Help choose a name (or not!!) for 15F 3117

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

A litle while ago a short list of names for the engine were drawn up.

The suggestions received are listed above. Vote for the one you prefer........................... Voting closes in 14 days. Your votes are anonymous!

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Need a bit of revoting here - I missed out the option of no name at all - which a lot of pepole think should be the case for a change!

So, vote again please!

[Erwin Nieuwenhuis]

Why is 'Brenda' not in the options??? :)

Best requards, Erwin Nieuwenhuis (from Holland)

[Steve Appleton]

There was concern that in naming the loco "Hercules", we would be breaking with a tradition which states that all locos are female and should carry female names. If we accept the following attribute "extraordinary strength, courage, ingenuity, and sexual prowess with both males and females were among his characteristic attributes", then I think we have it covered!
"As symbol of masculinity and warriorship, Heracles also had a number of pederastic male beloveds. Plutarch, in his Eroticos, maintains that Heracles' eromenoi (male lovers) were beyond counting. Of these, the one most closely linked to Heracles is the Theban Iolaus."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heracles#Myths_of_Heracles

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

Hot dog! Have you just been out for lunch or what?????

[Dylan Knott]

Not all locos were named after girls etc. Why not called it "City of Tshwane"?

Hercules, Zeus, Ajax and Hannibal are all class names for the UCW series of Diesel-Hydraulic locomotives!

[Steve Appleton]

Hi Dylan.
"City of Tshwane" is a tad controversial. There is a court challenge going on over the name at the moment. Hercules, besides representing strength, is the name of the Metro station nearby and the marshalling yard alongside which FOTR's depot is situated. Hercules also embodies the site of the first cement factory established in Pretoria (in 1892 -- the first in Southern Africa) whose main product was named "Hercules" - hence the name. That factory, much upgraded is, as Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC), still producing there today. We initially also called our depot "Hercules" but we have since renamed it to "Hermanstad" after the suburb in which it is located. This is to avoid public confusion with the Hercules Metrorail station located very close by.

[Kevin Wilson-Smith]

How about "no name" for a change?

[Derek Walker]

OK. how about Xena... that amazon woman on TV, she could do everything that Hercules could, backwards and in heels... no wait, I am getting my superheroines/dancers mixed up. What is the African equivalent of Hercules? does such a word exist?

[John Ashworth]

Erwin, originally the list of names included only women who are closely connected with FOTR, as this was the precedent for naming the other FOTR locos; hence Lindie, Jane, Miemie and Joy. Then the Hercules option popped up and proved very popular, then the "no name" option.

Incidentally, I believe that was your first post to the FOTR forum. Welcome! We look forward to many more posts from you.