Locomotive and Railroad Nicknames

Most railroads and their rolling stock earn some form of respect through nicknames. Here is a list of the many railroads, locomotives, cars and the nicknames associated with them.

Railroads[]

AMTRAK: Am-crash; Am-trash; Amcrack
Ann Arbor: the "Annie"
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe: Uncle John
Baltimore and Ohio: Best and Only; Beefsteak & Onions; Beets & Onions; Bum's Own; Royal Blue Line
Boston and Maine: Route of the Minute Man; Bankrupt & Moribund; Busted & Mined; Busted & Mangled
Canadian National Railway: Certainly No Rush
Central Railroad of New Jersey: Jersey Central Lines; Royal Blue Line
Chicago and Eastern Illinois: The Evansville Route; Noiseless Route
Chicago and North Western: Cheap & Nothing Wasted; Route of the 400, Road of the Streamliners (shared with UP)
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy: Burlington Route; The Q; The Burlington; Way of the Zephyr; Cheapest Best & Quickest; Crash Bang & Quake
Chicago Great Western: Great Weedy; Cinders Grass & Weeds
Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville: The Monon; The Hoosier Line
Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul and Pacific: Milwaukee Road; Route of the Hiawatha.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific: Rock Island; The Rock; The CRIP
Delaware and Hudson: The D&H; The Bridge Line to New England and Canada; Delay and Hesitate
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western: Delay, Linger & Wait; Route of the Phoebe Snow; The Road of Anthracite
Elgin, Joliet and Eastern: Easy Jobs for Everyone
Grand Trunk: The Big Suitcase
Green Bay and Western: Grab Bags and Walk
Gulf, Mobile & Ohio: the Rebel Route
Illinois Central: Main Line of Mid-America; the I.C.; I Can't Run Railroads; Road of Personal Service
Kansas City Southern: The Haywire
Lancaster, Oxford & Southern: Little, Old & Slow
Lehigh & Hudson River: Warwick Valley Route; Late and Hungry; Lean and Hungry
Lehigh & New England: Loose Nuts Everywhere
Lehigh Valley: Route of the Black Diamond; Leaky Valley
Louisville & Nashville: The L&N; Old Reliable; Long and Narrow
Maine Central: The Pine Tree Route
Maryland & Pennsylvania: Ma and Pa
Missouri-Kansas-Texas: M-K-T; The Katy
Missouri Pacific: MoPac, the MOP
New York Central: Water Level Route; Road to the Future
New York, Chicago & St Louis: Nickel Plate Road
New York, Ontario and Western: Old Woman; Old and Weary; Now Young, Out and Working
New York, Susquehanna & Western: Susie-Q; Suskie; the Susquehanna
Norfolk and Western: King Coal, British Railway of America
Northern Pacific: Main Street of the Northwest
Pennsylvania: Standard of the World; Big Red Subway; Vandalia Line (Lines West)
Reader RR: Possum-Trot Line
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac: Capital Cities Route; The Doggie Railroad; Run Fast and Push
Rutland: The Green Mountain Gateway/Route
St Louis-San Francisco: the Frisco
St Louis-Southwestern: Cotton Belt Route; Route of the Blue Streak
Southern Pacific: Espee; Sunset Route; the Friendly Railroad; the Octopus
Tennessee Central Railroad: Blowing Rock Line
Texas & New Orleans: The Hickory
Union Pacific: Uncle Pete; Overland Route; The Borg "You Will Be Assimilated"
Wabash: Follow the Flag
Western Maryland: Fast Freight Line
Western Pacific: Feather River Route; Route of the California Zephyr; The Wobbly

Locomotives and Rolling Stock[]

Steam Engines[]

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe:

4-6-4: Pacifics
4-8-4: Mountains
2-8-4: Mikados
2-10-4: Santa Fes
429 class 4-6-0: Klondikes
3460 class 4-6-4: Heavy Pacifics; Blue Goose (3460 only)
3751 series 4-8-4: Heavy Mountains
2900 class 4-8-4: War Babies
2-10-4 no. 5000: Madame Queen
5000-series 2-10-4: 5000s

Atlantic Coast Line:

