Rail enthusiast lingo

[SteveM70]

What was/is a Toffee Apple?

Class 31/0 due to the shape of the power handle

 

[Beebman]

A term I heard some years ago is seminar which I believe refers to a group of photters taking pictures of a particular loco?

 

[CW2]

A seminar shot is where a group of enthusiasts photograph themselves as a group, often in front of the loco which has just hauled their train. So if you went to (say) Skegness behind a Deltic (say) you would congregate in front of the loco with a few of your mates and somebody would take the official seminar shot. Nowadays it would be termed a "group selfie".

 

[berneyarms]

That’s not the only meaning though. There’s also “(of a person) deteriorate physically and mentally in isolated inactivity.” Which sounds about right to me in the bashing context

It is fair to say though that the word does not mean "to wait".

Someone, for example, used the word in a post on these boards recently in a general discussion about a timetable change, as a noun, in the context of making a journey and having a new extended wait at a station between connecting trains.

I know that language evolves, but to my mind it hasn't evolved quite that much yet!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

It is fair to say though that the word does not mean "to wait".

Agreed, or at least not just that. See also post #55.

 

[berneyarms]

Agreed, or at least not just that. See also post #55.

I saw that. But that’s a different meaning.

I’d also argue that just because something is in the online urban dictionary doesn’t mean it’s right either!

I’ve given a specific example of it being misused in a general discussion in the rest of my post.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I’d also argue that just because something is in the online urban dictionary doesn’t mean it’s right either!

You're probably entirely correct there (!)

 

[hst43102]

What was/is a Toffee Apple?

I believe it's another name for the much-loved 31's. Not sure why!

 

[Journeyman]

I believe it's another name for the much-loved 31's. Not sure why!

Only the first batch. As pointed out, the power handle had a ball-on-a-stick appearance that looked like a toffee apple. These were only the 31/0 sub-class, withdrawn in the early 80s.

 

[Calthrop]

I have already mentioned this on another thread a while back; towards the end of stream, some enthusiasts were regarded as taking things to far by others in the hobby and were called 'D.A.A.s'; the first two words being 'Daft as' and the last, a nine letter very vulgar one. Curiously a couple of years later, a 'D.A.A. Re-union' was advertised in the enthusiast press. I'm not sure whether it was intended to be ironic, or someone hadn't realised it was not a flattering acronym, or even that there was pride...

I've long had great affection for the expression "D.A.A.", which was greatly current among my fellow-enthusiasts in the end-of-steam era. I've posted about it elsewhere on these Forums. I was given in those days some half-a-century ago, a supposed explanation for how it arose. As follows: once in the mid / late 1960s, a couple-or-three keen enthusiasts were travelling on a steam-hauled regular passenger train, and "doing their thing" to the max: heads out of windows, rushing from side to side of the coach to get the best view, copious photographing from windows, jumping out at intermediate stops to "value" stuff [that was another expression in the "fancy" 's jargon], loudly and excitedly conversing about the whole scene... a close-by normal citizen, just travelling on the train to get from necessary A to B, asked them what on earth they were up to. They explained, as best they could. The chap pondered for a moment, then pronounced: "If you ask me, you're all daft as (very vulgar [anatomical] nine-letter word)." Far from feeling insulted, the guys found this utterance a total gem; and from them, it rapidly spread through the enthusiast community. In my experience, it was more used in self-deprecating humour (people empathised with normal folk's considering them to be funny in the head) and indeed (as above) as a proudly-worn badge of honour; than applied by "moderate" enthusiasts to "over-the-top" ones.

Spin-off from the "fester" discussion: I recall, concerning fellow-enthusiasts 50+ years ago -- a number of those I knew then, were active members of the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway Society. Stemming, it would seem, originally from the W & L -- perhaps because of its Austrian connections? -- there was for a while among the enthusiast circle which I knew, a craze for Germanising all manner of relevant names / titles / words. The W & L guys called their own railway, the "Banwytalbahn" (based at Llanfair Caereinion Hauptbahnhof). These bods felt then, strong antagonism against the Ffestiniog Railway: which they saw -- maybe at that time, with some justification -- as an arrogant, prideful quasi-fascist outfit, highly lacking in the milk of human kindness, and convinced that it was the only narrow-gauge line with a right to exist in North Wales: all Johnny-come-latelies like the W & L, should kindly wither away and die. (I got considerable "stick" from these chaps, for my membership of the F.R. Society.) With their penchant for German stuff, they dubbed the F.R. the "Festerbahn" -- "fester" being, in enthusiast-speak and as expounded on in this thread, an imprecise but handy all-purpose pejorative.

