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Naming Of British Railway Rolling Stock
Since the invention of the very first railway steam locomotive in 1804, railway companies have applied names to their locomotives, carriages and multiple units. Numbers have usually been applied too, but not always; the Great Western Railway only applied names to its own broad gauge locomotives (though numbers were given to such locomotives that it inherited from elsewhere). Locomotive names have been inspired by a variety of topics over the two centuries of railway operation in the United Kingdom, and the principal themes are set out in the table below, together with some examples of locomotive classes where all or a large proportion carried such names. Two other types of thematic naming of locomotive classes have occurred: * Each name, though drawn from a variety of different people and things, was strongly connected to the locality through which the owning railway operated. For example the Metropolitan Railway's electric locomotives built in the 1920s carried the names of famo ...
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Locomotive
A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the Power (physics), motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, Motor coach (rail), motor coach, railcar or power car; the use of these self-propelled vehicles is increasingly common for passenger trains, but rare for freight (see CargoSprinter). Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push-pull train, push-pull operation has become common, where the train may have a locomotive (or locomotives) at the front, at the rear, or at each end. Most recently railroads have begun adopting DPU or distributed power. The front may have one or two locomotives followed by a mid-train locomotive that is controlled remotely from the lead unit. __TOC__ Etymology The word ''locomotive'' originates from the Latin language, Latin 'from a place', Ablative case, ablative of 'place', and the Medieval Latin 'causing mot ...
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LNER Class A4
The Class A4 is a class of streamlined 4-6-2 steam locomotive designed by Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway in 1935. Their streamlined design gave them high-speed capability as well as making them instantly recognisable, and one of the class, 4468 ''Mallard'', holds the world record as the fastest steam locomotive. Thirty-five of the class were built to haul express passenger trains on the East Coast Main Line route from London Kings Cross via York to Newcastle, and later via Newcastle to Edinburgh, Scotland. They remained in service on the East Coast Main Line until the early 1960s when they were replaced by Deltic diesel locomotives; they themselves proving to be worthy successors to the A4s. Several A4s saw out their remaining days until 1966 in Scotland, particularly on the Aberdeen – Glasgow express trains, for which they were used to improve the timing from 3.5 to 3 hours. Overview Gresley introduced the Class A4 locomotives in 1935 to haul ...
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British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries. At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1913, the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, of the world population at the time, and by 1920, it covered , of the Earth's total land area. As a result, its constitutional, legal, linguistic, and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, it was described as "the empire on which the sun never sets", as the Sun was always shining on at least one of its territories. During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal and Spain pioneered European exploration of the globe, and in the process established large overse ...
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British Rail Class 91
The British Rail Class 91 is a high-speed rail, high-speed electric locomotive, which produces power of ; it was ordered as a component of the East Coast Main Line modernisation and electrification programme of the late 1980s. The Class 91s were given the auxiliary name of InterCity 225 to indicate their envisaged top speed of ; they were also referred to as ''Electras'' by British Rail during their development and throughout the electrification of the East Coast Main Line. The other end of the InterCity 225 train set is formed of a Mark 4 Driving Van Trailer, built with a similar body shell to the Class 91 locomotives but with only one driving cab. The locomotive body shells are of all-steel construction. Unusually, the motors are body mounted and drive bogie-mounted gearboxes via cardan shafts; this reduces the unsprung mass and hence track wear at high speeds. The locomotive also features an underslung transformer, therefore the body is relatively empty compared to contemporar ...
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GWR 4000 Class
The Great Western Railway 4000 or Star were a class of 4-cylinder 4-6-0 passenger steam locomotives designed by George Jackson Churchward for the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1906 and introduced from early 1907. The prototype was built as a 4-4-2 Atlantic (but converted to 4-6-0 during 1909). They proved to be a successful design which handled the heaviest long-distance express trains, reaching top speeds of 90 mph (145 km/h), and established the design principles for GWR 4-cylinder classes over the next twenty-five years. Background After finally converting the last broad gauge lines in 1892, the GWR began a period of modernisation as new cut-off lines shortened its routes to west of England, South Wales and Birmingham. During the first decade of the twentieth century, the new Chief Mechanical Engineer, George Jackson Churchward designed or acquired a number of experimental locomotives with different wheel arrangements and boiler designs to help him plan for the futu ...
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GWR Star Class
The Great Western Railway (GWR) Star Class of 2-2-2 broad gauge steam locomotives were used for passenger train work. Designed by Robert Stephenson, the class was introduced into service between November 1838 and November 1841, and withdrawn between April 1864 and September 1871. A total of twelve Star Class locomotives were manufactured. Notably, they were given the romantic or colloquial (rather than scientific) names of astronomical bodies. By the time the last had been delivered, GWR engineer Daniel Gooch had designed and taken delivery of several of his larger Firefly Class. ''North Star'' and ''Morning Star'' * ''North Star'' (1837–1871) :''North Star'' arrived at Maidenhead Bridge station by barge on 28 November 1837; on 31 May 1838 it worked the inaugural train for the company's directors. In 1854 it was rebuilt with cylinders and the wheelbase lengthened by . It was withdrawn in 1871 but kept at Swindon, along with ''Lord of the Isles'', until 1906. It was then d ...
