Talk:Glossary of United Kingdom railway terms/removed

These are the unreferenced entries removed from the main article

A

• Always makes: A term used to describe a solid move that never misses, apart from the time that you go for it.

• Area No 1: A weekly Rover ticket valid between Chester, Holyhead, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llandudno. Very handy for bashing 40's on the North Wales Coast.

• Area d: A weekly Rover ticket Valid between Portsmouth, Woking, Reading, Basingstoke and Bournmouth. Useful for those on a limited budget to bash the class 33s and later class 50s (Basingstoke - Woking), class 33s (Portsmouth - Southampton) and for a very limited few years class 73s (Bournmouth - Woking) and class 50s (Woking - Portsmouth). And on Sundays only class 33/1s (Reading - Basingstoke and sometimes down to Southampton). There were also Area a, b and c Rovers (broadly Kent and E. Sussex, Sussex, and Surrey and W. Sussex respectively), but these areas had so few loco hauled trains they were largely ignored by bashers.

• Arkwright: Class 444 EMUs, nickname given by South West Trains drivers after Ronnie Barker's "Arkwright" character in the television comedy Open All Hours because the number 4 is repeated 3 times, often deliberately stuttered by drivers.

• Ash Tray: Derogatory term for a steam locomotive (cf kettle)

B

• Bank Insects: Insect bashers at Exeter St Davids station, who were content to scratch a locomotive for haulage by doing the three-quarter mile climb to Exeter Central and then getting off.

• Basher: One whose object is to travel behind all the locomotives of a given class, and/or to cover as much mileage as possible behind their chosen class; a "track basher" attempts to cover as much of the rail network as possible. Bashing requires far more expense, commitment, time and effort than any other form of rail enthusiasm. Bashers would often do many overnights in pursuit of their favourite class and rack up thousands of miles. See rancid overnights.

• Bashing: A term used for travelling behind diesel locomtives that are "rateable" ie. that are very noisy/produce excessive amounts of thrash or clag (also known as exhaust fumes). A "bash" will often include regular stops to Pubs at the end of the journey to "fill in time" before boarding the train again for the return working

• Beast: Term applied to a locomotive eliciting enthusiastic approval.

• Bendy Bus: A Pacer (class 142 or 143 DMU).

• Bert and Ada: Bashers term for elderly passengers

• Bible: The basher's name for the British Rail all-line passenger timetable. An essential (and weighty) tool for the basher who wanted to plan a series of moves to avoid festering on a station platform. Summer 2007 will see the last ever edition (the first was printed in 1974).

• Boat: Deltic locomotive – because of the naval origins of the power units.

• Bog unit: Diesel multiple unit – derogatory ("bog standard" and basic way to travel). Often abbreviated to 'Boggo'. Can also be 'bug unit'.

• Bomb: British Rail Class 20 – a nickname for this loud class of loco. A sudden loud burst of thrash from a Class 20 would often frighten the normals, as if a bomb had just gone off. Alternative origin: The loco has a bomb shape when viewed from above: a long narrow bonnet and a single full width cab.

• Bomber: British Rail Class 91 – referring to the high speed and dark blue GNER livery. (Also called Stealth Bomber)

• Bouncy castle: Pacer units have only four wheels per coach and consequently very poor ride and body control on anything but smooth, well-maintained track. The bouncing inflicted on the passengers draws comparison with the bouncy castle children's play device.

• Bowled: An undesirable outcome, analogous to the manner of the similarly disastrous dismissal of a batsman in cricket. See also withered. Examples include: (1) missing a train (if a move, especially a suicidal one, does not come off); (2) an undesired type of traction (often a Class 47) turning up in place of the expected loco; (3) a photo opportunity lost –  an enthusiast is about to take a photo of an approaching train and another moving train blocks the enthusiast's view of the subject, sometimes to the extent that no photo of the intended train is possible.

• Brick: British Rail Class 153 – presumably from the boxy shape of the single-car units.

• Bucket: British Rail Class 40 locomotive. When new, these were the first British locos to have on-board toilet facilities for the driver. The alleged unreliability of these devices meant some drivers resorted to other means and methods.

