RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted August 22, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 22, 2021 On 19/08/2021 at 23:58, Nearholmer said: I strongly suspect that some of them are either railway enthusiast confections, or originated in Punch, or similar satire, while the LNWR one has the ring of an hubristic publicity slogan, rather than a genuine nickname. No hubris involved. The LNWR was simply the largest of the pre-grouping companies, with the most extensive geographical reach (by way of through workings etc.) - though the Midland ran it close there; those two were the only companies to own (or jointly own) lines in all the countries of the United Kingdom (as was). The LNWR had the greatest capital investment of any and could reasonably claim to be the "oldest established firm in the railway passenger business" and of course its constituents, the London & Birmingham and Grand Junction", formed the first trunk line in the country. It claimed to have the permanent way of its main lines maintained to the very highest standards, boasting of its "dustless tracks" (whatever that was supposed to mean". From a locomotive enthusiast's point of view, Crewe Premium Apprentices went on to become some of the best-known names - including young Herbert, of course. But "The Premier Line" was a long-established advertising slogan. Other such were the Midland's "The Best Way", the L&Y's "The Business Line" (mentioned above), and the Caledonian's "The True Line". 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
009 micro modeller Posted August 22, 2021 Share Posted August 22, 2021 (edited) 3 minutes ago, Compound2632 said: But "The Premier Line" was a long-established advertising slogan. Hasn’t it occasionally been reused a lot more recently (possibly late BR/early privatisation) to refer to WCML intercity services? I’m sure I remember seeing it on a modern poster somewhere. Edited August 22, 2021 by 009 micro modeller Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted August 22, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 22, 2021 8 minutes ago, Compound2632 said: advertising slogan. The MSLR's change of name to Great Central was in itself an advertising slogan - creating a "Central" brand drawing on the existing Liverpool Central and Manchester Central station names - extending the principle to Leicester - though with Victoria as a sub-brand - the name change was in Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year (which was also the company's golden jubilee). 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted August 22, 2021 Share Posted August 22, 2021 On 20/08/2021 at 00:12, Andy Kirkham said: When I lived in Glasgow, I noted that Glaswegians loved to assert that the Underground was known as the Clockwork Orange, but seldom actually referred to it as such in ordinary speech.. That was of course after the Subway was closed for rebuilding and when it reopened the new stock was painted orange, the name coming of course from the film. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil gollin Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 . Not mentioned (?) ; World famous = "The Tube" London famous = "The Drain" Seems to be a spotter's nickname = "God's Wonderful Railway" 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold ChrisN Posted August 23, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 23, 2021 I think 'The Drain' referred specifically to the Waterloo and City Line. Wonderful before it was modernised as everybody queued up at the door markers on the platform. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 12 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said: That was of course after the Subway was closed for rebuilding and when it reopened the new stock was painted orange, the name coming of course from the film. More likely the book. ISTR the film was withdrawn soon after release and wasn't shown in the UK for a very long time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, phil gollin said: .Not mentioned (?) ; World famous = "The Tube" London famous = "The Drain" Seems to be a spotter's nickname = "God's Wonderful Railway" See the OP.... Edited August 23, 2021 by Steamport Southport 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted August 23, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Steamport Southport said: See the OP.... More authentically, the Great Way Round - at least before the opening of the various 20th century cut-offs. That 326½ milepost at Penzance says it all. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted August 23, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 23, 2021 6 hours ago, phil gollin said: Seems to be a spotter's nickname = "God's Wonderful Railway" 'God's Wonderful' pre-dates spotters by many years, and was in occasional use by railwaymen when I worked on the railway in the 70s, usually in a sarcastic way. Never heard 'Great Way Round', which I suspect may be an invention of Ahrons or possibly Nock; it is certainly apt to describe the pre-cut off GW. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted August 23, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 23, 2021 2 minutes ago, The Johnster said: Never heard 'Great Way Round', which I suspect may be an invention of Ahrons or possibly Nock; it is certainly apt to describe the pre-cut off GW. Perhaps before your time? Not Ahrons though, he was a Swindon apprentice in the 1880s so, on the whole, loyal to the Great Western. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hando Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 (edited) Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway: The Clog and Knocker (something to do with the Stafford shoe industry I suspect) Stamford and Essendine Railway [Sibson Extension]: The Bread and Onion line Edited September 12, 2021 by Hando 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
