What is the correct term for a steam loco. some call it a she and others call it a he. didn;t know there was a sex to a steamer.
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Ironlake2, as long as you don't call it a "lokey" or some other term intended to make you sound "hip" it doesn't much matter.
As far as gender designations, that's up to you. There were roundhouses I walked into years ago that were awash with testosterone, and others with estrogen . . .
I'll let you figure that one out.
EdKing
Well I call them Berks,Northerns, Mikados, Hudsons...ect. 
I have heard it both ways...not sure...he....she...? 
Traditionally, they are referred to as "she"--the reasons should be fairly obvious to those who have had any experience with the fairer sex.
I've always used "she." Same for ships, aircraft and cars.
Treat a steam locomotive right and she'll make the trip wonderful. Treat her wrong and your life for the trip will be miserable.
Rusty
Originally Posted by ironlake2:
What is the correct term for a steam loco. some call it a she and others call it a he. didn;t know there was a sex to a steamer.
You did not give us the third option for correct term; the one you used, I use, and most people use: IT! Same for diesel locos.
Oh boy - Now I'm in a heap of trouble. . . 
Alex
Originally Posted by Ingeniero No1:
You did not give us the third option for correct term; the one you used, I use, and most people use: IT!
Not sure "most" people use that term; when working around a steam engine, our crew invariabley uses the term "she" of "her," as in "she's steaming easy today," or "her fuel's a little low."
Originally Posted by smd4:
Originally Posted by Ingeniero No1:
You did not give us the third option for correct term; the one you used, I use, and most people use: IT!
Nore sure "most" people use that term; when working around a steam engine, our crew invariabley uses the term "she" of "her," as in "she's steaming easy today," or "her fuel's a little low."
ESPECIALLY when working on or around a steam locomotive...
You REALLY don't want to upset her!
Rusty
Originally Posted by Allan Miller:
Traditionally, they are referred to as "she"--the reasons should be fairly obvious ...
even The General or William Crooks?
After countless years of successfully avoiding being the subject of the saying,
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”
I walked right into it!
I forgot I was posting in the 12”=1’ forum, and since my experience with locomotives is limited to the 1:48, 1:87 and 1:160 worlds, I erred!
Unfortunately, my only contact with ‘real’ locomotives has been in museums. Well, at least now I know how to refer to the Up Big Boy and all the other beauties (OK to call them so?) at the St Louis Museum of Transportation. 
Alex
Originally Posted by overlandflyer:
Originally Posted by Allan Miller:
Traditionally, they are referred to as "she"--the reasons should be fairly obvious ...
even The General or William Crooks?
Why not? When referring to "she," you're referring to the actual machinery, no matter what's painted on the cab side.
Besides--calling a locomotive "he" just sounds plain wierd.
During my some 55 years of learning about, and working on railroad motive power (electric, diesel electric, and steam), I have ONLY ever heard the term "She". During my 36 years with SP 4449, plus some 17 years with the UP 844 & 3985, the locomotives are ALWAYS referred to as "She".
As far as diesel go, I have heard them called, and have called them myself, many, many different "names", most of them NOT "She"!
It's Diesel for the job, and Woman for the adventure! I know a young lady of
some 48 years, who's alter ego is N&W 1218! In terms of looks, personality,
and effect produced...they are nearly identical. OTOH, thei same woman
exhibits traits you'd expect out of a 65:12 geared SD7 with 375K on the
drivers. Locomotives are always "she", the more time you spend with them,
the more you'll realize this.
Brings up another question: why are they called "the fairer sex"?
Rarely does fairness come to mind
Other then my O-gauge empire I am no railroad man, but I do have a story about how some engines get their names.
In center city Philadelphia, down at the end of Chestnut street there is a Norfolk Southern line that runs along the east side of the Schuylkill river.
We had a repeater hut that sits along side the track. Most RR tracks double as a right aways for fiber optic lines. Any way, I heard alot of yelling outside because the door to the hut was open. There where a couple of repairmen working on a diesel engine. One of the men was giving that engine alot of names I can't repeat here, lets just say they where in no way terms of endearment.
I would venture to say by the general gist of his tirade he thought of that engine as more of a female dog then anything else.
Originally Posted by Farmer_Bill:
Brings up another question: why are they called "the fairer sex"?
Solely a reference to the female's more fair complexion when compared with her male counterpart.
You know why boats and ships are referred to as "she?"
Because they have slips!
Stuart
Originally Posted by Stuart:
You know why boats and ships are referred to as "she?"
Because they have slips!
Stuart
So do steam locomotives...!
Just whatever you do, when making up a consist you are NOT "Lashing up" the locomotives together!
When railroaders have applied a pronoun to the engine, it has typically been feminine for steam, or neuter, when referring to a diesel.
However, when referring to a train, the gender has been male. "You'll be there for two east men." "He's running ten minutes late today." "He ought to be here any time. I heard him going by the hotbox detector five minutes ago."
For what its worth large articulated steam locomotives have been referred to as 'beasts' on this and many other train forums. So what does this mean - I have no idea!
Originally Posted by nyccollector1:
For what its worth large articulated steam locomotives have been referred to as 'beasts' on this and many other train forums. So what does this mean - I have no idea!
