Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-05
SLANG or TRAlNMEN.
Language That Cannot Be Understood
6y Ordinary Citizen.

| lection Of these expressions is being
made by the Railroad Mans Maya
zane and is reaching astonishing pro-
portions. Some of the lingo ear be
understood even by the outsider \
side door Pullman for instance is
q rather common way of referring to
Il box ear. But most of the phrases
are Greek 10 the uninitiated. Taking
her by the neck, for example. is used
when an engine is made to pull u
heavy drag" up a steep hill or around
Il sharp curve.
once at the top of the grade the
"hoggera just lets her drift" Plug
ginS heF' is an old term. used when
the throttle is closed by quick mo-
ton Of the left hand while al the same
time the reverse lever is thrown back
with the right hand. This is not cal
culated To do any good TO engine
frames and cylinders and is resorted
To only in great emergencies. 1t isn't
SO common since the introduction or
automatic air.
An old box car or n small building
occupied rs the Yardmaster's office IS
known as the dog house" 1t is
sometimes used 10 indicate the small
four wheeled caboose used BE- some
roads At the tail end Of freight trains.
This is also called the hut. erum-
mic "crum box" or cage.
Hitting the grit" is what no train
man likes 70 do. but he sometimes has
to when a train is running al fun
speed and his only chance of not being
caught in wreck is TO jump. Get
ting ner down in the corner" is setting
I IL, in Ia
forward notch of the quadrant so that
the engine has the full length of the
stroke
''Patting her on the back" is ar ex-
preston used when the reverse lever
is down in the corner and is gradually
hooked up notch by notch OH the
quadrant as the saturated steam is
worked Of Making hor pop is 10
maintain fire SO that the instant the
engine stops working she blows off.
To keep her hot" is IA maintain n
| fire al steady heat. thus furnishing
| all the dry steam needed. no matter
! how hard the engine may be working
| or regardless of the condition al the
| weather. As every fireman knows, the
| weather often tests the mettle of a
diamond pushera on hard runs with a
heavy drag OF .trattlers"
\ thin plume of dry steam escaping
/ from the pop is carrying a white
feather" This usually occurs after an
engine has been working hard and the
condition of roadbed and gradient per
+! mits Of the engineer easing her off q
little.
When an engine has to haul n par
! tieularly heavy load up a steep grade
| it is often necessary to pound her.
| The engineer gets over the hill with
! her but is apt to strain the engine in
so doing. Working an engine to full
capacity after she has been reported
for light repairs which have not been
given her working an engine TO 4
higher limit than her builders designed
is also called pounding her
4 dead engine" is one without fire.
Steam is sometimes known as fog" "
| The conductor of the switching crew
is the drummer" and the brakemen
are "shacks.' car catchers, field
ers" or ground hogs. The yardmas-
| ter IS frequently known as a switch
hog" and sometimes as "the big
switch hog" The yardmaster's office
is the knowledge box, and the yard
! tIElJ IL llIt llulll'tA t3At'hbNAt Aif-'NN-t
ing cars is shaking EN- out
A new fireman or breakman is a
student" A boomer in the strict
est sense of the term is a man who
STAYS only about enc day on division.
\ locomotive engineer is known as a
"hoghead.' "hCgger, eagle eye, =
"tmottle puller," runner or engine
man."
\ locomotive is called mill. "ket-
tie" scrap heap, Junk pile and
frequently and Familiarity referred e
as the "old girl, \ fireman is known
a.; Il .'tallow pot. diamond dealer,
diamond pusher." and in this day
sometimes as a "stoker.'
Freight brakemen are called
"shacks," "strong arms, "twisters .
"br2kies." "cullies" and dope artists
Vanished cars are passenger coach
cs \ .'gon" is a gondola or coal car
a 'steeleon" is sometimes called a
"whalebellyn or n "battleship.' y re-
frigerator car is ''reefer.
Tho 'runningboard" or "toepath" is
made up of the two or three boards OF
planks, running lengthwise ON the
deck or roof of box car. The door
| OF an engine CAB or teildef Is aiS
calico the edeek" Decking O.
celebrating means that the train
mon are riding on the roof.
The heaviest type Of q consolidation
engine is known as ''battieship, the
lighter type of consolidation is called
a hog" Although the term hog is
generally applied to all engines now
adays, in the strictest sense of railroad
language it should be used only whet
referring to locomotives Of the consol
idation type
A car that is disabled or broken is a
cripple" \ track for repairing Grip
pies is a cripple track. Car i'll
spectors are known as car links and
Knockers" An overheated journa
bearing or BRASS is what constitutes {
"hot box" and the oiled waste used te
repack it is dope" The pay ear i
commonly called the pay wagon oil
band wagon, and is frequently moff
Familiarity known as the family dis
turber.n The injector of an engine is
the gun" The blower is the lire
mans friend
| n,,4 =. .nn pnoleXy mountain count FRY