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Pet hate idioms used by railway enthusiasts


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13 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

Early electrics can have a charm of their own but I don't think this beast from the 1930s could ever be accused of a modern image, not even by 1930s ideas of modernism. 

2D2_5525.jpg.c1621b9cc6b55a9a5b0be5ce37268b3e.jpg

 

It has a certain baroque charm.. I remember a later version of the design on the PLM main line when I first went to France in 1976. These later ones were nick-named 'Waterman', not after the UK pop mogul and rail enthusiast, but the very stylish pen.

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17 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

Early electrics can have a charm of their own but I don't think this beast from the 1930s could ever be accused of a modern image, not even by 1930s ideas of modernism. 

2D2_5525.jpg.c1621b9cc6b55a9a5b0be5ce37268b3e.jpg

 

 

Maybe that's where Fell got his inspiration.

 

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Tortured English grammar, as in

 

"The solution was requiring a larger boiler"

 

 instead of

 

 "The solution required a larger boiler"

 

(Exits stage left PDQ :))

 

Edit: Come to that the required isn't even required.

 

"The solution was a larger boiler"

 

 

 

Edited by AndyID
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8 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

Too often we hear statements like "xxx was reduced by 500%" whatever that might be intended to mean.

 

It means that, for example, my £100 bank balance has been reduced by 500 parts in 100, i.e. by £500, so I am now overdrawn by £400. It certainly can't bean reduced to one fifth of the initial value, which might be what the speaker or writer was attempting to convey. That would be a reduction of 80%. 

 

Likewise, a 500% increase is not an increase to five times the initial value but to six times. My £100 balance has been increased by 500 parts in 100, i.e. by £500.

Edited by Compound2632
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Sorry I screwed up, getting my A and B mixed up at the start.

Say B is 10 then A is 10 + 20% = 12. Then 80% of A is 80% or 4/5ths of 12, so (4 x 12)/5 = 9.6.

You can tell I have a maths degree!!! (hardly used for half a century though). I'd better stick to teaching English. Mind you I don't remember ever doing any adding, subtracting etc during my degree. I was all far too arcane.

But yes, you are right in that the process doesn't then work the same in reverse.

Definitely time for some modelling.

Jonathan

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The use of the term sealed beam headlight to describe the Wipac hair raiser headlamps. These lamps have a renewable halogen lamp, a sealed beam you sling the whole thing away lamp, reflector lens.........

 

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11 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

It has a certain baroque charm.. I remember a later version of the design on the PLM main line when I first went to France in 1976. These later ones were nick-named 'Waterman', not after the UK pop mogul and rail enthusiast, but the very stylish pen.

Was it not that the shape of the bonnet resembled a Waterman ink bottle? Certainly one variant has that facetted / rounded combination. 

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59 minutes ago, St Enodoc said:

  Toton too. Probably an LMR thing.

I had heard that term in my Croydon Control days in  the early 70s, probably from the South Eastern Area 1 Controller, Brian, who was - hopefully is! - from well north of Potters Bar. He went on to be DCC, and has since authored a book or two. ISTR one of his neighbours was R.C.Riley. 

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On 14/06/2021 at 20:40, brianusa said:

Anorak names like 'gronk' or 'hoover' to label diesel locomotives:wacko:

    Brian.

TBH I do like some nicknames ' "Gronk" in particular - I like the 08's & personally I think the name suits them, also "sheds" for 66's another diesel I like & again, I think the name suits them.

 

Far better than "Slugs" for the OHE's pictured.

 

BTW, anyone know how the 08's got their nickname ?

 

 

1920px-BLS_Re_465_018-0_FFS_Re_460_019-3_Domodossola_240709.jpg

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10 hours ago, 45125 said:

The use of the term sealed beam headlight to describe the Wipac hair raiser headlamps. These lamps have a renewable halogen lamp, a sealed beam you sling the whole thing away lamp, reflector lens.........

 

As the thread has set off onto an automotive tangent the term "wing mirrors".

 

Mirrors have not been fitted to the wings of cars for many decades.

 

Of course, if you have a present day Ford you now have a "hood", "trunk", lug wrench" & have "tires" according to the drivers handbook.

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2 hours ago, SamThomas said:

As the thread has set off onto an automotive tangent the term "wing mirrors".

 

Mirrors have not been fitted to the wings of cars for many decades.

 

Of course, if you have a present day Ford you now have a "hood", "trunk", lug wrench" & have "tires" according to the drivers handbook.

And while we're on the subject of cars-owners who call their cars "she", "her", or in some other way try to ascribe gender, feelings and personalities to their cars.

 

No.

 

No, no and no again.

 

Cars (and trains, aircraft, boats etc) are inanimate objects. They do not have feelings, thoughts or personalities, and are gender neutral. They are pieces of metal etc, joined together to perform a function. They may exhibit quirks, nuances and differences, and no two may be exactly alike-but no two stones on a beach are alike either, and we don't try to give then personalities.

 

Once again, no.

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3 hours ago, SamThomas said:

TBH I do like some nicknames ' "Gronk" in particular - I like the 08's & personally I think the name suits them, also "sheds" for 66's another diesel I like & again, I think the name suits them.

 

Far better than "Slugs" for the OHE's pictured.

 

BTW, anyone know how the 08's got their nickname ?

 

 

1920px-BLS_Re_465_018-0_FFS_Re_460_019-3_Domodossola_240709.jpg

 

My wife, on my 50th birthday 'train-treat' tour of Switzerland, (eek 12 years ago) didn't  like these locos at all, and named them 'Wine Gums' due to the shape.  Seems fair to me.

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How about people who call 67s "skips"? Looks like it might be appropriate - a few years ago I took the sleeper up to Fort William, where I was meeting up with my parents. My mum said when she saw the train coming she thought it was a bin lorry at first.

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