Naming Update
After a couple of quiet months for namings, the period under review has been busier.
As reported opposite, Class 07 2991 (07007) has been named Bruce at Eastleigh Works, while also at Eastleigh, recently preserved E6040 (73133) has regained its former
The Bluebell Railway name following repainting, ahead of a move to its namesake railway and into preservation.
As also reported on page 10, Transport for Wales has named 231001
Sultan in a ceremony at Caerphilly on March 29 to commemorate the successful roll-out of the Stadler Class 231 fleet on the Rhymney Valley line.
Crosscountry’s Intercity Executive-liveried Class 43 high speed train power car has been named Laira Diesel Depot without ceremony at the Plymouth depot. The naming recognises the work done by the depot in maintaining the Crosscountry and Great Western Railway HST fleets, both of which are now due to be removed from regular service before the end of the year. West Midlands Railway named CAF Class 196 DMU 196004 Sir Edward Elgar in honour of the region’s most famous composer as the operator prepares to roll out the new fleet onto its Hereford Line. The naming was carried out at Worcester Shrub Hill station by the High Sheriff of Worcestershire, Andrew Manningcox, on March 24.
Sir Edward Elgar, one of Britain’s best-known composers, was born in the village of Lower Broadheath, near Worcester, in 1857 and spent much of his life in the county. The name was previously controversially applied by British Rail to 50007 in connection with the GWR 150 celebrations in 1985.
Crossrail 345004 has gained the name Andy Byford after the former London Transport Commissioner, who left his role at the end of last year.
South Western Railway 444023 has been named The Alex Wardle Foundation at London Waterloo on March 14. The foundation is named after Alex Wardle, who passed away in March 2016 from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome. Every week in the UK, at least 12 young people die of undiagnosed heart condition, with SADS caused by a disturbance in the heart’s rhythm, of which there can be many causes, despite the person not having any physical heart disease.
The naming was carried out in connection with a SWR’S roll-out of defibrillators across its network. Two locomotives have lost their nameplates, with 73202 losing Graham Stenning prior to its transfer from Southern to GB Railfreight in April.
Also recently de-named is 37611, which has lost its Pegasus nameplates at Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh while undergoing bodywork attention and a repaint, with the Europhoenix-owned locomotive due to emerge over the coming weeks in the same Rail Operations Group blue livery that was applied to 37800 late last year.