A4 Pacifics

[61962]

I remember the A4s being Streaks when I was spotting in the 50's. We didn't see that many at Wearmouth Junction, almost all were 52A engines and in their usual dirty livery, but the sound of a chime whistle would inevitably bring the "streak" response, although on many occasions the sound was actually coming from a tank engine on the Lampton staithes. The Lampton tanks were fitted with chime whistles, although a bit deeper in tone than the standard A4. Their's were made at the Philadelphia works of the NCB from a North British drawing for some Iranian locos built in Glasgow.

A4s were known at Gateshead shed as "Blue uns" (blue ones in English) rather than Bluies by the way - regardless of livery.

Eddie

[37b]

Certainly in the Leeds area they were Streaks to the spotters in the fifties. Other loco nicknames(not LNER) were Dubdees, Mickies,Coffeepots.
Cheers, Dave

[lincolnian]

Certainly also in Doncaster, Blyth, Retford, Newark, Grantham and even in Lincoln (on w/end ECML engineering works days!) from mid-50's to the end.
Paul M.

[Hermit 109]

In my trainspotting days they were always called "Streaks" wherever you were, but when I joined the railway at Top Shed they were always referred to as "Blue-uns"

[53C]

Never heard them refered to as anything but " Streaks" wherever they were seen.

[52H]

Hi all
When I worked at Gateshead shed, the driver used to ask what his engine was,the foreman would always say,you've got a blue,n,then the number.

52H

[Boris]

Must have been just Darnall then that used that

[neilgow]

Certainly around York, Doncaster and Darlington the A4's were Streaks and the A1's Winnies, Black 5's = Mickies, LMS 427xx = Crabs, 43000 = Beetle Crushers. B1's - B1's.

However, 60009 passed through Swindon last night. I managed to view it at Purton on the Kemble line. Pitch black, that lovely chime whistle, a cab full of fire glow, 70mph and it was gone but at a distance of around ten feet it was pretty spectacular.

NG.

[giner]

Winnies for A1s, that's one I hadn't heard before. Bongos for B1s, neither. Apart from Streaks for A4s and Dubdees or Dubbers for WDs, us Stevenage lads just used the usual class names.

[61962]

Never heard Winnies, but some people called the A1s Windies. Locos with deflectors were more often called Blinkers, and the A2s with small deflectors were Baby Blinkers!

I'd forgotten the W1 - The Un-named Streak.

Eddie

[neilgow]

I seem to remember I read somewhere that the A1 nickname 'Winnies' derived from 60114 'W.P. Allen', don't ask me why.

As to blinkers, I never heard of a class of loco's being called blinkers, blinkers was the slang name for smoke deflectors on any class of engine. Even the LMS types.

Towards the end of steam, any steam engine that could turn a wheel was used on the Bridlington and Scarborough excursions passing through Driffield. Now long gone but there was a level crossing on the outskirts of Driffield where trains from Market Weighton could be seen approaching. These trains came from West Yorkshire and the Midlands and in consequence where headed by a variety of non-LNER engines. Patriots, Royal Scots, Brittannias and A3's to name but a few. They all carried blinkers and until we got good at it, some folk thought the Brits were 9F's. Mind you there were some arguments about V2's and A3's.

Regards.

NG.

[61962]

As to blinkers, I never heard of a class of loco's being called blinkers, blinkers was the slang name for smoke deflectors on any class of engine. Even the LMS types.

I didn't attribute the blinker name to the A1s, but in the North East in the 50s a blinker was pretty much likely to be an A1 or an A2, unless you were near to the Tyne Dock to Consett line where you might see a 9F. Brittanias and other foreigners were rare, even in the sixties.

Eddie

[giner]

I think Britannias in Eastern Region territory were mainly on East Anglian routes, not so much out of Kings Cross. The WR had a few of them as well. Not sure how many were on the MR or SR.

[STAFFORDA4]

At Darlo (Darlington to you non-local chaps) the cry from the gallery was always "STREAK!!!" whenever that remarkable shape hove into view....and yes its still a thrill 50 plus years later
before that my Dad, an enthusiast from the 20s & 30s called them Streamliners
also A3s were always "Pacifics" (and Sentinels were "Bus Puffers")
after the war the A1s & A2s were "Blinkers"......the A2/2s being "Baby Blinkers"
Happy Days...thank goodness we saw them
Eric

[Sir Nigel Gresley]

They were definitely "Streaks" at York, where the spotters were either north- or south-enders. The latter had the advantage of being able to see them approaching on the long straight from Chaloners Whin, whilst the north-enders would suddenly see the exciting streamlined front slowly appearing round the wall of what is now the NRM, and the line-up of (mostly) K1's. In either case, a cheer would go up, somewhat similar to that when Jim Storrie or Alan Peacock scored at Elland Road (I can't believe the current situation, which has gone on for far too long!), and on hearing this, cries of "Streak" would be taken-up in anticipation at the other end of the station. Some churlish spotters would then shout "Scrap it!" when it turned-out to be Seagull or one of the other Top Shed dependables. (They got their wish!)