K15 4-6-0: Copperheads (due to copper rim on smoke-stack)

Baltimore and Ohio:

Atlantic: The Grasshopper
Memnon: The Old War Horse
C16 0-4-0(ST): Little Joes, Dockside
P7 4-6-2: Presidents, 5300s
Q3 2-8-2: Light Mikados, McAdoo Mikados, Mikes, McArthurs, 4500s, 4600s.
S1 2-10-2: Big Sixes, 6000s, 6100s
Class O/DD1 0-6-6-0 No. 2400: Old Maud
EM1 2-8-8-4: Yellowstones, Sandstones, Mallets, 7600s
Any articulated steam locomotive (0-6-6-0, 0-8-8-0, 2-8-8-0, 2-6-6-2, 2-8-8-2, 2-8-8-4): Mallets

Central of Georgia:

K class 4-8-4: Big Apples, Dixie type

Chesapeake & Ohio/Hocking Valley:

G5 2-8-0 (ex-HV): The Merry Widow (number 701 only)
H7 2-8-8-2: Simons, Simple Simons
H8 2-6-6-6: Allegheny type, 1600s
2-8-2: Mikes
K4 2-8-4: Kanawhas, Big Mikes, 2700s
J3 4-8-4: Greenbriers, Statesmen, 600s
L1 4-6-4: Yellowbellies
M1 Steam Turbine: Sacred Cows (the sound of their whistles - actually Foster steam sirens - were rumoured to have attracted cows' and bulls' attention. Another story behind the nickname comes from the term 'sacred cow' which means 'someone who is or something that is immune to criticism, however severe it may be'. Also, it is to be noted that they were prohibitively heavy on maintenance and repairs, as well as cost.)

Chicago & North Western:

E2 4-6-2 (: Yellow Jackets
E4 4-6-4: 400s; Green Hornets; Green/North West Hiawathas
H1 4-8-4: Zeppelins
Z 2-8-0: Zulus

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (Burlington Route)

S-4 4-6-4: Heavy Pacifics (4000: Big Alice the Goon)
O-5 4-8-4: Big Mikes
M-4 2-10-4: Colorados

Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul & Pacific (The Milwaukee Road):

4-4-2: Milwaukee type
A 4-4-2 and F-7 4-6-4: Hiawathas
F-6 4-6-4: Baltics

Delaware and Hudson:

J-95 4-6-6-4: 1500s, Challengers
K-62 4-8-4: 300s; Laurentian type

Erie:

Alco no. 50000, later K-3 4-6-2 no. 2509: Big Liz

Great Northern (US):

M-series 2-6-8-0: Grasshoppers

Kansas City Southern:

J-class 2-10-4 "10-Coupled Lima" type: Green Giants (for their greyish-green cylinder and boiler jackets)

Missouri Pacific Lines:

International-Great Northern 1121-series BK-63 2-8-4: Lemons (due to the lack of a combustion chamber, which resulted in somewhat inadequate steaming qualities.)

Nashville, Chattanooga & St Louis:

4-8-4: Dixie type
J2 4-8-4: Gliders
J3 4-8-4: Yellow Jackets, Stripes
L1 2-8-2: Jitneys

New York Central System:

Commuter Tanks: Mudsons
Boston & Albany A1 2-8-4: Berkshires; Sports Models
Class I/C14a 4-4-0 number 999: The Queen of Speed
4-4-2: Chautauqua type
4-6-4: Hudsons
J3a, conventional: Super Hudsons; Super-Duper Hudsons
J3a, streamlined: Roman Helmets
K11 4-6-2: Kaye-Elevens
ex-Michigan Central J40 2-6-2: Grasshoppers
4-8-2: Mohawks
4-8-4: Niagaras

New York, New Haven & Hartford (New Haven):

F5 2-8-0: Bull Mooses
G4a 4-6-0: Kangaroos
I5 4-6-4: Shoreliners
R3 4-8-2: New Haven type

New York, Ontario and Western

Class E 4-6-0: Teakettles
Class P 2-8-0: Orries
Class U1 4-6-0: Shanghais
Class W 2-8-0: Long Johns
Class X 2-10-2: Bull Mooses
Class Y 4-8-2: Light 400s; Little 400s
Class Y2 4-8-2: Big 400s

