railroad terminology


A few more:

Cabin Car = caboose, hack etc.

Motor (Southern Roads) = diesel locomotive(s); (PRR, PC, Amtrak) = electric locomotive.

Overboard = outlaw, out of time, shopped, short time.

deadhead = travel under pay in crew van, passenger train, freight train, or aircraft.

shifter = switcher, drill, yard job, local.

Pigs = Intermodal containers, Trailers on flat cars.

Road Railers = Highway trailers on railroad wheels.

shopped = equipment removed from service for repairs in place or in a repair facility, or crew or crew member out of time.

Relief = crew change, shift change, (old) mark off sick, (as in "put me on the relief").

Joe
 
Job Related Jargon

I come from the Airline and Computer related industries over my careers.
Each Job has job specific slang that goes with it.
Deadheading= Travel on company business where you are paid for your time or travel but not for generating revenue for the company.

As one person said, Pilots etc in the airlines are somewhat recognized higher by the public, but believe me it's just another job where you learned the skill and do your job. The office may be more scenic, but for many in the non-Major Airlines the pay is less and the hours and dead time where your not getting paid probably just as long or longer than railroad employees. Would you fly an airplane for $13 hour starting pay? Well, many do. So, hold your head high. your probably making more money than 60 or 70% of the Pilots working in the USA, not to mention those flying abroad. Remember Pilots only get paid after the wheels start rolling for departure and it usually stops when you land or within 30 minutes of that.
All that pre-flight planning and inspecting or standing around waiting for the weather/company to change things is not paid. NTSB and Government is on their back same as you, same rules. NLRB laws apply, along with FAA rules, Plus the headache of the TSA who are worse than the old airport security.
I would have been glad to be a Railroad worker.
 
frugm said:
Hey guys,

I work for NS. We use a lot of the same terminology, 3 step. We use. To have Form B now there Form Y.

We use EOTD "end of train device" HOTD respectively.

We use "for a tie" a lot when coupling.

Our trainee conductors are called cubs, or pumpkin heads because of the orange hats they wear.
Click to expand...

NORAC roads use Form D for authorities, as well as 3 Step.

Put it on the stop = far enough = that will do = stop.

Coupling = Tie = hitch = hook.

Joe
 
Our Division used NORAC for a while, but we're back Conrail rules...wish they would make up there minds. lol
 
djstrains said:
That was some funny stuff! I work for CSX in Pa, Ohio, MD, and it is funny how lingo can change depending on RR. One time we had these temp transfers come up from the south, and when I said "c'mon back 5 cars for a tie", he thought someone placed a railroad tie on the rail. LOL. That fred and mary i never heard. What I like to say is when I hit the eot emergency toggle, I say "fire one!" and if it works, i say "target destroyed!". Makes me laugh. Be safe out there!
Click to expand...

my favorite is when I ask the engineer to dump the fred I get on the radio and say "ready to take a dump 5885"
 
When most sane people are retired in their early 70's, my dad was still driving a van for Renzenberger, the train crew shuttle company. He told me when a crew died on the clock out in the boonies, he drove on some amazing dangerous backroads to get back there and pick them up. That was in PA and NY.
 
I've heard the old term "Balling the Jack" but am more curious about its origins. It means running balls out which is another steam (stationary) engine term for the balls on the flyball governor were nearly at their limit running as fast as they can.

Another description I heard was "they were down on their knees in the company notch," as in the locomotives were pulling for all their worth in full throttle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top