Focalplane Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 As an avid trainspotter in the late 1950s around the Midlands, I was a great fan of Stanier's ubiquitous Black 5, the mixed traffic workhorse of the LMS, LMR. As I remember, we used to call them Mickies around Birmingham, but I never see this nickname in print these days. This may have been a local "dialect" in spotter talk. Not everyone called 3F tank engines "Jinties", for example, as they were also known as "Dobbins" in some quite restricted geographic areas. And I am not, by the way, confusing the Black 5 with those 2MT "Micky Mouse" locomotives! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium petethemole Posted December 31, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2014 They were always known as Mickeys in the Bedford area. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TheSignalEngineer Posted December 31, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 31, 2014 I remember the term 'Mickey' being used for the Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0, and the 2-6-2T being a Mickey Tank. Black 5s were 'Blackies' and Stanier 8Fs were 'Consols' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted December 31, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2014 They are Hikers.... Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheatley Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 My dad was trainspotting around Coventry in the 50s and also referred to Black 5s as 'Mickeys' or 'Mickey Mouses'. We had the "Are you sure you don't mean the Ivatt 2MT" conversation as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium finelines Posted December 31, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2014 Black fives were called Mickys in our part of Lancashire and Ivatt 2MTs Micky Mouse. Roger Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
byron Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Must be a midlands thing. Spotters at Stoke/Crewe/Stafford called Black 5's Mickies. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I remember the term 'Mickey' being used for the Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0, and the 2-6-2T being a Mickey Tank. Black 5s were 'Blackies' and Stanier 8Fs were 'Consols' My mate from Kettering always called 8Fs; four-eight-freights Which was a new one for me, but in Lincs we hardly saw any Black 5s so a nickname was not necessary as we were too busy jumping up and down with joy at seeing one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Michael Edge Posted December 31, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 31, 2014 We called them Mickeys in Lancashire. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Mickeys here in Wigan to, we where inundated with them, right to the end, more Mickeys than 'owt else !! Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Yes I remember Black fives being called 'Mickies' in the West Midlands. But as far as I know the MR/LMS 3F 0-6-0T was called 'Dobbins' (as in Mule) by crews at Willesden, and Watford sheds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted December 31, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 31, 2014 How are you pronouncing it? Like 'MIKE' or like 'MICK'? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 MICK'eys (In Wigan anyway). Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Focalplane Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Wow, I had been reluctant to post this question, thinking I may have dreamed up the Mickey nickname while asleep! Yes, it does seem to be a Midlands plus south Lancashire regional nickname, as suggested by all these replies. And definitely pronounced MICK'ey down in Birmingham and Tamworth. Thank you all for your recollections. The area I referred to for Dobbins was actually Nuneaton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMS2968 Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 They were always Black Fives or, more usually, Black 'uns to me. But then I was never a spotter, but did spend as much time as possible with enginemen, and in the early 1970s joined BR as a guard at Edge Hill. Steam was not long gone then and still came up in conversation, and they were always Black 'uns to the men. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 The area I referred to for Dobbins was actually Nuneaton. Well you live, and learn, so probably if the name carried thro' to Nuneaton, then probably it included Rugby, Bletchley, and Northampton as well ?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb900f Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Around Chesterfield we knew them as Blackies. Some footplate crews called them " black uns" as opposed to "red uns" which was a reference to the Jubilees. 8fs were known simply as 8 freights. I'm sure we used to call the 4fs coffee pots but don't know why. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I never heard the name 'Mickey' used in Scotland, but I knew Black 5s were called that in northwest England. And Andy G (uax6), around Glasgow, they weren't known as 'Hikers' either. I thought that was a Highland name for them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I thought 'Hikers' were the LNER B12s with the feed water heaters? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