• Buffer stop kisser: Track bashing taken to extremes. Normally found on railtours covering rare freight lines. Will always be at the front of the train to ensure that as much of the siding has been covered. At other times, travels with map in front of him, often giving everyone a running commentary on former lines and sidings long dismantled to anyone who will listen, and those who would rather not.

• Bunking: Gaining access to a loco depot without authority.

• Burton: The term "Do A Burton" or "Pull A Burton" means to have claimed to have obtained a train number without actually seeing the locomotive involved. In some regions the term Cabbager is used (see below). Such behaviour is usually frowned upon within rail enthusiast groups. Train spotters who resort to this are often given the cold shoulder by other rail enthusiasts.

C

• Cabbager: Someone who claims to have seen something they haven't.

• Calendar: Nick-name for Class 31 diesels. Refers to the fact that they were very sluggish in acceleration and therefore speedometers were replaced by Calendars, which were better able to record the speed!

• Caped: The unexpected cancellation of a train that was booked to run. Initially CAPE was the BR telegraph code for "Cancelled At Point of Entry" but more recently is used to describe any kind of cancellation.

• Can: General name given to the 100 Class 86 AC electric locomotives built between 1964 and 1966.

• Cart: Slang name for a rancid Diesel Multiple Unit.

• Chuck-out: Refers to the indifferent diagramming of a Diesel or Electric locomotive for a train, i.e. whatever is available.

• Clayton: Class 17 locomotive, manufactured by the Clayton Equipment company OR may refer to Clayton brand of boiler providing steam heat.

• Coast: The North Wales Coast Line from Chester to Holyhead.

• Coast and Peaks: A rail rover ticket favoured by rail fans which is valid from Stafford to Holyhead but used widely across the whole network on the basis that even if challenged by a feckless gripper you are bound to be somewhere near a coast or a peak, and therefore valid.

• Coffin: Applied to the first air conditioned mark 2 coaches which came with sealed windows (viz. sealed inside a coffin) in the passenger saloon. A locomotive enthusiast enjoys leaning out of the window (ideally not far enough to foul lineside structures although some serious injuries and deaths have been caused from over-enthusiastic leaning-out) to hear the locomotive working more clearly. Coffins deny this pleasure and a rake of coffins on an enthusiast special train is likely to provoke adverse comment from those who pay good money to travel on such a train. Also can refer to the Class 158 DMU which is loosely based on the Mark 4 Coach and shares the sloping sides, the outline shape when viewed from the front is like an upsidedown coffin. A current use of the term is for the British Rail Class 390, due to its cramped interior and small windows.

• Coffin Nails: Refers to the British Rail Class 153 because when you get these on your branch it is a sign that it is in danger of being shut.

• Cooked: A term to describe a loco which has suffered an engine fire, ie cooked the insides.

• Crank: Affectionate term for a fellow railway enthusiast.

• Cranking: Obtaining pleasure in a railway orientated situation.

• Cyclops: Class 67 (single-pane windscreens).

D

Class 460 EMUs are known as Darth Vader

• Daddy Yings: name given to the Class 59 owing to the ying-ying noise they make when idling and that they are the original design on which the Class 66 was later based.

• Darth Vader: British Rail Class 460. This refers to the nose shape which in the opinions of railfans resembles the mask of the Star Wars villain Darth Vader.

• Demic: a general purpose description for a locomotive, carriage or other item of rolling stock that is unserviceable, or in a poor state of repair/vandalised/robbed for spare parts or generally fit for scrap. Origin of this term is unknown, although may refer to "Demi-condition", i.e. not in condition.

• The Desert: The Taunton – Reading route, so called due to its lack of lineside features.

• Desperation index: A method of establishing how desperate a basher is. For example, a basher making a round trip of 500 miles to travel only 10 miles behind a required loco has a DI of 50. Anything above 100 indicates a real 'desperado'.

• Dogbox: A Class 153 single car. Name refers to the very small new cab created during the conversion from the 2 car Class 155.
• Dogbox: British Rail Class 153 Second Generation DMU(created by splitting 2 car 155 units into single car units), which have a large driving cab one end, and a cramped driving cab and tiny toilet at the other, common used on branch line workings or in multiple with other 15X units.

