LOCOMOTIVE Names

[Anonymous]

Trainspotter started something with the most famous locomotive.

Stange they were mostly British but named.
Was this due to the fact that names are more memorable than numbers?

Which led me to think, in Britain locos and fixed train formation power units carry names, but I could not think of equivalents on any railway system.
What was the last loco name applied in the States/Europe (exclude UK) Australasia etc;

A reminder in Trainspoter style - these are loco or power unit names, not train or service names.

[Anonymous]

The old Frisco comes to mind with one of their units named Gallant Fox after a race horse of the same name

[Anonymous]

The 1600 and 1700 class electrics in Holland all carry names as do some of the preserved locos in New Zealand.

[Hugh Jampton]

It seems to be a peculiar trait amongst the British. But until recently only locomotives were named, but not all locomotives have names. The exception is Virgin's Voyagers and Pendilinos which are the first multiple units to have names.

[Anonymous]

In the old days when most railroads custom built their locomotives virtually all were named. This was true in the U.S. as well as elsewhere. Nowadays, there are still many short lines that name locomotives. Vermont Railway is the one that comes to mind...

LC

[Anonymous]

FarmRail out in western Oklahoma names their locomotives and hopper cars!

[CBQ_Guy]

Off the top of my head I recall the old Chicago, Burlington & Quincy had an e-unit named Silver Charger (all the streamline Zephyr cars had names, too).

[DSchmitt]

The Florida East Coast named passenger locos.

[Anonymous]

Ya I guess it is mostly in Briton where they named their steam locomotives, it is far less commun in the US although not none existant. Jupiter comes to mind first for me.

[cbq9911a]

All of the Burlington Zephyr diesels prior to WWII were named. The last named diesels were the E5s of 1940 (both A and B units). One of the E5s, 9911A "Silver Pilot" still runs today at the Illinois Railway Museum.

[espeefoamer]

Both Rock Island and Chessie System named GP units in the 70s.

[JLlamas]

Not sure, but i heard Metro-North names its ConnDOT diesels.

[M636C]

Metra in Chicago (and surrounding areas) name their locomotives after towns they serve.

Freight Australia name some of their locomotives, and they received a number of named locomotives from V/Line. The V/Line Passenger N class are mainly named after towns or regional areas.

Peter

[JoeKoh]

csx has the spirit of grafton and spirit of maryland on their locos just to name a couple.
stay safe
Joe