APOLLO Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Wigan spotter speak Mickeys Black 5 Black 8 Black 8 Mickey Mouse LMS 2MT 2-6-0 Coffee Pot LMS 4F 0-6-0, or sometimes a Jinty (can't remember the name Jinty used much) Semi Duchess Pacific - all of em (rounded front smoke box or not !!!) - virtually all gone when I started spotting Jub Jubilee 4-6-0 Scot Royal Scot 4-6-0 Pat Patriot 4-6-0 (again virtually all gone) Crab LMS 2-6-0 Nine Two'er 9F 2-10-0 Brit Britannia 4-6-2 Allways my favourite loco. Standard All other BR standard locos Dub Dee WD 2-8-0 6'er Any eastern region loco (beginning with a 6) - rare in steam at Wigan though usually a B1 or so in the scrapyard at ince Big D EE Type 4 (Class 40) Brush 4 Class 47 Sulzer Class 24/25 Bug Box All DMU's D400'er Class 50 Peak Class 44/45/46 - We had to get up early to see the daily Glasgow-Liverpool sleeper - peak hauled usually. We had a few rude names for diesel shunters (both ex LMS & BR types) - I won't print them here !! Grand days, see a lot of the above on my photo site below, especially Brits storming thru Wigan Happy new year, Brit15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I swear I've heard people referring to the Southern Q1's as 'Coffee Pots' as well...or am I dreaming? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 I thought 'Hikers' were the LNER B12s with the feed water heaters? I've heard the name applied to both classes, Mark. I've definitely seen Black 5s referred to as 'Hikers' in articles on ex-Highland Railway lines. Wigan spotter speak ... Semi Duchess Pacific - all of em (rounded front smoke box or not !!!) ... Thank you! The use of 'Semi' for only those with cutdown smokeboxes is IMO something that has developed only since the class was withdrawn from BR service. The obvious question to people using the name only for engines with cutdown smokeboxes is "What did you call those with circular smoke boxes and/or what did you call the whole class once all the cutdown smoke boxes had been replaced?". (Sorry - a particular annoyance of mine, for no really rational reason.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250BOB Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Wigan spotter speak Mickeys Black 5 Black 8 Black 8 Mickey Mouse LMS 2MT 2-6-0 Coffee Pot LMS 4F 0-6-0, or sometimes a Jinty (can't remember the name Jinty used much) Semi Duchess Pacific - all of em (rounded front smoke box or not !!!) - virtually all gone when I started spotting Jub Jubilee 4-6-0 Scot Royal Scot 4-6-0 Pat Patriot 4-6-0 (again virtually all gone) Crab LMS 2-6-0 Nine Two'er 9F 2-10-0 Brit Britannia 4-6-2 Allways my favourite loco. Standard All other BR standard locos Dub Dee WD 2-8-0 6'er Any eastern region loco (beginning with a 6) - rare in steam at Wigan though usually a B1 or so in the scrapyard at ince Big D EE Type 4 (Class 40) Brush 4 Class 47 Sulzer Class 24/25 Bug Box All DMU's D400'er Class 50 Peak Class 44/45/46 - We had to get up early to see the daily Glasgow-Liverpool sleeper - peak hauled usually. We had a few rude names for diesel shunters (both ex LMS & BR types) - I won't print them here !! Grand days, see a lot of the above on my photo site below, especially Brits storming thru Wigan Happy new year, Brit15 Love the way you referred to anything eastern as a 6'er.....made me smile. I did as well......being a Crewe lad. Black 5's were always Mickeys. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Love this thread - it's brought the post-war steam spotting years alive in a way no number of books or videos ever could. Having properly missed it by the best part of a generation, I'd never previously encountered the equivalent of late seventies platform-end banter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 As a train spotter from the late fifties based in Smethwick, just north of Birmingham, I only ever recall Black 5's being called 'Blackies. The only times I ever recall hearing them referred to as 'Mickies' was if you were talking to spotters from the East Midlands. Whilst were on the subject of Black 5's, I remember spending a day spotting at Crewe on a summer Saturday in 1960, when every train coming off or going on to the North Wales coast line was pulled by a Black 5 and I remember saying to one of my mates "if I see another Black 5 I'll scream!" Had I have realised at the time what their ultimate fate was to be I would never have uttered those words. Incidentally I saw 836 of the 842 in the class. They were truly one of the greats of the steam era. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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