• Door to Door: It was sometimes possible to change trains by opening the slam doors on the non platform side of adjacent tracks, in stations or on occasions yards, and jumping from one train to the other.

• Doodlebug: Siemens Desiro unit. From a nickname for the V-1 flying bomb - The Desiro is German-built and in their earlier days were prone to blowing up (failing) without warning. Also a lesser known name for Class 153 railcars - as with the V-1 flying bomb, you're quite safe until the engine cuts out, and then you should start worrying.

• Doughnut: British Rail Class 60. The grille arrangement allows an observer to see though the engine compartment and out the other side. This unusual arrangement gave rise to the saying "if you can see through it - don't do it!"

• Duff: A British Rail Class 47. From the general slang use meaning "no good", from the time when Class 47s were so widespread as to be thoroughly uninteresting (it being the most numerous class of diesel loco on BR), or possibly due to early reliability problems of the class. A 47 turning up in place of the hoped-for traction became known as "duff gen", meaning unreliable information.

• Dyson: A Class 92 AC/DC locomotive. Refers to the sound made by the locomotive's cooling fans.

• Dynamic Lines - the latest version of the First Group corporate livery, applied to TransPennine Express, First Hull Trains and some First Great Western units.

E

• Electra: A name for the British Rail Class 91s, it is however sometimes short for the Electrostar Family.
• Engy: British Rail Class 37 - Pronounced In-Gee short for English Electric Type 3 aka "Engy3".
• Engy1: British Rail Class 20 - Pronounced In-Gee1 short for English Electric Type 1"
• Euro Ned: A British haulage crank who just can't accept that loco-hauled service trains are virtually finished in the UK. Instead the Euro Ned will spend many weeks desperately scratching foreign locos in Europe.

F

• F: To travel without a ticket - see "NV"

• Father Shed: name for the Class 59 as these are the original design on which the Class 66 was later based, also known as daddy yings.

• Fish: Nickname for Class 81 AC electrics, which carried a "leaping salmon" logo denoting their allocation to Glasgow Shields Road depot.

• Flowerpot: A term applied to the Class 03 due to the shape of their exhaust.

• Fly past: A technique used by rail fans travelling without a ticket to attempt to avoid the grip by passing the ticket examiner whilst they are busy gripping a normal supposedly en route to the buffet, toilets etc. Infrequently successful.

• Flying banana: Network Rail's New Measurement Train.

• Four Slide Slide: Name given to Southern region suburban Class 455 Units - one little rain droplet on the track results in frequent wheelspin.

• Fraggle Railway A term applied to the South Western division of the Southern Region, usually by the South Central and South Eastern staff as a derogatory description. Named after the 1980s children's programme Fraggle Rock.

• Fraggle Rock Rail A term sometimes applied to the former railway company FM Rail.

• Fred: Originally a term for a Class 66 locomotive (see Shed) operated by Freightliner, but now extended to Freightliner trains using other diesel or electric traction.

G

• Gin Palace; term given to a directors saloon, notably the former BR(SR) one based at Stewarts lane as given by railway staff.

• GM: General Motors design locomotives such as the Class 59 and Class 66. Either a neutral term or, by allusion to genetic modification, a negative connotation (especially the 66s, which displaced many well-liked native British locomotive classes).

• Goldie; Travelling Ticket Inspector (TTI) from the gold band on their caps.

• Grip; Ticket inspection, to be gripped

• Gripper; Ticket inspector

• Gripping Irons; Ticket punch

H

• Heinz: Class 57 locomotive, of which several ("57") varieties have appeared.

• Hellfire: Particularly noisy and/or smoky locomotive, though also applied to one in good mechanical health but being worked hard. For example "That little Class 27 slogging up the gradient was hellfire!" Generally taken as a term of enthusiast approval.

• HD-HST: Reference to the new High-Density pool of First Great Western refurbished InterCity 125 High Speed Trains.
• Hyper-networker: British Rail Class 323 AC EMU, so called because it has a similar front end and bodyshell to the Networker family of EMUs and DMUs and due to the noises the motor makes when it starts up.

I

• Insect: 'Infestation' found at the end of station platforms. Also applied to the huge numbers of young bashers who appeared in the 1980s after many of the rateable locos started to disappear.

