What’s in a name?
DAVID CLOUGH examines what led to BR’s policy change on naming locomotives in 1977
DAVID CLOUGH looks at the reasons behind British Rail’s policy change on naming locomotives in 1977.
In the pre-Nationalisation era, the naming of passenger locomotives was widespread. This continued after 1948, with BR applying plates to three of its classes of Standard-type steam locomotives.
The diesel Pilot Scheme of 1955 led to the construction of four classes of Type C ( Type 4) diesels - two diesel-hydraulic types for the Western Region ( WR) and two diesel-electric designs, one built by Derby Works for the London Midland Region (LMR) and the other by English Electric (EE) for the Eastern Region (ER). Only the latter were not named, probably an indicator that the Region didn’t view these 2,000hp machines as long-term front-line passenger motive power.
The WR chose Royal Navy warships as the theme for its first series of Type 4s, changing to a format whereby the word Western prefixed the name for its second, and more powerful, Type 4 diesels. Meanwhile, the Deltics owned by the North Eastern and Scottish Regions commemorated army regiments, while the ER continued to use racehorse names, a theme started by the former London & North Eastern Railway.
In 1963 the ER fitted plates to three Class 37s based in East Anglia in honour of local regiments, but these were removed later in the year. Merchant ships that had a connection with the Port of Liverpool had their names applied to 25 of the LMR’s Class 40s between 1960 and 1963.
The BR Board’s Head of Engineering and Head of the Design Panel produced a proposed policy document relating to locomotive naming on September 7 1964, for consideration by other Board members. It said it was time that the policy set down in 1957 should be updated, and that classes selected for naming in future should be confined to Type 4 or above and (for diesels) not to be Region-specific. On December 16, the Board surprisingly did not concur and decided instead to discontinue naming locomotives with the cost of ceremonies and associated repainting, not the cost of nameplates, the deciding factors. This was, of course, the era of cost reduction under Richard Beeching’s chairmanship.
Inexplicably, during 1965, the WR embarked on a naming spree for 17 of its relatively new Class 47s, commencing with D1660, which became City of Truro on June 8. Other names had associations with the Great Western Railway before 1923 and included Chief Mechanical Engineers.
Beeching had gone by now, replaced by Stanley Raymond, who moved from the post of General Manager, WR, and who had been succeeded by Gerry Fiennes. It had been Raymond who, without consulting the Board’s engineers, had decided to paint the diesel-hydraulic Type 4s maroon to match the coaching stock, but who was rebuffed subsequently when he asked to do likewise with the WR’s Class 47s.
Construction of Class 87s for West Coast electrification between Weaver Junction and Glasgow brought forth suggestions for one-off namings.
On May 15 1972, the SCR reported the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards had made an approach to name the first of the new electrics. Perhaps the Regiment felt envious after other Scottish Regiments featured on Haymarket-based Class 55s. The Board’s Chief Mechanical & Electrical Engineer (CM&EE) opposed the approach on the grounds of difficulty with locomotive cleaning and theft of the plates.
Next came an approach by the Stephenson Locomotive Society (SLS) to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1975, by suggesting the naming of a locomotive Stephenson. A BR memo dated October 18 1973 referred to the offer, but noted that no decision had been made as to which locomotive to select.
By March 1974, GEC’s claim of a lineage back to George Stephenson’s works at Fourth Street, Newcastle, where Locomotion had been built in 1825, meant that a GEC-equipped Class 87
A rethink on naming was initiated by the Director of Public Affairs in April 1977. He proposed a change in order to ‘brighten our image and sustain interest by the travelling public, particularly railway enthusiasts’.
was put forward as the recipient.
On July 26, the CM&EE weighed in by asking whether the offer from the SLS could be turned down or modified, perhaps by siting plaques at stations. He reiterated his previously expressed view that nameplates hindered cleaning and attracted thieves. He said he was glad when cast BR emblems were removed from Class 86s and suggested the use of plastic plates, if any were to be fitted.
A draft reply to the CM&EE’s memo from the Chief Executive (Railways) to the Director (Systems & Operations), who was the CM&EE’s superior, said: “I, too, am disappointed with the purblind view that the CM&EE takes of this matter.”
It continues “…nor will I be so tactless as to suggest a particular material”. The actual memo sent was more polite and agreed to fixing on a Class 87 and that the SLS should liaise with the CM&EE. Purblind means dimwitted or slow to comprehend! It took until January 1976 for 87001 to become Stephenson.
A rethink on naming was initiated by the Director of Public Affairs in April 1977. He proposed a change in order to “brighten our image and sustain interest by the travelling public, particularly railway enthusiasts”
In his view, the policy should be selective
By December 1978, a memo stated that at least one of all the prestige classes had been named. Naming was seen as creating goodwill and sustaining public interest during an era of standardisation.
and the plates be made of cast aluminium. The classes selected should predominantly work passenger trains and not be numerically large. Initially, he proposed only Class 50s and ‘87s’.
