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Quiz about British Railways Steam Engine Names

British Railways Steam Engine Names Quiz

In 1948 British Railways inherited many named locomotives from the Great Western Railway, London Midland & Scottish Railway, London & North Eastern Railway, and Southern Railway. I'll give you a name and you indentify the source.

A multiple-choice quiz by odinsraven. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
odinsraven

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
239,650

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
660

Last 3 plays: Guest 185 (3/10), Guest 92 (3/10), Guest 82 (5/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Many companies named their engines after the gods. In 1948 who provided the 'Achilles? Hint

LMSR

GWR

LNER

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Myths and legends provided many sources for names, but a series of locomotives with bird names provided the name 'Merlin'. Which company had chosen this name? Hint

LNER

LMSR

GWR

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. History gives us the name 'Owain Glyndwr' but who built it? Hint

GWR (Great Western Railway)

LMSR (London Midland and Scottish Railway)

LNER (London and North Eastern Railway)

SR (Southern Railway)

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. After WWII some locos were built to honour those who took part, others were renamed. Which company provided the 'Fairey Battle'? Hint

LMSR

LNER

GWR

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Nobility and royalty provided another theme that was used across various companies. In 1960, whose 'Lord of the Isles' was still on the stock list? Hint

LNER

LMSR

GWR

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Saints were somtimes used for names, but was it the Saint, or is it the island for the 'St. Helena'? Hint

GWR

LNER

LMSR

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Officers of state were also honoured. Which company had named the 'Earl Marischal'? Hint

GWR

LNER

LMSR

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Which company provided the 'Lady of the Lake'? Hint

LNER

LMSR

GWR

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. This locomotive, the 'Repton', named after a Derbyshire boarding school, travelled to America but was repatriated. Who built it ? Hint

LNER

GWR

LMSR

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. PLUTO Entered service in April 1953 but was not a steam engine, and it's no longer a planet, either! The class prototype was built in 1941 by which company? Hint

GWR

LNER

LMSR

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Nov 08 2024 : Guest 185: 3/10
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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Many companies named their engines after the gods. In 1948 who provided the 'Achilles?

Answer: LMSR

One of the LMS Jubilee 4-6-0s, it carried the BR number 45697.

2. Myths and legends provided many sources for names, but a series of locomotives with bird names provided the name 'Merlin'. Which company had chosen this name?

Answer: LNER

Merlin was one of the 1936 batch of A4 Pacifics, built by the LNER that spent their early life pulling high speed trains from London to Leeds and Edinburgh. (In 1938 another locomotive of this class, the 'Mallard' achieved the world speed record for steam - 126 m.p.h. between Peterborough and Spalding).

This is not to confused with Maunsell's LSWR (later SR) King Authur class
4-6-0 of 1925. Amongst the first batch of loco's was number 740 "Merlin". When this was destroyed in a TV stunt, the name was transferred to a BR Standard 5 no. 73080.

(Source O.S.Nock books LNER Steam and Southern Steam, and the Observers Book pub 1966)

3. History gives us the name 'Owain Glyndwr' but who built it?

Answer: GWR (Great Western Railway)

This narrow gauge engine was built in 1923 at Swindon. She can still be seen today hauling trains from Aberystwyth to Devils Bridge. (This engine is not to be confused with 'Owen Glyndower', the Britannia Pacific built after 1948.)

4. After WWII some locos were built to honour those who took part, others were renamed. Which company provided the 'Fairey Battle'?

Answer: GWR

5077 originally entered service as the 'Eastnor Castle' in August 1938 where its first shed was Old Oak Common (London). She was renamed in October 1940 and then worked from Taunton, Swansea, and finally Llanelli before being scrapped in 1962.

5. Nobility and royalty provided another theme that was used across various companies. In 1960, whose 'Lord of the Isles' was still on the stock list?

Answer: LNER

This LNER K4 2-6-0 was introduced in 1936 to work the West Highland Line to Fort William and Kyle of Lochalsh. The GWR had a 'Single' of the same name that was modelled by Tri-ang, now Hornby.

6. Saints were somtimes used for names, but was it the Saint, or is it the island for the 'St. Helena'?

Answer: LMSR

The GWR had a series of locos named after saints, but 45624 is another of the 'Colonial' series of Jubilees.

7. Officers of state were also honoured. Which company had named the 'Earl Marischal'?

Answer: LNER

Designed to pull heavy express trains from Edinburgh to Inverness, this loco started life as a 2-8-2. It was later rebuilt to become an A1 Pacific of the LNER.

8. Which company provided the 'Lady of the Lake'?

Answer: LNER

No, it's not a Southern "King Arthur" ! This one was named in honour of the wife of a former director of the GCR, which became part of the LNER in 1923. The surviving member of this class is preserved at Loughborough (about 12 miles north of Leicester) .

9. This locomotive, the 'Repton', named after a Derbyshire boarding school, travelled to America but was repatriated. Who built it ?

Answer: SR

After hauling trains between London and the South Coast, this engine ended up at Steamtown in Vermont USA. She can now be found on the North York Moors Railway.

10. PLUTO Entered service in April 1953 but was not a steam engine, and it's no longer a planet, either! The class prototype was built in 1941 by which company?

Answer: LNER

This electric engine was designed to haul freight trains on the LNER's electrified Woodhead route between Manchester and Sheffield. This line was closed by Beeching.

Source: Author odinsraven

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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