How come Locomotives don't have names anymore?

[StillGrande]

When steam was king, you had Challengers, Big Boys, Alleganys, Pacifics, Hudsons, Mikados, etc. The list goes on.

For a while with diesels there were a few names like Trainmasters.

Now they are all letters and numbers. What happened?

[tree68]

Sounds like the beginning of a contest.

The names like Mohawks, Challengers, Greenbriers, etc, etc, reflected wheel arrangements and the railroads that ran them. Regardless of the size of the loco, if it was a 2-8-2, it was a Mikado (or a MacArthur).

Virtually everything coming out now is a C-C, although there are still a lot of B-B's on the road.

That leaves the alpha-numeric designations we all have come to know and love.

So back to the contest of sorts. If you could name a locomotive model, what would the name be. For instance, my GMC 1500 is a Sierra. Chevy calls it a Silverado.

This isn't a GE or EMD bashing contest - so let's put our best thoughts forward and come up with some ideas that would help you choose that loco if you were out shopping. History will be your friend here, especially where a certain type of loco has a link to a specific railroad or region. (Which is why there are so many names for the 4-8-4.) Think too of names along the lines of the "Trainmaster."

What Say?

[railman]

I just think that along with wheel arrangement, maybe the diesels didn't have the excitement to warrant names. Little Joes, Bi-Polars, just to name a few were exciting. Now, that said, of course, the Trainmaster maybe wasn't really inspiring but hey, there was Baby Trainmasters, too. Let's see...
I think "Dash 9" is an ok name, easier on the mouth than AC4400 or something. I'm not really in a creative mood to create names, sorry.

[Anonymous]

Early GP units were called Geeps and UP's DDA40X's were commonly called Centennials.

[csxengineer98]

well... even the names for the steam locomotives like mountain and pacific where still refureing to classes of locomotives...
when the railroads where first starting..it was common for the actual locomotive to have a name..such as "the rocket" not to much differnt then nameing a ships t..but when railroads starting to amass more and more power..a better way to keep track of them was needed...thus the number system we have today... also... keep in mind..that railroads number thier fleet of locomotives acording to class also..
csx engineer

[CSXrules4eva]

Well I think the new locomotive ES4400 introduced by GETS has a cool name. Evolution Series. I do think the alpha-numeric system is not as exciting as the old names like Big Boy. I think some of the main coal pullers like the EMD SD70MAC or SD80MAC should be called . . . . .. . . . um. . . . . .Double CCs (Coal Chargers).

[Anonymous]

The ES Series units are called GEVO's, there is more than likely a couple dozen nicknames for every engine (a lot can't be posted).

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CSXrules4eva

I think some of the main coal pullers like the EMD SD70MAC or SD80MAC should be called . . . . .. . . . um. . . . . .Double CCs (Coal Chargers).

Or how about Big MAC's?

[CSXrules4eva]

Yea Big MAC sounds nice lol. I that name didn't even cross my mind.

[railman]

hey watch it, railfans. We're already having trouble with one company and trademark infringment...wouldn't want em' to take our trains AND "eat it" too.

That's a big stretch on an old saying.