| Air Monkey |
Air brake repairman |
| B&B |
Bridge and Building department |
| Bad Order |
When a defective car is found by a car
inspector, he tacks a small card labeled "bad order"
in bold lettering on or near the door of the car. That
car may not be moved from the terminal where the inspection
occurred until the necessary repairs are made. |
| Ballast |
Gravel, slag or other heavy material used as a road
bed to support cross ties and rails. |
| Belt Line |
A railroad with trackage within and/or around
a city, operating as a pickup, delivery and transfer facility
for truck lines and industrial plants. |
| Bleeder |
The valve by which air is bled from the auxiliary
air tank reservoir on a car. |
| Book of Rules |
Set of rules which govern the standard procedure
by which employees are required to perform their assigned
duties. |
| Block System |
A system of railroad tracks divided into short
sections or blocks, usually three or four miles in length,
which will permit trains to be run by signal apparatus so
that no train can enter a block until the preceding train
has left it. |
| Bowl |
The tracks in the Classification Yard where all of
the cars are switched to after being humped. |
| Blue Goose |
A high-rail car used by management to get out
of the office and look important. |
| Branch Line |
A line serving one or more stations beyond the
point of junction with the main or another branch line. |
| Brownie |
A demerit for violation of rules. (See Book of Rules.) |
| Bull |
A special agent, patrolman or railroad policeman. |
| Bump |
To displace a junior employee by the exercise of seniority
rights. |
| Caboose |
A car attached to the rear end of a freight train
for use by the train crew. |
| Canned |
Discharged or dismissed from service. |
| Car Knocker |
A car inspector. |
| Chain Gang |
When a number of extra trains (not regularly
scheduled freight runs) are put into service, regular crews
may be assigned to take such trains in turn. When this occurs,
train crews are said to be operating in chain gang service. |
| Classification Tracks |
A system of tracks designed to facilitate
classification switching by providing for the arrangement
of freight cars according to their kinds, contents and destinations. |
| Consist |
The make-up of a freight train by types of cars
and their contents. |
| Crows |
Nest The cupola or box-like structure raised above
the roof of a caboose from which a trainman may see along
the train while it is in motion. |
| Dead Heading |
Traveling from one point to another by an employee
who has received orders for such travel from his supervisor.
The employee performs no service in such travel status,
and he/she is paid for his/her time while in travel at an
hourly "dead head" rate. |
| Demurrage |
Tariff charges assessed against consigned for
detaining freight cars beyond their specified time limit. |
| Diesel |
Internal combustion engine or locomotive. |
| Division |
A geographical unit of operation in charge of a
superintendent under whose direction the three essential
functions coming under "operations" are carried
out. These functions are the maintenance of way and structures,
maintenance of equipment, and transportation of freight
and passengers. |
| Double Track |
Two main tracks, one of which the trains run
in one direction and the other in the opposite direction. |
| Dozer |
Bulldozer operator. |
| ETD |
End of train device. |
| Extra Board |
A list of employees who may be assigned to train
crews (1) when extra trains are run, (2) when regular crews
have not had sufficient rest time before they can legally
be required to return to duty, or (3) when relief men are
required on regular crews. |
| Extra Gang |
The crew of track laborers assigned to maintenance
work at various points on a railroad right-of-way. These
employees may live in camp (bunk) cars where they are provided
lodging and meals at a nominal cost. |
| Flagman |
Usually, the brakeman assigned to duties at the
rear end of the train. |
| Flares (Fuses) |
Combustible torches which burn (red, yellow
or green) for ten to fifteen minutes as warning signals
to other trains when touched off and placed or thrown on
the ground by train service employees. |
| Frog |
The "X" shaped plate of a cross-over rail;
also an implement to rerail car wheels. |
| Gandy Dancer |
A track laborer assigned to work on an extra-gang. |
| Gargoyle |
1 a : a spout in the form of a grotesque human or animal figure projecting from a roof gutter to throw rainwater clear of a building
b : a grotesquely carved figure
2 : a person with an ugly face. |
| Gauntlet |
A third set of rails placed in between two other
sets of rails to carry wide loads through tunnels. |
| Grease Monkey |
An employee who is responsible for greasing
frogs, switches and interlocking track equipment. Also a
car oiler. |
| Gumshoe |
A railroad detective. |
| Gun |
A torpedo placed on a rail which will act as a signal
warning when it is detonated by a train crossing over it. |
| Ham |
A student telegrapher. |
| Head Man |
The freight train brakeman who rides in the locomotive
cab. |
| Highball |
Signal given by conductor to the engineer when
the train is ready to proceed to the next designated stop. |
| High-Rail |