• Invade: On a packed train of compartment stock, for a group of bashers to occupy the remaining seats in a compartment otherwise occupied by normals, or vice versa.

J

Two Class 309 EMUs showing Network SouthEast livery (left) and "Jaffa Cake" livery (right).

• Jaffa Cake: a grey, amber and dark brown striped livery applied to some Southern Region EMUs.

• Jocko: an alternative term to a describe a gronk British Rail Class 08, but used exclusively in the East Midlands. It is believed this term originates from Toton depot where the Class 08 predecessor's were LMS 0-6-0Ts built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow.

K

• Kettle: Steam locomotive

• Kit-kat: The predominantly red livery used by Virgin Trains on its older stock; from the wrapping of the Kit Kat chocolate bar.

L

• Log: Class 50 locomotive – so-named either due to the class's unreliability (i.e. "still as a log") or because of its long and square-ended body shape.
• Lift Bench: safety railings on the sides of service cars. Resembled courtesy seating in old lifts.

M

• Man of Blancmange: refers to a basher who will not attempt even the safest of moves for fear of being bowled and therefore the opposite of a Man of Steel. Usually smug when the always makes move fails for some unforeseen reason.

• Man of Steel: - refers to a basher who attempts to make a very tight train connection which will end in disaster if the connection isn't made. May also be a dead connection or indeed a minus suicidal move (the next train is scheduled to depart before the first train arrives). If the move fails the basher will be bowled and withered. Then he is likely to be described as a clown by his fellow bashers.

• Monster: Term applied to a locomotive eliciting enthusiastic approval. More emphatic than beast.

• Moose: A Class 20 – from the long narrow moose-like nose of the Class 20.

• Move: In bashing terms, the act of riding on a train. Several types of move are used:

• Positioning moves entail using a neutral (e.g. HST) or actively disliked type of traction, as a means of getting to a station or other location where a desirable form of traction may be taken.
• Winning moves result in the desired outcome, e.g. a new loco scratched.
• Suicidal moves are those with very tight (ideally, non-existent) connections but with the potential for high reward should they come off (usually because the incoming train is running late). A series of successful suicidal moves may result in the person who successfully undertook them acquiring some bragging rights.
• Fill-in moves use otherwise-wasted time productively.
• Minus-move arriving at a station AFTER the connecting train or train you wish to board should have left.

• Moves Book A bashers record of moves made. Usually including mileages.

• MT-Val: An HST set with a Valenta powercar at one end, and an MTU at the other. This has become rare now.

• The Mule: The Exeter - London Waterloo route.

N

• NB: Abbreviation of "no boiler". Originally just that: a (diesel) loco not equipped with steam heating apparatus. More recently, any loco with no train heating equipment of any kind. NB locos would normally be used on freight services, although they did appear on 1970s and 80s summer weekend passenger services when they weren't needed for freight and the lack of train heating was unimportant. The "hard to get" aspect of NB locos made them more rateable and an NB scratch could be highly prized.

• NED: An acronym for "new engine desperado". A person can be referred to as a NED if they go out for new engines or rare movements exclusively.

• Network Fail: A name for Network Rail Also called Notwork Fail

A BR Mk 3 coach in Neon livery

• Neon or Nightclub: The new First Group rail liveries (officially known as 'Dynamic Lines', 'Dynamic Blocks' and 'Dynamic Names')

• Nodding Donkey: The Pacer family of DMUs (from outside a moving Pacer has a bobbing motion, like a nodding donkey)

• Northampton Loop: name applied to the loop off the main WCML, includes Northampton, Long Buckby and DIRFT

• Nose: A more recent term to describe the Class 37 locomotive, built by English Electric. It refers to the classic 'bonnet' in front of the drivers cab, the only class with this bodyshape still in regular service.

• NV: Not Valid " My tickets is NV after Chester so I f'd it to Crewe"

O

• Oil Slosher: Derogatory term applied to Western Region diesel hydraulic locomotives.

• Over-Doss: To miss one's stop by being asleep.

P

• Ped: A Class 31, comes from their low power i.e. pedal car, mo-ped or pedestrian.

