Glossary of United Kingdom Railway Terms - B

B

  • Baby Deltic: D5900 class Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives constructed by the English Electric company. They used a single Napier Deltic engine/generator combination, as opposed to the two engines/generators layout and Co-Co wheel arrangement of the much longer Deltic locomotives from the same manufacturer, to which they bore a very strong family resemblance.
  • Baby Warship: North British D6300 class locomotives which used one diesel engine coupled to a hydraulic transmission, making them effectively half a D600 Warship or D800 Warship, each of which had two engines.
  • Bagpipes: British Rail Class 33/1 locomotives, specifically those fitted for push-pull working with 4TC stock.
  • Barbie: Livery of First Group's bus and rail companies up until Feb 2006 – the name comes from the purple and pink packaging of Barbie dolls. First Group are now favouring Neon schemes
  • Bed pan: a name used for the service that used to operate between Bedford and London St. Pancras; this service has subsequently been replaced by cross-London service on the Thameslink route. It is sometimes used when referring to the line from Bedford to St Pancras, and not any service in particular.
  • Bicycling Lion: The British Railways emblem used from 1949 to 1956, featuring a lion standing astride a wheel on a bar featuring the legend 'British Railways'. This name is derived from the fact the lion is standing astride the wheel like a cyclist - hence the nickname. This was replaced with the Ferret and Dartboard logo (see below) in 1956 as the British Railways logo.
  • Black Five: LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0. Class of steam locomotive built in the UK, named from their black 'mixed-traffic' livery and 'Class 5' power rating.
  • Blood and Custard: Name applied to the Crimson and Cream livery used on BR's coaches during the 1950s and 60s.
  • Blue Flash: The seat moquette used by Network SouthEast, which has also been used by Silverlink, Connex South Eastern, Connex South Central, London Overground, London Midland, National Express East Anglia, Thames Trains, South West Trains, South Eastern Trains and Southeastern. With South West Trains and National Express East Anglia, a variation of the moquette was used as well. The moquette was dark blue with short light blue stripes in a zig-zag pattern, though in the South West Trains/NXEA alternative version the stripes were pink.


  • Bodysnatcher: British Rail Class 57 diesel-electric locomotives – made by transplanting a General Motors reconditioned power unit and alternator into a Class 47 bodyshell.
  • Boiler ticket: the safety certificate issued for a steam (locomotive) boiler on passing a thorough formal inspection and generally covering a period of ten years. The formal inspection usually requires the removal of the boiler from the locomotive and renewal of some parts such as the tubes. Additional annual safety inspections must also be undertaken, which may result in the locomotive being withdrawn from service until any faults are rectified. When the boiler ticket "expires" the locomotive cannot be used until the boiler has been reinspected and a new ticket obtained.
  • Bone: British Rail Class 58 diesel-electric locomotive – from the shape: the body is narrow with wide cabs. (Also called egg timer.) Ironically, one of the final workings of this class was a railfan special called the Bone Breaker which ended in a bufferstop collision and a passenger breaking his leg.
  • Brush: British Rail Class 47 diesel-electric locomotive, also known as the "Brush Type 4". Followers of this type are often known as "Brush bashers".
  • Bubble car: British Rail Class 121 or 122 single railcar

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