Railroad Slang


    Engineer hogger, hoghead, driver
    Engineer trainee piglet
    Conductor Ram-rod, conducer, The Brains, skipper
    Fireman Bakehead
    Brakeman brakie, pinner, pinhead, baby lifter
    Yard Master yard goat, dinger
    Yard crew  yard rats, hostler
    Car inspector  car knocker, wheel knocker, car toad, car tonk
    Dispatcher  **#@$^+++, dipsnatcher
    Track worker Gandy Dancer, snipe
    Passengers peeps (short for "people")
    Switchman iron bender
    Railroad detective bull, cinder dick, pussyfoot (in plain clothes)
    Railroad executive Brass Hat
    Locomotives hogs, lokies, power, motors
    Caboose hack, crummie, brain box
    Switcher engine goat
    Mainline  main, iron, high iron, high rail
    Switch  turnout
    Cut string of cars
    Train order flimsy
    Vandals  little terrorists, munchkins
    Semi-trailer pig

    "On the high iron, let the big dogs walk"
    means the caboose is over the switch and on the mainline so open the throttle all the way on the locomotives

    "All black, well stacked, goin' down the track clickity clack"
    means the train looked good on the visual roll-by inspection.

    "Pull the pin" or "let's pull the pin and roll"
    means "uncouple so we can get out of here"

    "Highball it out of here."
    Proceed at maximum permissible speed

    "Double the hill"
    means the train is split in half to get up a grade

    "We are on the ground!"
    means the train has derailed

    "Mosey Speed"
    means when you approach the limit of your track warrant and have not received a new warrant, you mosey up to the limit prepared to stop.

    "Grip"
    Trainman's suitcase

    "Dead Head"
    A railroad employee traveling as a passenger

    "Drag"
    Describes the movement of a heavy train, such as a coal drag

    "Dump the air"
    Emergency application of the air brakes causing a train to stop abruptly

    "Dog chasing"
    A crew change out.

    The caller called a dog catch to catch a dog.
    Caller – A person whose job it is to call out a train crew.
    Dog Catch – A crew sent to relieve a crew that has worked the legal limit.
    Catch a dog – Catch a slow moving train.

     
     

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