 

[midland1]

In the Leicester area class 08s or any shunting engine were known as jockos

 

[D6130]

I've long had great affection for the expression "D.A.A.", which was greatly current among my fellow-enthusiasts in the end-of-steam era. I've posted about it elsewhere on these Forums. I was given in those days some half-a-century ago, a supposed explanation for how it arose. As follows: once in the mid / late 1960s, a couple-or-three keen enthusiasts were travelling on a steam-hauled regular passenger train, and "doing their thing" to the max: heads out of windows, rushing from side to side of the coach to get the best view, copious photographing from windows, jumping out at intermediate stops to "value" stuff [that was another expression in the "fancy" 's jargon], loudly and excitedly conversing about the whole scene... a close-by normal citizen, just travelling on the train to get from necessary A to B, asked them what on earth they were up to. They explained, as best they could. The chap pondered for a moment, then pronounced: "If you ask me, you're all daft as (very vulgar [anatomical] nine-letter word)." Far from feeling insulted, the guys found this utterance a total gem; and from them, it rapidly spread through the enthusiast community. In my experience, it was more used in self-deprecating humour (people empathised with normal folk's considering them to be funny in the head) and indeed (as above) as a proudly-worn badge of honour; than applied by "moderate" enthusiasts to "over-the-top" ones.

Spin-off from the "fester" discussion: I recall, concerning fellow-enthusiasts 50+ years ago -- a number of those I knew then, were active members of the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway Society. Stemming, it would seem, originally from the W & L -- perhaps because of its Austrian connections? -- there was for a while among the enthusiast circle which I knew, a craze for Germanising all manner of relevant names / titles / words. The W & L guys called their own railway, the "Banwytalbahn" (based at Llanfair Caereinion Hauptbahnhof). These bods felt then, strong antagonism against the Ffestiniog Railway: which they saw -- maybe at that time, with some justification -- as an arrogant, prideful quasi-fascist outfit, highly lacking in the milk of human kindness, and convinced that it was the only narrow-gauge line with a right to exist in North Wales: all Johnny-come-latelies like the W & L, should kindly wither away and die. (I got considerable "stick" from these chaps, for my membership of the F.R. Society.) With their penchant for German stuff, they dubbed the F.R. the "Festerbahn" -- "fester" being, in enthusiast-speak and as expounded on in this thread, an imprecise but handy all-purpose pejorative.

I seem to remember that back in the 'seventies (?) there was an outfit called "D.A.A. Railtours" which organised some quite good trips covering freight lines and rare curves using interesting and unusual traction.

 

[Cowley]

Shave it.

 

[Calthrop]

I seem to remember that back in the 'seventies (?) there was an outfit called "D.A.A. Railtours" which organised some quite good trips covering freight lines and rare curves using interesting and unusual traction.

Maybe a rival of the Branch Line Society: who were -- back then and earlier -- doing the same thing, minutely-informedly and very well; and I gather are very much in business today (though with considerably less active material to work on).

 

[Ashley Hill]

Talking of the BLS
BSK - Buffer Stop Kissing ie going right up to the blocks to scratch the line!
And I wouldn't touch that cheese that's been festering at the back of the fridge. Another use of that word. I hope this doesn't become a festering sore!!!

 

[Flange Squeal]

A few that spring to mind that I don’t think have already been covered:-

‘Desperate Gripper’ - a guard or other person checking tickets on board a train and deemed by an individual to be particularly strict/thorough. I guess a rail alternative to Jobsworth. A ticket being clipped/stamped is to be ‘gripped’.

‘Gen’ - A tip-off on what a certain train is formed of, e.g. loco number. If it turns out to be wrong, it becomes ‘Duff Gen’. Back in the day ‘Gen Sheets’ would be hidden in agreed locations at stations and those in the know would check them and also add to them.

‘Crank’ - I think a particularly ‘keen’ enthusiast. Railtours were sometimes referred to as Crankex (similar to Footex for football extras).

‘Ned’ I think was used to denote the younger enthusiasts by the more established ‘Bashers’.

‘All Shacks’ denotes the train is a stopping service calling everywhere.

Early members from the formation of this forum in the mid-2000s will remember ‘Stoat’. Not sure if that had a historic railway origin, but I hadn’t really heard it used elsewhere.

 

[Bigman]

I heard once about a Sulzer employee who got caught selling blueprints for the Class 47. He was accused of giving Duff information. Sorry!!

A few more slangs that I remember:

Slack - temporary speed restriction
Jenny - Generator fitted Class 47
Dolly - ground/positioning signal
Tram - HST

 

[xotGD]

Effing it. Travelling without a ticket (aka 'piece of frog' or more simply 'piece' or 'frog')

A person so travelling would be described as an effer.

I recall someone coming up with the notion of an 'Area F Rover' to describe a full day of ticketless travel.

If the gripper came round, such individuals would be 'chinged', i,.e. be required to pay.

