2 of the most common locomotives in the country are the EMD GP and SD series.
we call the GP’s GeePs, (versitale and rugged like a jeep) but what about the SDs? if there is no nickname i think they deserve one. how about “StuD”? not unlike the wall studs that hold up a house. (big and strong) [8D] any other ideas?
GEARHEAD426
[8]
Although I am familure with the term GeeP, I never use it… And I just call my SD Locos SD…sd35, sd9…ect ect…
Geeps indeed…A Jeep is a military vehicle and not a locomotive.Therefore all EMD employees will refrain from using the term Geep for our GP7 said the General Management of EMD and banned the use of the word “Geep” within the company…
Thus the term GEEP was widely used by EMD employees and railroaders alike.[:D]
GP - General Purpose
SD - Special Duty
The above are the ‘official’ terms. I had not heard the above story, but I can believe it. Geep was pretty good. At least it was not like calling F units ‘Coverd Wagons’ or the F boosters ‘Blind Boxes’. At one time in the railfan community, SD40-2 engines were referred as ‘Tiger Paws’…
Jim
I call my SD40-2’s “rolling porches.” Don’t know why. [:D]
At least two other SD types have specific nicknames that I know of… BN’s (now BNSF) SD70MACs were popularly known as “Big Macs”… Southern Pacific and DRGW’s SD40T-2s were known as Tunnel Motors obviously…
Other locomotive nicks off the top of my head… GE “U-boats” (Universal series of locos) and “Mud Missiles” (the AMD103 Genesis passenger diesels)… Amtrak’s AEM-7 were called “Mighty Mouse”… Gotta be a lot more out there. [:p]
I call them Esdee’s as in Espee Esdee.
Locomotive nicknames have been around for a long, long time. Back in the days of steam, the Pennsy used to refer to their 2-10-0’s as either “Decks” (I assume short for “Decapod”) or “Hippos,” (probably due to their fat boiler size). Even Southern Pacific referred to their 2-10-2’s as “Decks”, a nickname I could never figure out. Even their GS-series 4-8-4’s were short for “General Service” or “Golden State”, depending on who you were talking to.
And their AC-series Cab-Forward articulated locos were always referred to as “Malleys”, whether they were compound or simple. Some engineers even referred to them as “Whamps” because of the sound that came out of their twin air pumps.
Nicknames are fun. Gives the locomotives character.
Tom [:P]
And who can forget “The Big Swoosh?” PRR 6-8-6 S2 Steam Turbine, named as such due to its lack of pistons and the sound it created with the turbine prime mover.[8D]
I was thinking about the whole GP/Geep and SD thing while railfanning yesterday…And I came to the conclusion that if ‘ee’ is added to GP to make Geep, than it should also be done to SD, creating Seed.[:p] It makes sense…It just doesn’t sound as catchy.
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Jim,That story is from Paul D. Schneider’s book GM’S Geeps The General Purpose Diesels.It was also told in Classic Train’s video GM’S Geeps in Action The General Purpose Diesel…Both should be a must have for any serious student of the diesel locomotive.[:D]
Back in the brief heyday of streamlined steam, the MILW named a brand new shovel-nose “Aeolus.” Before long, the people who had to operate and maintain it corrupted that to “Big Alice the Goon (contemporary cartoon character.)”
At about the same time the Raymond Loewy styled NYC Hudsons were referred to as “Roman Helmets.”
I don’t doubt that some of the “pet” names applied to specific “problem” locomotives by the roundhouse help would have scorched the ears of the casual bystander.
Chuck
EP-5 = Jet
EP-3 = Flatbottom
Budd RDC = Buddliner, Shoreliner (on the NH)
Can’t think of others right now – mental block.
Baldwin Sharks and Centipedes,Alco Alligators.I believe PRR also nicknamed the L1s Alice the Goon after the Popeye character.
The low nose Alco RSD15’s were know as “Alligators” due to there very long length. The nose looked like the snoot a gator.
the SD40-2s with the long nose are Snoots. How about the ATSF SWBLW “Beep”? I thought Big Macs where the Conrail SD80MAC. I’ve heard C40 for the C40-8s, Dash 8 for em, Dash 9 for C44-9Ws, Crash 9s. C36s for the C36-8s, and C39s for the C39-8s. the UP 4-8-8-4s “Big Boys” or the Turbines, Big Blows. and of course, All engines are called Hogs, and engineers are Hoggers.
I always called a BL-2 “Bluto”. Possibly because the first model that I ever got was a Proto 2000 WM BL-2. It was blue, and it was a BL (branchline locomotive) class. Blue+BL=Bluto.
Also, there was a engine that was similar to the Beep, but it was a Sweep. A Beep was a (I believe) a Baldwin cab, and a Geep’s hood. The sweep had a SW-1 type cab, and a Geep’s nose.
Just my[2c]worth.
Phil
Phil
Some locos may get names we can’t print since this is a family forum. What else can you call a pile of junk?
Back in the early 1950’s we had a loco that earned the nickname “The Flying Chicken” . It was an American Flyer HO (OO?) NYC Hudson with smoke and sound. It would run furiously for 20 or 30 feet, producing a wisp or two of smore and a horrible racket, then leap off the rails and lie motionless on its side.
More recently, a few locos are nicknamed merely #$?&^*@#$ [censored][:(!][:(!]!
Short for “decapod”, maybe?
I like the idea of naming locomotives types like during the steam era where there were Big Boy’s,Challenger’s,Northern’s and so on.I feel it gave them a personality and in many cases a reputation,whether good or bad.Even more interesting was the british way who gave many individual locos an official name of their own,just like ships.
Not only that, “Special Duty” and “General Purpose” were in EMD’s advertising brochures and operator’s manuals.