great central Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 On 23/08/2021 at 10:00, phil gollin said: Seems to be a spotter's nickname = "God's Wonderful Railway" Among Great Central staff I believe it was known as the Gas Works Railway...... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Crompton Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 "Dog" or "Yellow Dog" for the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad. This nickname is immortalised in the story about the 'Father of the Blues' W.C. Handy first hearing blues music while waiting for a train on Tutwiler station in Mississipi in 1903. http://msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers/w-c-handy Handy wrote in his autobiography, “A lean, loose-jointed had commenced plunking a guitar beside me while I slept. His clothes were rags; his feet peeped out of his shoes. His face had on it some of the sadness of the ages. As he played, he pressed a knife on the strings of a guitar in a manner popularized by Hawaiian guitarists who used steel bars. The effect was unforgettable. His song, too, struck me instantly. ‘Goin’ where the Southern cross’ the Dog.’ The singer repeated the line three times, accompanying himself on the guitar with the weirdest music I ever heard.” It usually assumed that it refers to a railway crossing of the Southern and Yazoo & Mississippi Valley railroads in Moorhead to the south of Tutwiler. As I like railways, blues music and slide guitar I have always found this story irresistible. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pandora Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 On 21/08/2021 at 11:32, Mike_Walker said: EWS was known as Eat Work & Sleep or Ed's Wonderful System by certain of its staff. We shared a Depot with EWS and they used to say Engines Wagons & Slaves 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnofwessex Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 19 hours ago, Pandora said: We shared a Depot with EWS and they used to say Engines Wagons & Slaves One retired employee described it to me as 'Elastic, Wire & String 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fezza Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 In later days GWR men around London used to refer to the Southern as "the tramway". It wasn't a compliment... 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted September 14, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 14, 2021 15 minutes ago, fezza said: In later days GWR men around London used to refer to the Southern as "the tramway". It wasn't a compliment... I thought that went back to Sir Felix Pole's reported remark after being introduced to Sir Herbert Walker: "How interesting to meet a tramway manager." 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted September 27, 2023 Share Posted September 27, 2023 A few more from the US. Mostly narrow gauge lines. Denver & Rio Grande Western = Dangerous & Rapidly Getting Worse. Nevada County Narrow Gauge RR = Never Come, Never Go. Denver, Boulder & Western = Drink Beer & Wine. Twin Mountain & Potomac = Two Mules and a Pony. A reference to their loco roster, a pair of ten wheelers and a small 0-4-0. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phatbob Posted September 27, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 27, 2023 LNER = Late and Never Early Railway LMS = Late Monday to Sunday GWR = Great Way Round LB&SCR = Long, Boring and Seldom Comfortable Railway For a modern nickname, First Trenitalia = Worst Gentitalia. ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheatley Posted September 27, 2023 Share Posted September 27, 2023 (edited) Portpatrick & Wigtownshire Joint Railways - 'Poorly paid & worried'. Have we had Northern Fail yet ? Edited September 27, 2023 by Wheatley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium iands Posted September 27, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 27, 2023 1 hour ago, Phatbob said: LNER = Late and Never Early Railway Let No Engines Rest There, corrected LNER for you. 😂 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tankerman Posted September 27, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 27, 2023 In the late 1950's/early 1960's there were quite a few ex GWR employees in Cornwall. One was an uncle of mine who was a Ganger in the Camborne/Redruth area and another a ticket collector at Truro who I got to know quite well as he realised, despite my young age, I was interested in the railway, not just the locomotives. Both of them always referred to the GWR as "The Company" and were firmly convinced that the BR management were a bunch of amateurs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattR Posted September 27, 2023 Share Posted September 27, 2023 Right here in Knoxville, Tennessee, the short-lived but well-known Fountain Head Railway Company (1890-1905) was known as "The Dummy Line" for its use of steam dummies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted September 27, 2023 Share Posted September 27, 2023 The Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway (MS&L) became the Money Sunk and Lost when it built the main line down to Marylebone and changed the name to The Great Central Railway. Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now