A 'scratch merchant' or 'line in the book merchant' is someone who just wants to get as many things for haulage as possible. 'Scratching' a required 68 from Moor St to Snow Hill would be an example. Meanwhile a 'mileage man (or woman)' would be doing it throughout from Marylebone to Kidderminster.

 

[Mag_seven]

Check out these old threads for examples:

(1) Slang words | RailUK Forums (railforums.co.uk)

(1) Railway Slang | RailUK Forums (railforums.co.uk)

 

[341o2]

I heard once about a Sulzer employee who got caught selling blueprints for the Class 47. He was accused of giving Duff information. Sorry!!

A few more slangs that I remember:

Slack - temporary speed restriction
Jenny - Generator fitted Class 47
Dolly - ground/positioning signal
Tram - HST

Dolly is not exclusive to enthusiasts, but widely used by railwaymen in general
Jenny is also used for any generator, as well as the Navy, and female donkeys, boys are Jacks, girls are Jennys

That might depend, some of the food sold from certain station outlets would give anyone an ulcer!

Aah, the good old British Rail sandwich, subject of many jokes

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Talking of the BLS
BSK - Buffer Stop Kissing ie going right up to the blocks to scratch the line!
And I wouldn't touch that cheese that's been festering at the back of the fridge. Another use of that word. I hope this doesn't become a festering sore!!!

I like to 'kiss' the ends of platforms, if I have time between trains I walk to either platform end, a few hundred metres exercise. (Might be a good idea in winter, just to keep warm). Is there a word for that?

 

[Paul Jones 88]

I've recently heard someone referring to 745 / 755 as Geese because of the sound of their horns!

 

[Ashley Hill]

IIRC class 74s were Big Edwards and 73s Little Edwards. 47/7s were Shove Duffs and 47401-420 were Generators. Class 52s were Whizzo's.

 

[hexagon789]

Aah, the good old British Rail sandwich, subject of many jokes

Was it really that bad? While the original 'Mother's Pride bread, Anchor butter and Kraft cheese slices' doesn't look or sound very appetising, in the latter days they had some pretty good sounding fillings.

 

[341o2]

I don't think hey were really that bad, unfortunately the bread tended to curl, hence seen as stale. Railway catering has been the butt of jokes before British Rail, the Goons had an episode concerning the collapse of the railway sandwich, Spike Milligan later joked "Missing Van Gogh ear found in British Rail sandwich" while I'm Sorry I'll read that Again, in the episode usually named Murder on the 3.30 to Cleethorpes had the following

Girl...."and he's poisoned all the food on the train with Cyclonastine"
Aussie Spy "That's right, a particularly nasty poison tasting of mouldy kippers, stale cabbage and oxtail soup - but in railway buffet food, totally undetectable"

 

[Calthrop]

I don't think hey were really that bad, unfortunately the bread tended to curl, hence seen as stale. Railway catering has been the butt of jokes before British Rail, the Goons had an episode concerning the collapse of the railway sandwich, Spike Milligan later joked "Missing Van Gogh ear found in British Rail sandwich" while I'm Sorry I'll read that Again, in the episode usually named Murder on the 3.30 to Cleethorpes had the following

Girl...."and he's poisoned all the food on the train with Cyclonastine"
Aussie Spy "That's right, a particularly nasty poison tasting of mouldy kippers, stale cabbage and oxtail soup - but in railway buffet food, totally undetectable"

My bolding -- indeed: I have the impression, re that -- almost ever since there have been passenger railways in Britain. I seem to recall reading of the mostly-adored Great Western Railway's being infamous throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, for the utterly ghastly food which it sold to its users; the refreshment room at Swindon being particularly notorious.

 

[AY1975]

Don't forget "DREADFUL" ,meant rather good rather than rather bad

A few years ago there was a website called dreadful.org.uk that was all about "bashing" and the classic BR diesel and electric traction era. It had a full list of railway enthusiasts' slang but unfortunately that site appears to have been deleted.

 

[hexagon789]

A few years ago there was a website called dreadful.org.uk that was all about "bashing" and the classic BR diesel and electric traction era. It had a full list of railway enthusiasts' slang but unfortunately that site appears to have been deleted.

A quick search of the Internet Archive and I found the website and the list you mentioned here:

Wayback Machine

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I seem to remember that back in the 'seventies (?) there was an outfit called "D.A.A. Railtours" which organised some quite good trips covering freight lines and rare curves using interesting and unusual traction.

Went on one of their tours in the 1980s. The Anglo Scottish Freighter.
Fantastic

 

[Trackman]

Class 31/0 due to the shape of the power handle

It was an all-in-one thing I think, power handle, reverser and master key.
When you took it out it looked like a 'toffee apple'