Railroaders' Nostalgia > More 'Lingo'; Railroading Words For Wednesday

Today's edition includes words describing actions or objects seen in railroading; past and present.

BAD ORDER---In his book Railroad Avenue author Freeman Hubbard described this as a "Crippled 
car or locomotive." Expanding on this I would add that today, any condition found on a car or locomotive
during inspection or testing that is not in accordance with Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)regulations
requires that car or locomotive to be considered 'non complying' or 'Bad Order'. Much more has been written
on the subject and I'll leave others to expand on this; I'm merely concerned here with presenting the term.

HIGH IRON---Typically, the main or high-speed track(s) of a railroad; laid with heavier rail than that used
on branch or secondary main tracks, yard tracks and industrial spurs. 

HEAD IN---The act of routing a train into a siding or other than main track, such as a yard track, i.e. "We were
instructed by the yardmaster to head in on the Industrial Lead." 

KICK---In switching, the practice of shoving a car(s) rapidly, uncoupling the car(s) and then stopping the engine.
This allows the cars thus uncoupled from the engine to roll freely into the desired track. Consistent, successful 'kicking'
requires no slack to occur after the uncoupling lever is operated; ('pin' is pulled) but  before the stop signal is received.
Otherwise, if slack does occur the 'pin' will likely 'drop', the car(s) will not separate and roll free and a long day is in store for the crew.
EDIT: I originally implied that there was some sort of 'trick' or 'trickery' involved in 'kicking' cars. Poor choice of words.

KICKER / DYNAMITER---Triple Valve in defective order, which causes all air brakes on a train to go into emergency
when only a service application is intended; sometimes caused by a severe run-in or run-out of slack.

SHOO-FLY---Temporary track, usually built around a flooded area, derailment or other obstacle; sometimes built to
facilitate a re-railing.

BRASS---A Babbitt-lined chunk of bronze that forms the bearing upon which the weight of the car is transferred to
the axles and wheels. To brass a car is to replace one of those bearings.

DOUBLE---In going up a hill, to cut the train in half and take each section up separately.

BEANS---Meal period.

WHISKERS---Seniority. Also the tracks radiating from around a turntable pit in a roundhouse are called Whiskers.

Charlie



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/21 22:02 by cewherry.

I was fortunate to have worked with one of the best pin pullers/foremen our railroad ever had.  We could switch out a couple hundred cars a night with him calling the shots and a cut-in engineer.  I worked the field and moved rapidly to keep ahead of him.  He could have three cars going at one time if the list was aced and never sawed a switch plus very rarely ever double-handled a car.  I got word he passed away a year or more ago...RIP Dave K!

I keep reading these word lists and recognize some 90%. Always thought they were just regular railroad terms; never realized they were slang.

roustabout Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was fortunate to have worked with one of the
> best pin pullers/foremen our railroad ever had.
>  We could switch out a couple hundred cars a
> night with him calling the shots and a cut-in
> engineer.  I worked the field and moved rapidly
> to keep ahead of him.  He could have three cars
> going at one time if the list was aced and never
> sawed a switch plus very rarely ever
> double-handled a car.  I got word he passed away
> a year or more ago...RIP Dave K!

Mastering flat switching like that was a true skill; gradient, where the cars were going, weight, cut size, slow rollers, accelaration, all like ballet.  Being able to drill a cut without backing up was the sign of the experts.  Fun to watch.

Hey Charlie, I've also heard the term "sleeper" to describe a "dynamiter" or "kicker."  "Sleeper"is also used to describe a car or cars not on a train or switch list.

Brian Black
Castle Rock, CO

In places on the SCL we called them "snapshots."

Sam

A car not on the list or wheel is a “Stranger” to us.

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