Steam & Excursion > Language: Steam Loco Gender?

Are steam locos “He’s”, “She’s”,
or “It depends”?

What’s your beliefs?
What’s your favorite examples?

Ships are almost always “she”..
( except maybe Tug Boats?)

Stilts

( some locos are outright heavy-haulers, they're male, through & through...)

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/20 11:43 by wcamp1472.

Railroad locomotives are ALWAYS "She" in my book, no matter whether steam, diesel, or electric.

SP&S E-1 700 is affectionately known as "The Lady."

I dunno, I don't think I'd call either of the Mallets we had at Snoqualamie as she.

Out 

Is Big Boy a ‘she’?

W.

Posted from iPhone

wcamp1472 Wrote:
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> Is Big Boy a ‘she’?
>
> W.

Yes. The men & women of the UP did NOT refer to the 4000s as "Big Boy" anyway.

There's absolutely good reason that steam locomotives ( like ships) are always referred to in the female gender. I've had an active relationship through the years with a number of locos ( CP 127, NKP 759, Cp 1286, CP 1238, BR&W 60, NH&I 40, Pine Creek 6, OHC 6325, C&O 614) and every single one of them shared several characteristics normally associated with the fairer sex. Namely......High Maintenance,... need to practice lots of PM or you'll wish you had, Tempermental, ...easy to fire/run one day, hard to keep hot the next, Beautiful,......when cleaned up not so much after a run through a few long tunnels. 

      We often ran the 2 CP G-5's ( 1238 & 1286) doubleheaded and even though they were identical in all physical aspects the 1286 was always a great steamer and the 38 was very difficult to keep hot. reminds me of my 2 sons. Jimmy the oldest was in trouble from kindergarten on all his life, Joey 3 years younger was an A student and never in trouble. Same Mom, same Dad, same home, same school....totally different outcomes. Go figure. 

     Anyhow, back to the topic......steam locos very much warrant being called " she". 

     IMHO-Ross Rowland 

They are a "she", because they have a tender behind.

Keystone1 Wrote:
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> They are a "she", because they have a tender
> behind.

THAT is funny!....

In Spanish, Locomotora de Vapor is always feminine.

-LD

I read an article that at the 2009 Train Festival, Doyle Mac referred to NKP 765 as “The Queen”. Have called her that ever since. Thanks

Posted from iPhone

If you are standing there with your wife and your wife calls the locomotive a she, then it is a "SHE". haha

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

I wonder how locomotives "self-identify?"

Yes, women are ALWAYS right.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

Bob3985 Wrote:
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> If you are standing there with your wife and your
> wife calls the locomotive a she, then it is a
> "SHE". haha

If our two mallets were women they would have been Roseanne Barr and Rosie O'Donnell!

Out 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/20 20:05 by callum_out.

I've always called them "she".   I still remember an article, I think in Trains years ago, that was confusing as it said "She sired a whole class" or something to that effect.  Gender confusion?

Most railfans are men, locomotives are huge masculine objects. It's basically a queer hobby.

Loleta Fernbridge

Today's PC police would probably want them to be called by some gender neutral name so as not to offend the locomotive. 

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> Today's PC police would probably want them to be
> called by some gender neutral name so as not to
> offend the locomotive. 

Right. Such as those round iron sewer covers in the street,,,,,,,,,,,now called "Person Hole Covers".

If today's PC Police are monitoring this discussion, half of us will be under arrest by the end of the week. Don't be surprised when there's a "knock" on your door at 5:30 AM.
/Ted