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The Railroad Vernacular

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Posted by erikem on Saturday, March 16, 2013 6:54 PM

Deggesty

Bucyrus

Railroad language has a tradition of being terse. 

Yes, especially when communicating by Morse code, even when using a bug.

"Bug" is also used by hams for the Vibroplex keys.

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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, March 16, 2013 6:22 PM

Paul, at times it was advisable to locate a block signal at a point which had at least one non-signaled track between the signal and the track which was signaled. To show that the signal was not for the track(s) immediately beside the signal, a short mast for each such un-signaled track was attached to the right side to the signal mast; such a mastmay have had a blue light (no connection at all with the blue flag that says "do not touch these cars") at its top. Some railroads called it a "bracket."

The first doll mast I remember seeing was in Charlotte, N.C., in December, 1953, by the nb signal which was on the north side of Trade street. I asked a Southern employee what it meant, and he (not knowing himself) answered that it meant a train was coming. I have a vague memory of seeing another somewhere else. Carl Shaver commented, on another thread, that he saw one in the Eastern Terirtory a few years ago.

I thought someone would ask about quartering main drivers, but apparently all who have followed this thread know what and why the process is.

Johnny

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Posted by John WR on Saturday, March 16, 2013 6:19 PM

I'm sure the song refers to railroad passengers and really doesn't go beyond that.  

But doesn't "railroad vernacular" include things that passengers would say too if they are talking about riding a train?  When I say "I used to catch the 6:35 Clocker at Princeton Junction" am I using railroad vernacular or not?

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Saturday, March 16, 2013 4:48 PM

Deggesty

Another one: doll mast.

   Doll mast???

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, March 16, 2013 12:26 PM

John WR

"See those rich folks sittin' in that fancy dinin' car

 They're prob'ly drinkin' whiskey and smokin' big cigars...."

But are they employees on duty, or even railroad management personnel on duty?  I doubt it.

Remember this is railroaders' vernacular we're talking about, not passenger vernacular (like using 'George' for the porter... ;-} )

'Think before you strike', as Smokey used to say)

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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, March 16, 2013 11:34 AM

Another one: doll mast.

Johnny

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Posted by Deggesty on Friday, March 15, 2013 10:13 PM

Bucyrus

Railroad language has a tradition of being terse. 

Yes, especially when communicating by Morse code, even when using a bug.

Johnny

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Posted by John WR on Friday, March 15, 2013 9:00 PM

Overmod
Better not make ANYTHING with whiskey on railroad property, however.
This is railroad vernacular, not bartending vernacular.

"See those rich folks sittin' in that fancy dinin' car

 They're prob'ly drinkin' whiskey and smokin' big cigars...."

 Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, March 15, 2013 8:34 PM

zardoz

Paul of Covington

Highball is a verb.

Unless you make it with whiskey.

Better not make ANYTHING with whiskey on railroad property, however.
This is railroad vernacular, not bartending vernacular.
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Posted by zardoz on Friday, March 15, 2013 8:26 PM

Paul of Covington

Highball is a verb.

 

Unless you make it with whiskey.

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 15, 2013 7:31 PM

Railroad language has a tradition of being terse. 

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Posted by mudchicken on Friday, March 15, 2013 6:55 PM

Paul of Covington

Interlocking is a noun.

Highball is a verb.

   One thing that kinda tickles me is the use of "...account..." instead of "...on account of..."   I guess it was shortened for convenience when filling out forms.

Saved a few words on the wire (telegram) too... [stop]

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 15, 2013 5:13 PM

Overmod

While we're at it: we might as well remember that 'hot-rod' is from a railroad source.

A 'hotrod runner' was an engineer who went so fast or so hard ... or stopped his train so seldom for oiling maintenance ... that the rods would heat up.  Logical to extrapolate this to non-conformists interested in running at high speed in other contexts...

That is very interesting.  I had not thought about it lately, but I know that I have at times wondered what "hot rod" actually referred to as applied to cars.   

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Posted by John WR on Friday, March 15, 2013 5:03 PM

Blue Jay.  Back in the days when Jay Gould was active in railroading he would give employees notes written on his distinctive imprinted blue stationary.  These notes were known as "blue Jays."

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Posted by narig01 on Friday, March 15, 2013 4:20 PM
Cut and run" . IIRC the term originally referred to when a steam locomotive was running low on water and had to cut loose from the train and run to go fill the tender with more water.
Hack another word for caboose.
Tallow pot. For the locomotive. Lard was used for lubrication on early steam and was kept in a pot in the locomotive. I would suspect it also got spilled.

