RAILWAY NICKNAMES

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 May 1935, Page 3

RAILWAY NICKNAMES

ENGLISH GOODS TRAINS

The Great Western Railway has a fondness for inventing picturesque names for its trains, engines, and other units. Its 1935 construction programme is responsible for two more. The traffic in conveying motor-cars and motorear bodies has so increased that the new programme includes special vehicles readily convertible for carrying cither motor-cars or ordinary merchandise requiring covered vans. As covered vans they arc officially known as “mogos,” while as conveyors of motorcar bodies they go by the name of “bocqre.” It is in naming goods specials that the G.W.R. excels. On its schedule are found the Northern Flash i night fast to Liverpool), the Flying Pig (ExeterPaddington with pork), the Spud (Car-difl-Saltncy, potatoes), the Farmer's Boy (Bristol-Birkenhead), the 8.8. C. (Basingstoke-Birmingham-Crewe), the Sparagus (asparagus, WorcesterCrewe), the Rasher (bacon, SwindonTavistock). the Patsy (a Cornish Special), the Mopper-up (collecting loose traffic between Paddington and Bristol), the Sauce (Paddington-Wor-cester), the Carpet (KidderminsterPaddington), the Grocer, the Pip, and the Ironmonger.

Other lines are not so graphic, but (he London and North-Eastern Railway has the Pink Streak Flyer, which early in the year brings tons of forced rh ii I>a rd. known a ; "pin)-; streaks," every night from the West Riding to King's Cross.