• Ped Ned: Derogatory term for Class 31 Basher

• Phot Photograph, or the act of photography "I'm off to phot the loco"

• Photter: An enthusiast whose main interest was photographing trains.

• Plastic: General description of many modern trains, especially nondescript multiple units. Any loco deemed less rateable than other members of its class, or to be a common performer on passenger trains.

• Proper train: one with a locomotive (on the front) - i.e. not a unit. HSTs may or may not be proper trains depending on individual opinion.

R

• Rancid Overnight: As recently as the 1980s, there were a large number of overnight passenger trains in Britain which were often hauled by rateable (huge) locomotives. Dedicated bashers would forgo the luxury of a bed for many days on end in their desire to rack up the miles. Often bashers would leap at an obscure shack in the middle of the night, at places such as Taunton, Doncaster or Blair Atholl. The reason for this was to stay warm and try to sleep on the train while completing a planned move. Unfortunately these moves soon led to the basher being almost constantly comatose (sleep deprivation) and starting to smell somewhat rancid. Even worse, if the basher's hair and face were covered in the residue of clag from diesel locos they would often frighten the normals. Indeed after six consecutive overnights a basher could closely resemble an oily tramp.

• Ranch (The): Nickname given to West Coast Railway Company headquarters at Carnforth, Lancashire. It is a large secure site where plenty of Beasts live.

• Roadshow a large group of bashers travelling together.

• Rateable: decent traction

• Rover Brain: A consequence of doing too many Rancid Overnight's and being unable to make decision.

• Rocking horses: Class 142 Pacers because they rock and jolt as they move.

S

• Soap dish: British rail class 43 in reference to the round/pointed shape front end.

• Score/Scored: The term for a needed loco seen, and no longer required.

• Scratcher: The term used to describe a basher who is happy to just scratch a loco or unit for a short distance in order to get a line in the book, see insect.

• Scud: Class 153 unit. Allusions to scud missiles (you're fine until the engine cuts out - modern British Rail "sprinter" diesel multiple units have all coaches powered with one engine - if one fails the others can keep the train moving; the 153 being a single car unit removes this advantage). This nickname is also applied to Class 158 DMU, and in the West Midlands to the prototype Class 150 DMU Sprinter unit 150 001.

• Shedbashing The practice of visiting as many motive power depots as possible in one trip in order to record the locomotives on shed. In less security-conscious days, this was not always done with the knowledge of those in charge.

• Shoebox: Class 73 locomotive (from the boxy body shape and third rail pick up shoes required for operation on the Southern Region).

• Shoves/Shove Duffs: Class 47s 47701-47717, modified in the 1970s for use on Edinburgh-Glasgow shuttles via push-pull control to avoid the need for running round at the end of each journey.

• Shredder: British Rail Class 33 locomotive, primarily West Country term. Possible derivation from the 'sha-sha-sha' exhaust sound.

• Skateboard: British Rail Class 153 single car DMU, converted from class 155s.

• Skinhead: Term for one of the small number of Class 31s built without roof-mounted headcode boxes, particularly members of the 31/0 subclass.

• Skip: Class 67, from the body profile which looks like an inverted rubbish skip.

• Skoda: British Rail Class 90 - Styling reminiscent of a 1980s Škoda..

• Slam Door - refers to non-automated passenger carriage doors.

• Slammer: Slam door stock, in particular Slam Door EMUs.

• Slug: British Rail Class 33 – Probably because of it smooth and rounded shape.

• Smelly: Term used mainly by steam enthusiasts to describe diesel locomotives, on account of the exhaust fumes

• Snail: British Rail Class 31 - from its lack of power (also Ped as an abbreviation of "pedestrian"; "Rancid Peds from Immingham shed").

• Spamcan: SR West Country/Battle of Britain Class Bulleid pacifics;

Also a nickname of the Derby Sulzer 25/3 (also see Rat)

• Spearmint Polo: British Rail Class 175 - The new Arriva Trains Wales 175 livery is a Spearmint Polo or a TUBE of Polos when 3-car and coming towards you.

• Spoon: Class 47, deriving from the high-pitched two-tone horn sound: onomatopoeically "Spoo-oon!"

