Western Railroad Discussion > Help with railroad terms

My wife is proof reading something railroad related and came across the following statement:

"storage place for the spikes and the cockanine and the hocum"

She knew what spikes are but has been unable to find anything that may relate to "cockanine" or "hocum". I was unable to find anything so I thought I would ask here. She said it might be words that sound similar but were not copied correctly. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
Todd

Since cockamamie and hokum are so close... I wonder if it's just someone's way of saying assorted trash?

That being said, I honestly don't know.

Common slang of yesteryear, and not in any particular way railroad slang

cocanine
1) noun, variation of cocaine
2) noun, insanity or nonsense

hokum, hocum
1) noun, slang claptrap; bunk; empty and insincere talk
2) noun, slang, obvious or hackneyed material of a sentimental nature in a play, film, etc.
Etymology: probably a blend of hocus-pocus and bunkum

Fred Harrison
Central Point, OR
CORPpower/JSS/EORS

I seem to recall "Hocum" was a sealer of some sort. The other may be wood plugs that came in a burlap sack.


Nudge

"Oakum" was a 1- to 1 1/2-inch thick loose burlap twine soaked in some kind of petroleum oil that we used as packing to seal signal installations, nickname "hore's hair", utilized as a backer for "Duxseal", a thick, semi-soft rubbery clay sealer dark gray in color that was hand-worked and packed on top of the Oakum at the surface, nicknamed "Ape S--t". Many a signal installation where cables enter signal houses at the weatherhead and bottoms of wayside and crossing signal masts are done with hore's hair and ape s--t to seal out water; rodents, snakes and bugs also find the combination very distasteful. You can still find both at plumbing supply houses.

I do not believe, however that "Oakum" is what your original question is in reference to. --- --- - --- JLH



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/10 12:12 by highgreengraphics.

Never heard it called duxseal but have called it duct seal. Also, the term we used in the service was "monkey s---".