Seriously. I get quite a few (quite nasty) emails complaining about my use of the word 'kettle' when talking about steam engines. These usually take the form of insisting that I rename every reference to 'diesel' to 'boxes on wheels', or DEMANDING that I remove the offending word IMMEDIATELY.
(as it happens, there's only one reference to a kettle on the website, on the WSM page, and Clive, the photos owner, doesn't mind at all!)
I even recently had someone on ebay refusing to let me buy their photo because they didn't want it to be associated with 'a website like that'. That particular person also complained about my use of the word 'bug' to describe a DMU (which is head-scratchable, I'm the only person I know who goes out his way to see 'em and photograph 'em! all other photters I come across feel that their camera is dirtied in some way if they point it at them...)
Now, as it happens, I love steam. If a special is passing my neighbourhood I usually drag my entire family (including grandads, grandmas, cousins etc) down to the local bridge to see it. I spend huge amounts of time spending my wages at Bitton. I've participated in the restoration of four engines at Cranmore. It's not a brilliant record, but it's not bad.
The term 'kettle' doesn't offend me in the slightest. It's a term of endearment. However, if it gets on the rest of your nerves I shall do my best to correct my wicked ways.
Be honest, what's your opinion?
Does 'Kettle' Offend You?
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horace
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All steam engines evolved from kettles
Its my photo, i am stating that as far as i am concerned there is no problem with the term kettle. There was when i was a kid all sorts of terms for various locos that in many ways were not very endearing, but that was the way we referred to them at the time.
A OXO was a a midland fowler 4F, a mickey mouse was the 2-6-2 3P BR tank, every diesel was firstly a Spam Can and then something else added to identify it, and as Dave says so were the southern west country and Battle of Britain's, a pannier tank was a matchbox etc. etc.
If it was a out of region loco it was either praised as a rarity if it was something like a streak (A4) but was given some horrible name if it was mundane.
I enjoy my railways and i am basically a steam lover, but to get worked up of the way a loco is referred to is in my mind taking things a bit far, in my view there is more to life than worrying about what or what not is a kettle.
Steam power was discovered by Hero from the jet of steam that came out of a kettle, my goodness i would imagine every steam engineer, steam fan going watches the kettle boil and dreams of what that steam can do. A kettle is what every steam engine in the world has evolved from.
Stick with it Pete, if those that don't like the term kettle cant bring themselves to look at the Bristol Rail Archive any more then they are the losers not us.
Hate mail gratefully received and automatically spam filtered so doesn't bother me, just those that waste their time writing it.
A OXO was a a midland fowler 4F, a mickey mouse was the 2-6-2 3P BR tank, every diesel was firstly a Spam Can and then something else added to identify it, and as Dave says so were the southern west country and Battle of Britain's, a pannier tank was a matchbox etc. etc.
If it was a out of region loco it was either praised as a rarity if it was something like a streak (A4) but was given some horrible name if it was mundane.
I enjoy my railways and i am basically a steam lover, but to get worked up of the way a loco is referred to is in my mind taking things a bit far, in my view there is more to life than worrying about what or what not is a kettle.
Steam power was discovered by Hero from the jet of steam that came out of a kettle, my goodness i would imagine every steam engineer, steam fan going watches the kettle boil and dreams of what that steam can do. A kettle is what every steam engine in the world has evolved from.
Stick with it Pete, if those that don't like the term kettle cant bring themselves to look at the Bristol Rail Archive any more then they are the losers not us.
Hate mail gratefully received and automatically spam filtered so doesn't bother me, just those that waste their time writing it.
Last edited by horace on Sat Dec 23, 2006 10:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
KETTLE?
Pete
Don't worry about it!
A lot of people "out there" on the various forums get uptight about the most trivial things and this is another example of that!
The stupid thing about it is that lots of these people who criticise were not even around in the "age of steam".
Those of us who were used all sorts of nicknames for the various classes of engines out there.
The classic example "Spam Can" was used for the Southern region unrebuilt west country/merchant navy classes. I still call them by that name but would be the first to admit that the likes of 34067 Tangmere is a magnificent machine nevertheless!
Call steam what you like, it certainly will not offend me and lots of other enthusiasts out there.
Lets face it 6024 King Edward 1 is the KING KETTLE and long may he reign!
Dave Nailsea
Don't worry about it!
A lot of people "out there" on the various forums get uptight about the most trivial things and this is another example of that!
The stupid thing about it is that lots of these people who criticise were not even around in the "age of steam".
Those of us who were used all sorts of nicknames for the various classes of engines out there.
The classic example "Spam Can" was used for the Southern region unrebuilt west country/merchant navy classes. I still call them by that name but would be the first to admit that the likes of 34067 Tangmere is a magnificent machine nevertheless!
Call steam what you like, it certainly will not offend me and lots of other enthusiasts out there.
Lets face it 6024 King Edward 1 is the KING KETTLE and long may he reign!
Dave Nailsea
KETTLE?
A further thought on "political correctness".
Back in the 50's, 60's we referred to a certain LMS class of 4-6-0 as "Black Fives" and they are still known as this to the present day.
No doubt certain groups would not be happy about this.
Enough said!!!
Dave Nailsea
Back in the 50's, 60's we referred to a certain LMS class of 4-6-0 as "Black Fives" and they are still known as this to the present day.
No doubt certain groups would not be happy about this.
Enough said!!!
Dave Nailsea
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tugboatcharly2
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kettles for steam locos
believe me dear friends some of the engines we had to get steam on were no better than kettles. I was on a banana train from Avonmouth old yard to Swindon and the engine steaming was so bad it took us 4-00hours to get to Swindon up loop and when the Reading relief driver saw the engine number he would not relieve us so we took the engine to Swindon shed and the foreman said chr----t its back again. I later took the trouble to find out that the tube plate and all the tubes were in such a bad condition the engine went into the factory for repairs. it was truly a kettle that day got a feeling it was 7905?. 
made it to Swindon!!!
and I am old enough to remember them....just. 
Names like Spam Can, Mickey Mouse, Streak, Growler, Whistler, Hoover etc. refer to classes, not an entire form of motive power.
I first noticed 'kettle' around the late 80's, in modern traction mags, from younger fans too young to remember steam.
I think it was derogatory then and, still is from some today.
It is meant in a dismissive way, as if to imply that they are all the same.
They are only all the same in the way that diesels are all the same.
If an A4 and a 57XX pannier are the same then, so are a Deltic and an 08 but of course they aren't, none of them.
I think that is where the objections come from, one casual word to describe an entire form of propulsion, without any acknowledgment of the differences. In that sense, all diesels can equally be dismissed as boxes.
I don't, I know they are not just boxes but, steam locos in all their huge variety are not just kettles either.
I first noticed 'kettle' around the late 80's, in modern traction mags, from younger fans too young to remember steam.
I think it was derogatory then and, still is from some today.
It is meant in a dismissive way, as if to imply that they are all the same.
They are only all the same in the way that diesels are all the same.
If an A4 and a 57XX pannier are the same then, so are a Deltic and an 08 but of course they aren't, none of them.
I think that is where the objections come from, one casual word to describe an entire form of propulsion, without any acknowledgment of the differences. In that sense, all diesels can equally be dismissed as boxes.
I don't, I know they are not just boxes but, steam locos in all their huge variety are not just kettles either.
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Rich_Eason
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Rich_Eason
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