The names should sound good and have some historic, romantic or geographic relevance. The Chief Passenger Manager and he should agree the names proposed. Existing names already in use should be retained. Naming ceremonies should only take place in special circumstances.
The Chairman’s conference on May 5 1977 approved the proposed policy of a limited naming programme for locomotives used predominantly on important passenger services. Classes with several hundred members were to be avoided. On May 13, the Chief Executive (Railways) authorised expenditure for the production of plates for Classes 50 and ‘87’.
A press release was issued on June 20 entitled ‘More BR locomotives to be named -
Royal Scot heads list’. It explained the policy as “providing an individual character for engines which were previously known by numbers only”.
Class 50 was to become the Warship class and Class 87 the Royal Scots, and a list of names was released. To mark the 50th anniversary of naming the principal daytime London to Glasgow train of the day, 87001 became Royal Scot at Euston on July 11 1977. The Stephenson plates already fitted to 87001 were transferred to 87101 at a ceremony the following October.
A range of topics was chosen for the ‘87’ names. Some commemorated the major cities associated with routes over which the class operated (London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow), while others had historical significance. Scottish connections included Robert Burns and Lord of the Isles, while Englishmen such as King Arthur and Sir Francis Drake were represented.
In August 1978, authority came to name Class 86/1s and ‘86/2s’, which were predominantly deployed on passenger work (freight traction was specifically excluded). Names chosen were diverse and included smaller cities on the West Coast route, while names commemorating famous railway engineers was accepted.
50035 became the first of the class to be named when replica ship’s badges were presented by HMS Ark Royal at Plymouth on January 17 1978. Several similar events followed but BR decided a smaller size of badge be used, which explains the disparity in size between the first few and later fitments.
Not all naming proposals found favour. On November 3 1978, the Southern Region (SR) General Manager asked to name all 95 Class 33s. No names were put forward but he suggested canvassing public opinion. The response initially was against naming “clapped-out locos”, but the Chief Executive was “open to persuasion”.
By December 1978, a memo stated that at
least one of all the prestige classes had been named.
Naming was seen as creating goodwill and sustaining public interest during an era of standardisation. It was claimed to encourage pride among rail staff and provide valuable assets for eventual sale. The Regions were enthusiastic because it helped foster links with local bodies. The modest outlay was regarded as justified.
Approval was confirmed to name 24 Class 47s, 12 push-pull conversions for the ScR and six each for the ER and WR. Sanction was also given to name ten ‘33s’, “provided these were kept in good condition”.
Little was seen to be gained by extending naming to types used on freight and secondary passenger work. HSTs and APT sets were also not viewed as locomotives by staff or the public, although APT power car 49003 had been named City of Derby to honour the railway connection.
A further broadening of the policy was proposed on January 17 1979 by the Director of Public Affairs to the Railway Management Group. He suggested that major clients and businesses be encouraged to sponsor names, with painting in the sponsor’s livery. He recommended the policy be extended to naming politicians and celebrities, which ran counter to the prevailing practice that precluded those still living.
The vexed issue of Class 33 naming dragged on until October 1979, when authority was sought to name four examples and one ‘73’. The Mayor of Ashford suggested the town’s railway connection be marked, while the SR thought Eastleigh should similarly be honoured. The choice of the other three locomotives rested on their involvement in hauling the funeral train of Lord Mountbatten of Burma. No. 33008 was the first, becoming
Eastleigh on April 11 1980. The broadened policy began to be seen in 1981 when, on January 26, the WR wanted to name a ‘37’ William Cookworthy, after the founder of the china clay industry, in association with signing a new contract with English China Clay.
Later that year, several Cardiff Canton-based Class 56s received names linking them with Wales, including Taff Merthyr, a modern pit which shipped most of its output by MGR train. The WR argued that these supported the objective of the local interest aspect of naming policy.
The issue of HST naming arose again on March 20 1981, when the ER proposed the naming of HST power cars after Regiments. The Director Industrial Design was unhappy because of the problem of keeping the plates clean due to oil spillage. Ian Campbell, by now the Chief Executive (Railways) who had been in favour of the naming policy, weighed in saying the policy had got out of hand and that locomotives were not being kept clean, thus losing the publicity benefit.
Other factors in the case of HSTs was whether the set or the power cars should be named, and (if the latter) whether the two power cars should have linked names. It took until April 26 1983 for the ER to name HST power car 43113 City of Newcastle upon Tyne. Subsequently both the ER and WR applied plates that often incorporated a relevant crest, badge or coat of arms to Class 43 power cars.
Having already named its Class 47/7s, in 1981 the ScR took advantage of the broader policy to link several Class 37s operating on the West Highland Line with lochs along the route. With the arrival of Class 37/4 for these services, the plates were migrated. Marking ten years of publication, in 1991 31116 was named RAIL Celebrity at Doncaster Works.
One can sympathise with Campbell’s attitude, as named motive power was frequently not kept in a fit state. Further, some namings proved transitory and it was common for a locomotive to receive at least two names during its lifetime.
Naming has continued into the privatisation era, including DMUs and EMUs. A concept dating from the dawn of railways lives on.