[aussiesteve]

G'day Fearless and BW,
Not sure what the current PPE SHE (used to be dubbed OH&S) regs are up in the UK.
Personal protection equipment now requires all train crew and anybody on or about the track to wear eye protection.
Especially for sun protection, hence sunnies and clear lens protection after dark.
During the soot belching era Down-Under, drivers were not supposed to wear spectacles.
Loose em or damage em on the footplate and you become helpless.
But, after diesels invaded, the rules were relaxed.
As to nicknames, well I can't repeat most of our Aussie nicknames for things in a family forum.
Mostly motive power was referred to by class identity.
Infact, not many footplate crew actually knew the manufacturer's model identity for locomotives.
Such identity has become more prevalent today.
From memory the Bananaland (QR) railway 1620 class EE (6 CSRKT) were referred to as jets due to the noise they made.
Plus, the earlier 1600 class 6 CSRKT were referred to as Pawpaws, though I could be wrong.
QR had a total of 7 separate classes of EE power.
None remain in revenue duty today.
The 1300 class and 2350 class EEs were shipped down to Tassie to bolster the original Van Demonians.
Becoming the ZC and ZB class.
Oddly, Tassie commenced as Vacuum brake system.
But, when handed over to Aussie National, it was converted to air brake.
But, the Davies Metcalfe air brake system adopted is not compatible with Westinghouse air brake system.
Hence the original Taswegian EEs could not multiple with the blow ins from up north.
If you want one of my nicknames for them, just ask me after suffering a horrendous night shift needing to divide the train by myself due to motive power failure.
But, mostly them EEs behaved them selves reasonably.
EE and Alco (MLW) are sadly a vanishing breed here.
Some are preserved, and a few continue to rattle around in revenue service.
The Port Kembla steel works also had a large fleet of EEs.
EEs existed on every Aussie state railway, except for NSW.
Steve.
PS, My memory does fade to grey as has me hair.
I forgot the most known Taswegian EE nickname.
Units 2100 and 2101 (ZP and ZR) class, were rebuilt ZB class which had erupted into flames.
They became knows as Bananas due to the then Aussie National yellow livery splashed onto them.
B1 and B2, as in that kids show on TV.