Railroad Slanguage Glossary

The boomers spoke a language of there own, and many of the terms these imaginative and romantic travelers invented still remain in railway parlance. The following is an attempt to establish a glossary of the terms used. It is by no means complete. This glossary first appeared in the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh employee magazine, Railway Life in 1931. Note that seven decades later, many of the terms are still part of our everyday"slanguage". Employees Any Railroad employee Rail Boomer A railroader who restlessly changes jobs. Brakeman Roughneck, Shack, Ground hog, Smokestack, Fielder, Car catcher, stinger Car Inspector Car whacker Clerk Paper weight, Pin head, Pencil pusher Conductor Big O, The brains, The skipper, Bake head Engineer Hog Head, Fog Eater, Hogger, Eagle eye, Speed gager, Throttle puller, Positive block Enginehouse foreman Madhouse Extra gang laborer Gandy Dancer Fireman Diamond Pusher, Smoke Agent, Tallow pot, Fire boy, Coal heaver General manager Whiskers Master Mechanic Master maniac Non-union employee Short tail Railway Policeman Gum shoe, Cinder dick Section Foreman King Snipe Section Laborer Jerry, Snipe Superintendent Old man Switchman Snake, Dolly Flapper Telegraph Operator Lightning slinger, Brass pounder, Ham, Owls (3rd), Op. Yard Clerk Number grabber Yardmaster Dinger, Switch hog Rolling Equipment Any car Wagon, Buggy Box car Side door Pullman Business car Drone cage, Brain box Caboose Crumb box, Dog house, Hut, Crummery Coal car Gon, Hopper Empty coach Bull fighter Locomotive Hog, Mill, Kettle, Lion, Teapot Locomotive with large drivers High boy Locomotive with small drivers Ground hog Mallet Locomotive Sacred ox Observation car Rubberneck Passenger car Varnish box Pay car Band wagon, Family disturber Pullman Car Snoozer Refrigerator cars Freezers, Reefers Steel car Whale belly Switching locomotive Goat Switching locomotive with sloping tender Bob tail Tank car Can Trouble car Dynamiter Miscellaneous Equipment Derail Hop toad Heated journal water car Keeley Impact register Damn liar Journal brass Jewel Lamp Hayburner Lantern Shiner Semaphore light Red eye, Green eye Semaphore signal Paddle, Bug, Board Switch Gate Telegraph instrument Bug Telegraph wires Strings Tool box under caboose Possum belly Torpedoes Guns, caps Train order Flimsey, Tissue Typewriter Mill, Threshing machine Trains Emigrant train Zulu Employees' Train Modoc Extra fare train Due train Fats freight train Hot shot, Red ball Freight train Rattler Relief train The hook Slow freight train drag Slow passenger train plug General Anyone riding on a pass Deadhead Arrival Blow in Boasting Blowing smoke Commuter's train Jit Crew working 16 hours Caught by the monkey Emergency air application Big hole L.C.L Less than carload freight Making a good run Hitting the ball Meal ticket Pie book Miss a meal Fly light Proceed signal Highball Relieving a crew after 16 hours Dog-catching Run without orders Run on smoke Rush telegram Pink Sixteen hour law Bear Third trick Graveyard watch Throw a switch Bend the iron To be disciplined Called on the carpet To cool a hotbox Freeze a hub To die Join the birds To leave the service Pull the pin Trip pass Monkey money Work train Mud hen Yardmaster's office Knowledge box

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