• Spoon Goon: Derogatory nickname for the followers of Class 47s.

• Spotter: A person who writes down train numbers.

• Stalker: A loco that appears to follow you around, wherever you go. For example, "Not 60042 again, that stalks me."

• Stealth Bomber: British Rail Class 91 - High speed, quiet and with dark blue GNER livery (also the associated passenger coaches that the 91s usually haul).

• Stoat: Term used to describe the more vile of the stereotypical rail enthusiast. When first used in regular jargon it referred to those with excessive facial hair see treat but has now migrated into general parlance to cover any annoying individual, but especially those who have been bashing five minutes and know everything.

• Strummer: British Rail Class 47 - West Country term.

• Strumbowly: British Rail Class 47 See above; due to its ubiquitous nature, the Class 47 could turn up at any time on any other (and preferable) locomotive's working diagram, thus bowling the expectant and waiting Class 31/37/45/50 enthusiasts.

• Sunflower: The AWS in-cab visual warning panel.

• Super Gronk: A Class 09 Shunter

• Super Skoda: British Rail Class 91 - similar styling to the Class 90.

T

• Thrash: The noise made by many classic diesel locomotives, often very distinctive and loud. Best appreciated by bashers from the window of the front coach, often accompanied by lots of clag. A loco which is thrashing loudly is usually hellfire or dreadful! Best experienced when a locomotive hauls a heavy train up a long gradient such as the Lickey Incline.

• Toffee-apple: name for the early British Rail Class 31 ("Brush Type 2") diesel locomotives, from their control handle which resembled a toffee-apple.

• TOPS list: Gen procured either with permission or illicitly from British Rail's Total Operations and Processing System which details the current and next planned movements of all the locomotives on the system. A valuable tool for planning a move.

• Toytown: affectionate nickname for Toton Traction Maintenance Depot near Nottingham. Believed to be largest diesel locomotive depot in Western Europe when it opened in 1965.

• Track Basher: an enthusiast whose interest is in travelling 'required' lines, rather than following a particular class of locomotive

• Tram: Original nickname for a HST set, particularly on the Eastern Region (possibly from the frequency of services operated by these units, also the double-ended design means one cannot immediately discern the direction of travel from a static shot).

• Tugs: British Rail Class 60; a British heavy freight locomotive, the UK's class 59. Designed with very low gearing so that very heavy trains can be hauled.

V

Virgin Trains' new Class 220 "Voyager" trains are not well-liked by enthusiasts – gaining the nickname Vermin

• Vac: British Rail Class 50 locomotive - see Hoover.

• Van: British Rail Class 87 General name given to Class 87 AC electric locomotives built from 1973.

• Veg: Groups of rather unpleasant-to-the eye spotters.

• Veg A common name associated with younger trainspotters who spend their time on the edge of a platform

• Vegetable: Also known as veg or stoat, this is a slang term for a traditional trainspotter (ie. an enthusiast who writes or dictates coach and locomotive numbers as they pass his/her vantage point, normally on a platform end).

• Video Veg: A derogatory term used for persons on the end of station platforms or lineside locations who simply record the passage of the train using a camcorder.

• Vomit Comets: Virgin Voyager units, allusion to NASA astronaut-training aircraft used to simulate zero-g. The Voyagers replaced popular loco-hauled trains and the nickname also implies the feelings many enthusiasts have for them.

W

• Wagons: British Rail Class 44, Class 45 or Class 46, sturdily-constructed designs with four axle bogies to spread their weight: "Sixteen wheels on my wagon".

• Washing machine: An electric locomotive.

• Wessex: An old rail rover ticket favoured by rail fans which was valid from Cheltenham to Weymouth (and known fully as a 'Severn, Avon and Wessex') but used widely across the whole network on the basis that even if challenged by a feckless gripper the term "Wessex" is so vague that a blag was normally possible.

Y

• Ying Ying: Describes the sounds made by a General Motors Class 66 locomotive when idling. Usually derogatory, as the sound of the diesel power unit itself is so muffled in comparison.

Z

• Zing: An older term for British Rail InterCity 125 High Speed Trains of classes 253/254 – from the sound of the power cars as they speed past.

References

Note: The reliability of these sources is not established.