A motor car with small rail wheels used to carry
maintenance workers. |
| Hogger, Hog Head |
Locomotive engineer. |
| Hole |
Side track on a single track line which permits another
train to pass. |
| Hopper |
Car with hinged trap doors and inclined floors which
permits speedy unloading of certain types of ballast or
other material. |
| Hot Box |
Overheated wheel journal or wheel bearing which
usually causes journal packing to burn and smoke. |
| Hump Yard |
A switching yard on an incline where, after movements
by the engine, the cars are shunted by gravitational pull
to their destination in a yard. |
| Interchange |
A track on which various cars are delivered
or received from one railroad to another. |
| Ivory Tower |
The main control room where the TMD (Train Movement
Directors) are based. |
| King Pin |
Another name for a conductor. |
| L.C.L. |
Less than carload lot (freight). |
| Main Line |
That part of a railroad exclusive of switch tracks,
branches, yards and terminals. |
| Manifest |
Fast freight usually made up of merchandise, perishables
or livestock. |
| Mastodon |
Is one that is unusually large. |
| ME |
Maintenance of Equipment Department |
| MW |
Maintenance of Way Department |
| MP |
Motive Power Department |
| Motor Car |
A motor-driven railway inspection or work car
which rides on the rails and is operated by maintenance
of way employees to minimize time spent traveling while
on duty. |
| Mud Hop |
A yard clerk; a car checker who maintains a listing
of freight cars on arriving and departing trains. |
| Mud Hen |
A surveyor. |
| No Bill |
A worker who refuses to join the union, particularly
train or enginemen. |
| Ran a Red Block |
Enter a circuit without clearance from the
control tower. |
| Red Ball |
A fast freight train. |
| Put it on the ground |
Derail |
| Pusher |
Team leader responsible for seeing that work gets
done on schedule OR a locomotive built to help trains up steep grades by
pushing from behind. |
| Reefer |
A refrigerator car, sometimes known as a freezer.
|
| Retarder Yard |
A switching yard in which the movement of
cars, after they are released from a locomotive, are controlled
by an employee in a control tower. |
| Rip Track |
Minor car repair siding. |
| Road Bed |
The foundation on which the rails and ties of a
railroad are placed. |
| Roundhouse |
A building in which locomotives and other railroad
equipment are inspected, cleaned, repaired and serviced. |
| Rule G |
Railroad work rule against the use of intoxicants. |
| Run-Around |
If an employee is not called for work in turn,
he/she may claim pay for the run which he/she missed. In
such cases, it is said he has been given a "run-around." |
| Siding |
An auxiliary track along the main line which is used
to permit other trains to pass. (See Hole.) |
| Snake |
A railroad switchman. |
| Snipe |
Track laborer (section laborer). |
| Sperry |
Car Railroad car used by Sperry Rail Service to detect
weakened or cracked rails. |
| Spotting |
Cars Switching freight cars to a specified location
for loading and unloading. |
| Superintendent |
A chief executive officer, who supervises
and directs operations over an entire division. He is responsible
for the supply and maintenance of rolling stock, equipment,
the right of way, and for the prompt handling of traffic. |
| Swing |
A brakeman who has responsibility for breaking up
the train by setting out cars or sections of cars in the
center position of a freight train. |
| Tariff |
A published schedule showing rates, fares, charges,
classification of freight, rules, and regulations applying
to various kinds of transportation and incidental services. |
| Throw it in the hole |
Apply emergency brakes. |
| Trainmaster |
An executive officer who supervises train service
operations on one or more divisions or on part of a division.
He also supervises the operation of trains at terminals
and in yard service. |
| Terminal |
Facilities provided by a railroad at a terminus
or at any intermediate point on its line for the handling
of passengers or freight, and for the breaking up, making
up, forwarding and servicing trains, and interchanging with
other carriers. |
| Trick |
A work shift or hours of duty. |
| Turn-Around |
A train run from a terminal to an intermediate
station and return to that terminal in one work shift. |
| Turntable |
A track table operating on a pivot for diverting
locomotives or cars into a specific track. Turntables may
be located inside or outside of a roundhouse or other shop
facility. |
| TWC |
Track warrant control territory. |
| Waybill |
Waybill A document for handling and accounting for a shipment
of freight. |
| Way Car |
A box car from which LCL shipments are loaded and
unloaded at various towns. |
| Weedburner |
Flame thrower vehicle which rides on the tracks
and is used to kill weeds along the track right-of way. |
| Whiskers |
Age or seniority. |
| Work Train |
A train engaged in company service for which
no revenue is received. |
| Wye |
A track in the form of a "Y" which leads from
a main line and is used in lieu of a turntable for turning
engines, cars and trains around. |
| Yard |
A system of tracks within defined area limits for the
making up of trains, storing of cars, and for other purposes |
