super Skoda / Super Škoda - nickname for class 91s. This comes from the class 90s' Skoda / Škoda nickname, as class 91s are effectively more powerful class 90s.

T

 * Teacup - a nickname for class 26 locomotives because of the teacup-teacup-teacup sound their engines make when idling.
 * Teapot - a derogatory nickname for steam locomotives, usually used by rail enthusiasts who do not have an interest in steam.
 * Thumper - a common nickname for various diesel-electric multiple units in the UK due to the sound of their engines.
 * Tractor - common nickname for class 37 locomotives because of the sound of their engines, which sound like agricultural tractors. This nickname also originates from the shape of the ends with the cab being set back behind the nose.
 * Tram - nickname for Intercity 125 sets. Commonly used in the omnipresent argument over whether they are a locomotive or a multiple unit, where one person will mockingly say "actually, they're trams".
 * Tube - another name for the London Underground, used by both rail enthusiasts and normals alike, referring to the tube-shaped tunnels.
 * Tubes - nickname for any rolling stock used on the London Underground (the Tube).
 * Tug - nickname for class 60 locomotives.
 * Turbostar - brand name for a series of diesel multiple units built by Bombardier, currently consisting of UK classes 168, 170, 171 and 172.
 * Turdo - derogatory nickname given to the Networker Turbo classes 165 and 166.
 * Turdostar - derogatory nickname given to Bombardier's Turbostar DMUs.

U

 * U-Boat - a nickname for class 55 diesel locomotives, because their Napier Deltic engines were also used in submarines. A U-Boat was a famous type of submarine used in World War II.
 * Ugly Betty / Ugly Duckling - derogatory nicknames given to the class 70 shortly after they were introduced due to their controversial styling. The former name is derived from a television show called Ugly Betty.

V

 * Vac - nickname for class 50s because of the vacuum cleaner-like noise they originally made. Reliability upgrades early in their lives meant that they no longer make this noise but the nickname has stuck.
 * Van - a nickname for class 87s.

W

 * Warship - nickname for class 42s and original class 43s as they were all named after Royal Navy warships.
 * Warskip - common nickname for new class 68 locomotives. A portmanteau of war-, from warship, because they are all named after Royal Navy warships; and -skip, a nickname for class 67s, because the sloped cab windscreens give class 68s a similar look to class 67s. Also, warskip sounds similar to warship, again referencing the locomotives' individual namesakes.
 * Western - nickname given to class 52s because they originally worked on the Western Region of British Rail, and all of the locomotives carried names beginning with "Western".
 * Whistler - a nickname for class 40s.
 * Whistling Wardrobe - a nickname for class 20s, because of the noise their engines produce and the large number of doors throughout the locomotives.

Y

 * Ying / Ying-Ying - a nickname given to classes 59, 66 and 67 because of the ying-ying-ying-ying noise their engines produce.

Z

 * Zombies - a nickname for class 57s because they were effectively new locomotives born into class 47 bodies, making them undead class 47s, or zombies. This also comes from their use on the Night Riviera sleeper trains, where passengers are so tired that they can be described as being like zombies.