Celebrity diesels - the most famous and popular

[Bessie]

Flying Scotsman is the most famous and popular steam loco as can be seen by the crowds it draws wherever it goes. My question is there an equivalent diesel which creates a similar buzz? Of course I know there will be no one correct answer, I'm just interested to know which diesels pull in the crowds at galas and on mainline duty. Looking back to my early spotting days the resurrection of D200/40122 by Rail Enthusiast magazine certainly created a stir, and also the repainting and renaming of 50007 as Sir Edward Elgar. In 2021 what diesel is top of the charts?

 

[D821]

45015?

 

[yorksrob]

The Hastings Diesels thumper !

It is to me anyway

 

[D6130]

55 022 "Royal Scots Grey"?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

If we include Electrics, the Flying Badger?

Of course Flying Scotsman's fame rather transcends railway enthusiasm, and is known to the public in general. I'm not sure there's anything diesel or electric that holds that level of fame. Maybe HSTs, but even then there isn't an individual power car that is known above and beyond its classmates.

 

[Sm5]

D200 - never fades.

66779/66789 maybe current equivalents.

 

[43096]

If we include Electrics, the Flying Badger?

Of course Flying Scotsman's fame rather transcends railway enthusiasm, and is known to the public in general. I'm not sure there's anything diesel or electric that holds that level of fame. Maybe HSTs, but even then there isn't an individual power car that is known above and beyond its classmates.

43102 and 43159 as the world speed record holders.

 

[xotGD]

If it ever ran again, the prototype Deltic.

 

[D6130]

D1010 "Western Campaigner"?

 

[Iskra]

While it's hard to name a specific one as the most famous; I don't think any train has quite captured the public's imagination positively since the HST. Possibly, only the Pendolino or Eurostar come close.

 

[NorthWestRover]

The general public knew what a Pacer was. They wouldn't know many other classes by name.

 

[co-tr-paul]

The New Blue Pullman is attracting alot of attention both enthusiasts and general public.

 

[50002Superb]

The Hoovers always seem to attract a decent crowd.

 

[Towers]

43002 was perhaps an example of something going beyond just enthusiast circles, although of course not in the same league as Scotsman, when it emerged in heritage livery. Plenty of the travelling public could relate to an Intercity 125, and whilst the audience was limited by virtue of it being in revenue service on the GWR network rather than touring the country, by the same token there are/were many, many regular commuters into Paddington who enjoyed decades on HSTs and well appreciated their significance.

Of course it was later joined by various other 'tributes' representing later incarnations, but for a good while "Kenneth" really was a bit of a celebrity loco!

 

[61653 HTAFC]

43102 and 43159 as the world speed record holders.

Sure, but ask the average bloke in the pub for the number or name of the fastest diesel locomotive(s), and they'll probably pretend to be foreign and move away slowly... at best, they might know it was an IC125.

The general public knew what a Pacer was. They wouldn't know many other classes by name.

Well, they thought they did... but often the "Pacer" they'd just ridden was anything in Northern purple.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Put simply I would say no modern train will ever attract the general public in the way that Flying Scotsman does. On the last few occasions I have been out to see it the family groups who have been there to see it have outnumbered the enthusiasts.

 

[Ted633]

I know it's not diesel, but the Brighton Belle is probably the non-steam train that the general public have heard if the most.

 

[D6968]

I’d say anyone of the Deltics, quite a few people who I’d class as normals I know claim to have seen one in action then when I’ve shown them a pic of a 37 they’ve then said it’s one of those.

Also my mother (a complete normal) rather liked the Red and Blue Diesels she used to see going through Kendrick Park in West Bromwich when she was a kid, she now sees them again at the end of the street where she lives in Bewdley, she rather likes seeing the 800 and the 1000’s as she remembers those from her childhood.

 

[Ashley Hill]

I think the HST is really the only diesel that would be recognised by Joe Public due to the marketing over its life time.
IIRC didn't the DoT trial a railway crossing road sign with an HST on it because of its distinctive shape to replace the steam loco image?

 

[37114]

55 022 "Royal Scots Grey"?

That would get my vote.

 

[43096]

Sure, but ask the average bloke in the pub for the number or name of the fastest diesel locomotive(s), and they'll probably pretend to be foreign and move away slowly... at best, they might know it was an IC125.

Ask the average bloke in the pub and he's more likely to have heard of an InterCity 125 than any other diesel or electric traction.

 

[LOL The Irony]

55 022 "Royal Scots Grey"?

I'd have to agree.

43102 and 43159 as the world speed record holders.

I don't really keep track of HSTs to the point of being able to list those 2 off the top of my head, so RSG will always win out. I think part of that is down to there being nothing to make them stand out from their classmates, unlike Deltics due to there only being 5 complete examples in existence and out of those, the only 2 I can list off the top of my head are RSG and Gordon Highlander (who's name I had to look up, being the Porterbrook one in my head).

Ask the average bloke in the pub and he's more likely to have heard of an InterCity 125 than any other diesel or electric traction.

But could he name off a specific HST?

 

[Bertone]

How about the 1947 built LMS 10000 & 10001 ?

 

[DerekC]

Slightly OT, but apart from "Flying Scotsman" I suspect that the only other locomotive of any kind that the public would recognise the name of is "Rocket". (and of course Thomas the Tank puts any of the others totally in the shade*).

*PS - which makes the most famous diesel, "Diesel". Seems appropriate somehow. A boring name for a boring kind of locomotive! (anti-missile shields deployed )

 

[yorksrob]

Didn't Chris Rea do a song about Deltics ? That's fairly pop culture !

 

[Iskra]

Slightly OT, but apart from "Flying Scotsman" I suspect that the only other locomotive of any kind that the public would recognise the name of is "Rocket". (and of course Thomas the Tank puts any of the others totally in the shade*).

*PS - which makes the most famous diesel, "Diesel". Seems appropriate somehow. A boring name for a boring kind of locomotive! (anti-missile shields deployed )

Mallard and City of Truro are commonly known.

In terms of diesels, I think it’s just HST’s, Deltics and Pacers.

 

[vlad]

Given that certain trains were announced as "Virgin Voyagers" for many years I'd think people would have some knowledge of what they are (unless "Virgin" run all trains and "Voyagers" are just a word for trains that travel a long distance...).

 

[Iskra]

Given that certain trains were announced as "Virgin Voyagers" for many years I'd think people would have some knowledge of what they are (unless "Virgin" run all trains and "Voyagers" are just a word for trains that travel a long distance...).

To be fair, this assertion has some credence considering many people think thst Virgin still run XC on the basis that the trains are those same voyagers.

Virgin of course made Pendolino's a household name too.

 

[yorksrob]

I often do into conversations with normals the "InterCity 125".

They all recognise it without fail.

 

[Trackman]

55 022 "Royal Scots Grey"?

Well yes, any Deltic or class 40 I would say.
OP mentioned diesel gala's - I remember going to one in the early 80's at the NYMR for the Deltic novelty on the moors but a class 17 popped up and a lot of peoples 'moves' were changed to follow the Clayton. In a railway publication later they describe it as the 'celebrity' loco on the day.
I suppose it's what flavour of the month is.
When 55 022 goes back out on the mainline it's bound to be oversubscribed.
I dread to think what riot will ensue when 40 118 goes back on the mainline, which the excellent 16 SVT society plan to do.