For Mookie's Book of Slang

[edblysard]

Yard snake, thats me.
We "snake" through all the twisted and convoluted tracks in a yard to get to and switch cars.
Car knocker are carmen, they used to carry a billy club, and would tap the wheel sets on cars.
A sharp ring meant the wheel was sound, a dull or flat sound meant that wheel had a crack or defect.
So they were know know as knockers, because the knocked the wheels.

Weed weasel, a nicer name for a trainmaster, who, in the name of "safety testing", like a weasel, hides in the weeds to see if he can catch you breaking any rules.
Crummie, any caboose that hasnt been kept up, most look and ride as if they are falling apart, which they are.
Filithy, dirty, smelly and generaly not worth the time, about the only thing that works on them are the wheels still roll, some times.
Rock pounder, a switchman in a yard, working the field, he pounds rocks all day long, running from switch to switch.

Ok, Mudchicken, your turn!
Keno and zardoz1 need to jump in here too, we have a few younger and new members who need to hear the old names...
Ed[:D]

[coalminer3]

How about cabeese?

Cabs - C&O

Cabins or cabin cars - Pennsylvania RR

Buggy - Boston and Maine

work safe

[CShaveRR]

OK: Car-knockers. If I remember this right, they used to inspect wheels with a hammer...the sound of the ring could point to a defect. I don't think it works now; this could have been back in the days of either iron or cast steel wheels.

[Mookie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

mudchickens, panel parties, cinder dicks, bulls, maniacs, gandys (chorus line license and all), quick checks, lineal spiders, light bulb changers, ground monkeys, black thumb, weed weasels, clucks in the bullpen, .....

That type of stuff?

Yeah - you get the point! But now you have to give an explanation and how it originated if you know -

You told me about mudchicken - surveyors - and if I remember right - which I don't always do - their chicken scratch writing.

Bulls - aren't they the same as cinder dicks - railroad police and I probably don't want to know or use the sanitized version - detectives.

Your turn!

Mookie

[mudchicken]

mudchickens, panel parties, cinder dicks, bulls, maniacs, gandys (chorus line license and all), quick checks, lineal spiders, light bulb changers, ground monkeys, black thumb, weed weasels, clucks in the bullpen, .....

That type of stuff?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wabash1

Mook

There is no lighted make-up mirror on the engines. ( the keys to my mac ha ha ha) a good laugh today thanks .

aughhhh but do they have seperate restrooms for the "hes" and "shes" [:D]

Ya know the shes do like to powder their nose and some of them take a while to do it. [:o)] Wouldn't want to have to stand cross-legged waiting ya know. [:p]

[wabash1]

Mook

There is no lighted make-up mirror on the engines. ( the keys to my mac ha ha ha) a good laugh today thanks .

[Mookie]

Need help here people -

Trains Magazine gave me an idea....

This needs to be simple - simple minds you know.

Engineers - hogheads - why? (how did the name originate?)

Car Inspectors - car knockers - ditto

now it is up to you to complete my list - real name, slang name and why....

I am off looking for my mirror and keys to the SD70MAC, but as Ahnold said - "Ah'll be bock".....

Head engineer - Mookie - It is easy to spell