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Eurotunnel Class 9
The Eurotunnel Class 9 or Class 9000 are six-axle high-power Bo′Bo′Bo′ single-ended electric locomotives built by the ''Euroshuttle Locomotive Consortium'' (ESCL) of Brush Traction and ABB. The class was designed for and is used exclusively to haul the '' Le Shuttle'' road vehicle services through the Channel Tunnel. Background and design Tendering for the locomotive procurement began in 1989. The specification included; a top speed of ; a terminal-to-terminal travel time of 33 minutes pulling a train; an axle load limit of ; an operating temperature range between and ;B. Driver (1995), p.9-12 a loading gauge within the UIC 505-1 standard; a minimum curve radius of ;B. Driver (1996), p.72 be able to start a shuttle train on a 1 in 160 (0.625 %) gradient with one locomotive bogie inoperative (at ), and a single locomotive should be able to start the train on the same gradient if the other locomotive failed. The operating concession agreement between Transmanche Link/Euro ...
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British Rail Class 92
The British Rail Class 92 is a dual-voltage electric locomotive, which can run on 25 kV AC from overhead wires or 750 V DC from a third rail. It was designed specifically to operate services through the Channel Tunnel between Great Britain and France. Eurotunnel indicates the Class 92 locomotive as the reference for other locomotives which railway undertakings might want to get certified for usage in the Channel tunnel. Locomotives of this type are operated by GB Railfreight/Europorte 2 and DB Cargo UK. In France, a number were also owned and operated by SNCF; these were classified as CC 92000 on French railways. The Class 92 was intended as a mixed-traffic locomotive both for hauling international freight trains and the ill-fated, never introduced ''Nightstar'' passenger sleeper trains though the Channel Tunnel. Since introduction, the fleet was exclusively allocated to freight; however, in March 2015, six locomotives owned by GB Railfreight have begun passenger operation ...
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LSWR N15 Class
The LSWR N15 class was a British 2–cylinder 4-6-0 express passenger steam locomotive designed by Robert W. Urie. The class has a complex build history spanning three sub-classes and eight years of construction from 1918 to 1927. The first batch of the class was constructed for the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), where they hauled heavy express trains to the south coast ports and further west to Exeter. After the Lord Nelsons, they were the second biggest 4-6-0 passenger locomotives on the Southern Railway. They could reach speeds of up to 90 mph (145 km/h). Following the grouping of railway companies in 1923, the LSWR became part of the Southern Railway (SR) and its publicity department gave the N15 locomotives names associated with Arthurian legend; the class hence becoming known as King Arthurs.Nock (''British Steam Locomotives'': 1983), p. 172 The Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the newly formed company, Richard Maunsell, modified the Urie locomo ...
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British Rail Class 86
The British Rail Class 86 is a class of electric locomotives built during the 1960s. Developed as a 'standard' electric locomotive from earlier prototype models, one hundred of these locomotives were built from 1965 to 1966 to haul trains on the then newly electrified West Coast Main Line (WCML) from London Euston to Birmingham, , Liverpool, Manchester and later Glasgow and . Introduction of the class enabled the replacement of many steam locomotives, which were finally withdrawn by British Rail in 1968. Under the earlier BR classification system, the type was given the designation AL6 (meaning the sixth design of AC locomotive) and locomotives were numbered E3101-E3200. In 1968, this was changed to Class 86 when British Rail introduced the TOPS classification system. The class was built to haul passenger and freight trains alike on the West Coast Main Line, however some members of the class also saw use on the Great Eastern Main Line (GEML) between and , after that line was ...
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British Rail Class 55
The British Rail Class 55, also known as a Deltic, or English Electric type 5, is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric for British Railways. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) between Edinburgh and . They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 ''Deltic'' (the running number DP1 was never carried), which in turn was named after its Napier Deltic power units. At the time of their introduction into service, the Class 55s were the most powerful single-unit diesel locomotives in the world, with a power output of . They had an official maximum speed of , however this was frequently exceeded, especially in their later years of service, with speeds of up to , being recorded on level gradients, and up to whilst descending Stoke Bank. Twenty-two locomotives were built, which were used for express passenger services on the ECML, particularly from London to and Edinburg ...
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British Rail Class 45
The British Rail Class 45 or Sulzer Type 4 are diesel locomotives built by British Railways' Derby and Crewe Works between 1960 and 1962. Along with the similar Class 44 and 46 locomotives, they became known as ''Peaks''. History The Class 45s became the main traction on the Midland Main Line from 1962, and their introduction allowed considerable acceleration of the previous steam-powered service. The Class 45s remained the main source of power on the Midland Main Line up to 1982, when they were relegated to secondary services following introduction of HSTs on the route. From 1986 Class 45s virtually disappeared from the line. From the early 1980s until their withdrawal c.1988, the class were regular performers on the North Trans-Pennine line working services from Liverpool Lime Street to York, Scarborough or Newcastle via Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield and Leeds. These trains were usually formed of early Mark 2 carriages, of up to seven in a typical train. Naming 26 C ...
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