Railroaders' Nostalgia > More railroad slang for Saturday

Continuing.....

WABASH---To hit cars going into adjacent tracks.

FIELD MAN---A yard brakeman. A yard switch crew consisted of a Yard Foreman, (the equivalent of a conductor), 
                    Pin Puller, (same as forward or head brakeman) and Field Man, (same as rear brakeman). The 'field'
                    is the array of tracks in the yard where the yard crew switches cars. 

DROP---Mr. Freeman's term in his list of 700 states a 'drop' is: "A switching movement in which cars are cut off from an
            engine and allowed to coast to their places". In my experience this sounds like a simple "kick" as in 'kicking' cars
            while engaged in switching.
            I would describe a 'drop', in its simplest form, as a procedure performed when it's necessary to re-position a car from one end
            of a locomotive to the opposite end of the same locomotive at a location on the railroad where there is only a facing point switch available.
            There are many variations of 'drops'  and how they are accomplished; i.e. 'Dutch Drop', and descriptions i.e.'flying switch',
            'high-daddy' (thanks Searat!, that's one I'd never heard before), I'm sure they're probably many more out there.

SNAKE---Switchman, so named from the large serpentine letter "S" on membership pins of the Switchman's Union of North America.
              The SUNA was one of the four railroad operating unions that merged to form the United Transportation Union, UTU,
              a predecessor component of today's International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union.

EASY SIGN---Hand signal to indicate the train (or switching movement) is to move slowly. Used most often while 'spotting' cars at a shippers
                     door to guide the engineer during those last few feet, or inches, prior to the exact 'spot' where the car can be loaded or unloaded. 

BABY LOAD---A term to describe a partially loaded car. While switching, folding one's arms in front of the body as if holding a baby indicates
                     to all that the movement must be done gently to avoid damage to any unsecured lading inside the car.

THOUSAND MILER---Black satin or blue percale shirt worn by railroaders, expected to last 1000 miles between washing.
                                 In the days when there were still clerks employed on the railroad to pick up and deliver company mail from offices,
                                 such mail would be placed in manila envelopes, the large version which had flaps secured by strings.
                                 On the outside all these envelopes were spaces for the name and location of the employees addressed.
                                 Once the mail was picked-up by the recipient, they would mark through their name and place the empty envelope
                                 in a basket or pigeon-hole for the next user. It was said these envelopes would last a 'thousand miles'.

(That's it for today)

Charlie


              
                




 

A few variations. The 'Drop' was used, in my experience, to signify a move to allow the car go free, through a turnout and be tied down to a stop or get around the car using only a single facing point switch. In this example the engine and car are going the same direction, and all you have to do is line the switch between the engine and car. With a 'dutch' drop, you are getting around a car, but the turnout is trailing, so the engine must get ahead, stop, the turnout must be lined, then the engine must proceed toward the car to get in the clear and then the turnout must be lined to let the car go by the engine now in the side track.  For futher explanation on the occasional result, see 'wabashed', or 'frogged in'.  :).

Also switch engines sometimes called 'snake wagons'.

Thanks for going through these, lots of fun.
 

boxcar1954 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A few variations. The 'Drop' was used, in my
> experience, to signify a move to allow the car go
> free, through a turnout and be tied down to a stop
> or get around the car using only a single facing
> point switch. In this example the engine and car
> are going the same direction, and all you have to
> do is line the switch between the engine and car.
> With a 'dutch' drop, you are getting around a car,
> but the turnout is trailing, so the engine must
> get ahead, stop, the turnout must be lined, then
> the engine must proceed toward the car to get in
> the clear and then the turnout must be lined to
> let the car go by the engine now in the side
> track.  For futher explanation on the occasional
> result, see 'wabashed', or 'frogged in'.  :).
>
> Also switch engines sometimes called 'snake
> wagons'.
>
> Thanks for going through these, lots of fun.
>  

Yep, that’s what I know them as. Snake Wagon is a term that I only really heard Rock Island guys use and I still use it myself.
I never got in on a Wabash but I’ve had to dig myself out of being Frogged more than once. :(

Posted from iPhone

Drknow Wrote:

> “...I never got in on a Wabash but I’ve had to dig
> myself out of being Frogged more than once. :(

So when the Drop or Dutch Drop goes terribly wrong you can say “After we Wabashed our Crummy, we found ourselves Frogged-in.” Those were the days!

Charlie

Referring to Drops, I remember my father using the term "hi Daddy" for a drop. He worked for the WP and hired out in 1946.

On the subject of drops, I came across an item about the pratice in an old Railroad Magazine.  An old retired conductor, possibly Bill Knapke who appeared or was mentioned often in the magazine, stated that dropping cars was only permitted "when practicable."  This meant if the move was successful, it was "practicable."  If something went awry and equipment was damaged, the move wasn't "practicable." A "thousand miler" could also mean a large lunch box full of food or a large sandwich that would last a "thousand miles."  Railroad Avenue also has a bit of slang for items available in the "Beanery."    

cewherry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Continuing.....
> WABASH---To hit cars going into adjacent tracks.

I read somewhere in a glossary of railroad terms that Wabashing was shoving blind 60 cars into a track that would hold 55 cars.  Maybe just one example of Wabash.

mapboy

Amtrak in the 90s had RRB which was company mail sent on a train.  Green RRB letter size and 1000-miler envelopes were used.
I sent several large boxes of personal stuff across the country using RRB (no charge) on a train for one of my company moves.  The boxes were beat up and dirty but intact.
Sometimes on the NEC, an employee would meet the train conductor on the platform who had an important RRB letter for someone.  You had to be on the platform as the train came in so you could see him with the green envelope in his hand.

Someone told me the RRB ment Railroad Business.  Which was not subject to having UP Postal stamps.  Laws prvented companies from moving anything but their own inter-company mail without proper postage.