Norfolk and Western

A class 2-6-6-4: Twelve Hundreds, Mercedes of Steam
J and J1 4-8-4: J's; Six Hundreds; Pride/Spirit of Roanoke (611 only)
K2 and K2a 4-8-2: J Juniors (when streamlined)
K3 4-8-2: Water Buffalos
M 4-8-0: Mollies; Mastodons
Y6 2-8-8-2: 2100s
TE-1 Turbine: Jawn Henry

Pennsylvania Railroad:

I1 2-10-0: Decks; Hippos; Holy Terror of the Standard RR of the World
K4s 4-6-2: Standard Passenger Locomotive of the World; The Torpedo (3768 only)
L1s 2-8-2: Lollipops
S1 6-4-4-6: The Big Engine
S2 6-8-6 Steam Turbine: The Big Swoosh (lack of conventional pistons, sound made by turbine prime mover)

Philadelphia & Reading/Reading Company:

M1 2-8-2: Big Dutch Mikes; Anthracite Mikes
T1 4-8-4: T-Hogs

Rutland Railroad:

L1 4-8-2: Green Hornets

Southern Pacific:

AC-1 thru 3: Mud Hens
Later AC-series locomotives: Cab Forwards; Backup Malleys; Cab-in-fronts; Cab-aheads; 4100s, 4200s
F-series 2-10-2: Decks
GS-series 4-8-4: Golden State; General Service; Yellowjackets; Daylights
M-series 2-6-0: Valley Malleys; Mexican Malleys; Desert Malleys
MT-series 4-8-2: Antelopes (usually applies to Sacramento-built 4-8-2s)
Converted S-series 0-6-0 tank engines: Painted Ladies (same applies to S-series 0-6-0 tender engines on passenger pilot duties, as shown in their jackets)
SP-series 4-10-2: Stuttering Decks; 5000s

Southern (US):

Ks1 2-8-0 no. 630: Little Bit
Ms 2-8-2 no. 4501: Big Bit
Ps4 4-6-2: Crescents

Spokane, Portland & Seattle:

700/E1 class 4-8-4: The Ladies (due to their good looks and feminine nature)

St Louis-San Francisco (Frisco):

1060 class 4-6-4: Bluebirds
1500 class 4-8-2: Light Mountains

Timken:

4-8-4 no. 1111 (bought by Northern Pacific): Four Aces

Toledo, Peoria & Western:

H10 4-8-4: Pocket Northerns

Union Pacific:

ALCO 4-8-8-4: Big Boys; 4000s
CSA-series 4-6-6-4 and later models: Challengers; Little Boys; 3700s, 3800s, 3900s
FEF-series 4-8-4: Four Eight Fours; 800s
MC-series 2-8-8-0: Bull Mooses
MK-series 2-8-2: Mikes; McArthurs
UP-series 4-12-2: Nines; 9000s

Diesel Engines[]

EMC/EMD:

GP-7, or any other GP series Diesel: Geeps; General Purpose
SD series Diesels: Cadillacs; Special Duty
E and F units: Covered Wagons; Cabs; Bulldogs

Electric Engines[]

Amtrak:

AEM-7: Swedish Swifty; Swedish Meatballs; Mighty Mouse; Toasters

Milwaukee Road:

EP2: Bi-Polars
EP3: Quills
EP4/EF4: Little Joe (MILW); 800s (South Shore); Russa (Paulista)
EF3: Bobtails (B units only)

New Haven:

EP1: Pony Motors
EP2: Westinghouses; Tigers
EP3: Flat Bottoms; Juice Jacks
EP4: Streamliners
EP5: Jets
EF1: Jeeps
EF2: Motor Generators
EF3: Bull Mooses; Yellow Jackets
EF4: Virginians; Bricks
Multiple Units (MUs): Mutts

Pennsylvania Railroad: Motors

B1: Rats
E2b: Screamers
E33 and E44: Bricks; Flying Bricks; Juice Jacks
FF1: Big Liz
GG1s: Juice Jacks
- 4800: Old Rivets
- 4877: Ol' Big Red; Big Red
- 4935: Blackjack