It means that model railroaders and toy train collectors do NOT use REAL railroad terminology!
Best and Only (B&O) articulateds were sometimes connected with the term
"hogmolly", but I don't know if that's a noun or adjective....or if there's
a gender association. FWIW, the big, beautiful EM1 could NEVER be any
less than a she!
Regarding the supposed "gender" of locomotives, it would seem odd to call these named English locomotives a "she":
Archimedes
Brutus
Caesar
Doctor Syn
Earl Roberts of Kandahar
Fire King
General
Hercules
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
James Mason
King Henry VIII
Lord Nelson
Merlin
Napoleon
Oscar
President Washington
Quentin Durward
Robin Hood
Sir Nigel Gresley
Tennyson
Ulysses
Victor Wild
Winston Churchill
Number 90 posted:When railroaders have applied a pronoun to the engine, it has typically been feminine for steam, or neuter, when referring to a diesel.
However, when referring to a train, the gender has been male. "You'll be there for two east men." "He's running ten minutes late today." "He ought to be here any time. I heard him going by the hotbox detector five minutes ago."
I have heard TRAINS using male, female and neuter pronouns. Most of the time male and neuter terms. Maybe that is a local thing.
Now, what do they call UP 4014?
Dominic Mazoch posted:Now, what do they call UP 4014?
Well, back in the "steam days" the UP men & women referred to them as "4000s", just like the "3900s" and the "800s" and the "9000s", etc., etc..
Stuart posted:You know why boats and ships are referred to as "she?"
OT: Spent almost five years on an aircraft carrier. Those of us who had nothing to do regarding the sailing of the ship referred to it as "the boat" or "the pig." Neither were terms of endearment. Now, thirty years later, most of us who served connect via social media and say kind things about her.
Bob
Number 90 posted:When railroaders have applied a pronoun to the engine, it has typically been feminine for steam, or neuter, when referring to a diesel.
However, when referring to a train, the gender has been male. "You'll be there for two east men." "He's running ten minutes late today." "He ought to be here any time. I heard him going by the hotbox detector five minutes ago."
Tom answered a question I have had about other roads referring to trains as "men". When we (SLSF) went on duty over the road, and got our clearance and usual stack of form 19's, the order designating a meet would cause a response like, "...we meet a man at Bristow".
It appears the AT&SF folks did the same.
I always thought Al Staufer in the book Thoroughbreds explained it well when it came to engineers describing the "personalities" of NYC's Hudsons...some you treated like a queen and they'd do whatever you asked of them while others you had to beat like a who**.
Number 90 posted:When railroaders have applied a pronoun to the engine, it has typically been feminine for steam, or neuter, when referring to a diesel.
However, when referring to a train, the gender has been male. "You'll be there for two east men." "He's running ten minutes late today." "He ought to be here any time. I heard him going by the hotbox detector five minutes ago."
Yeah, I remember hearing dispatchers talk like that to a train crew. "You'll meet an east man at Lenz", etc.
As far as I am concerned, a locomotive is an "it". Dunno I like the idea that a big male train has to follow a female steam locomotive around all the time. Seems to me the big rods and cylinders and huffing and puffing are kinda masculine.
Only war ships are named after men, so everything else gets a she.
Steelie posted:Only war ships are named after men, so everything else gets a she.
How did you come up with THAT? How did the U.S. Navy Battleships get their names, i.e. the "Iowa Class" for example? They were always referred to as "she".
The only ship I ever heard of referred to as a "he" was the Bismarck.
Steelie posted:Only war ships are named after men, so everything else gets a she.
A new exception .... the new USS Gabrielle Giffords is a combat ship, not a support ship.
As more female officers are forward deployed, I think more will be named after them.
Anyway .... great topic thread.
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"When railroaders have applied a pronoun to the engine, it has typically been feminine for steam, or neuter, when referring to a diesel."
Well, when I ever applied a pronoun to a locomotive it was usually... "you GDFPoS!" Oh, and it didn't matter about its gender, GE and EMD were both condemned equally!
Ace posted:Regarding the supposed "gender" of locomotives, it would seem odd to call these named English locomotives a "she":
Archimedes
Brutus
Caesar
Doctor Syn
Earl Roberts of Kandahar
Fire King
General
Hercules
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
James Mason
King Henry VIII
Lord Nelson
Merlin
Napoleon
Oscar
President Washington
Quentin Durward
Robin Hood
Sir Nigel Gresley
Tennyson
Ulysses
Victor Wild
Winston Churchill
"she" does all the work and "he" gets all the credit.
sounds pretty standard.
Odd, remember when they started using male names for storms and hurricanes.
I guess females didn't like their names being affiliated with bad news (Hurricanes)
The world we live in.
smd4 posted:The only ship I ever heard of referred to as a "he" was the Bismarck.
"Way back in nineteen-forty-two or maybe forty-three,
We sailed with Captain Tuna, the chicken of the sea.
We didn’t sink the Bismarck , no matter what they say,
For when we seen the German ships, we sailed the other way."
"We Didn't Sink the Bismarck" by Homer and Jethro.
From my observation, locomotives, particularly steam, are referred to as "she". But often I have heard the expression "He was highballin' " The "he" in that circumstance refers to the engineer. I think!