Highball. IIRC the clear signal for a ball signal is the ball being at the highest position.

Rgds IGN
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Posted by Overmod on Friday, March 15, 2013 11:44 AM

While we're at it: we might as well remember that 'hot-rod' is from a railroad source.

A 'hotrod runner' was an engineer who went so fast or so hard ... or stopped his train so seldom for oiling maintenance ... that the rods would heat up.  Logical to extrapolate this to non-conformists interested in running at high speed in other contexts...

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, March 15, 2013 11:41 AM

ValleyX
Had it to the roof  -  Term used on some roads to say the engineer had the steam engine doing all it could do

While we're there, let's not forget the other half of the operation, 'had it in the company notch'

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Friday, March 15, 2013 11:33 AM

Interlocking is a noun.

Highball is a verb.

   One thing that kinda tickles me is the use of "...account..." instead of "...on account of..."   I guess it was shortened for convenience when filling out forms.

_____________ 

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Posted by ValleyX on Friday, March 15, 2013 11:21 AM

In the ditch  -  derailment

Had it to the roof  -  Term used on some roads to say the engineer had the steam engine doing all it could do

Join the birds  -  Jumping in the event of a cornfield meet

Shoot the bill  -  Placed the train in emergency

Dumped it  -  Same thing

Marked off  -  Taking days off on own account

Bumped or rolled  -  Displaced off a job by a senior person.

The Big O  -  Old time term for conductors, came from the Organization of Railroad Conductors

That's just a few that come to mind.

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Posted by John WR on Thursday, March 14, 2013 7:00 PM

Railroad pie.  A one dish meal made of ground meat, onion, a little salt and other things* cooked together in a skillet and topped with corn bread batter and baked until the corn bread is done.  There are many recipes but you can add whatever you want to the beef and onions.  Pour off the excess grease if there is too much.  

Traditionally this is made in a black iron skillet but it can also be made in a casserole dish.  It can be made in a Dutch oven with a depressed lid to hold hot coals and baked on a camp fire.  

*for example corn, beans, peppers (sweet or hot as you prefer), cut up cooked potato and anything else you have handy. 

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Posted by John WR on Thursday, March 14, 2013 6:09 PM

FRED for Flashing Rear End Device.  

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Posted by tatans on Thursday, March 14, 2013 1:26 PM

Pinch bar

Ice gang

Sleepy R---  C.P.R.

Flanger

Goat

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, March 14, 2013 12:41 PM

Time to test the modac:

Big-hole the Westinghouse

Bad joint

Lazy cock

Broken injector

Blown head

Humping (with the original location being Honeypot)

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, March 14, 2013 12:10 PM

Oh, yes, but not done often today: quartering the main drivers.

Johnny

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, March 14, 2013 12:07 PM

Light engine; engine running light

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Posted by zardoz on Thursday, March 14, 2013 11:37 AM

Early quit

Screw the pooch

Tie up

Grab iron

Anglecock

Bad order

Big hole

Buckle the rubbers

Cornfield meet

Drop

Dutch drop

Flimsy

Flying switch

Goat

Saw-by

Shoo-fly

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Posted by diningcar on Thursday, March 14, 2013 11:35 AM

armstrong  -  manually powered;  bad order; - beans; - big hook; - brownie; - drag; - drill; - drop; -Johnson bar; - kick; - leg (one half of wye); - meet; - cnfield meet; - cruimmy;   dead head;; - gandy dancer; - highball; - in the hole; - on the ground; - outlawed; - sand house; - shoo fly; - varnish; - flimsy

Thats all for now

 

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Posted by mudchicken on Thursday, March 14, 2013 11:21 AM

May you never be anywhere close to LORAM/SPENO when the stones learn to fly.Wink

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by carnej1 on Thursday, March 14, 2013 11:13 AM

zugmann

Let's list some of the railroadey terms for basic things. 

#1 has to be grinding stones for grinding wheels.

Jitney = van

fusee = flare

tricks = shifts

Go ahead.. add some more.  We can even regional-ize or localize the railroadey terms if you want to.

 The term "Grinding stone" is not specific to the Railroad industry, it is used for other types of grinding/polishing equipment but nowadays it may be somewhat archaic. If you Google search the term you will get a lot of hits for suppliers of industrial tools/supples, but when you go to the linked websites they are more commonly called wheels..

"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock

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Posted by Mookie on Thursday, March 14, 2013 11:06 AM

Yard Goat

Beanery

Mudchicken

Yellow Thingie

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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