Re: Slops

[krel4203@netconnect.com.au (Krel )]

On Mon, 22 Mar 1999 05:48:03 GMT, jdennis@acslink.net.au (John Dennis)
wrote:

>Reading this month's ARHS (not the NSW) Bulletin I came across a
>reference to the Spirit of Progress being known to railfans as "the
>slops" - the leftovers from the Southern Aurora.  Now, I believe I
>have been a railfan for this last 35 years or so, and have never heard
>this before.  Was it in common use?  Maybe a "north-of-the-border"
>thing?
>
North of the border (just) the trains were  called the "Spirit" and
the "Aurora" (or the "Roarer"); collectively they were known as the
"Cats" (sleek and shiny and come out at night). 
The question to Junee control about whether the Spirit of Progress and
Southern Aurora were on time or not became "How's the Cats?".
The Intercapital Daylight  was always called the "Daylight" and the
Riverina Express was called the "Riverina". AIUI south of the border
the Daylight was called by some the "ICD". 

When the Cats were combined they were the Melbourne Express and the
Sydney Express, commonly called the Mex and the Sex.

Nowadays they are called the XPT. No-one, it seems, uses the "Olympic
Dream" or "Olympic Nightmare" or whatever the official names are ;-).


Cheers

Krel

Just another eccentric crank.