Elephant Style

henry6 wrote: Someone in the industry apparently has taken offense to its use but has also condemned everyone who has ever used it. It's origin and legitimate usage was pointed out and both the posters and the writers were attacked.

No one was getting attacked, after reading all the posts the only one getting upset was you there buddy. It's too bad it got locked, i found this topic comical.

Thread unlocked due to request.

Never heard "elephant style" being used on a railroad, although I've heard folks talking about "doggie style". I'm told that's a locomotive coming into a shop because of a barking turbo.

Nelson Bay wrote:although I've heard folks talking about "doggie style". I'm told that's a locomotive coming into a shop because of a barking turbo.

That's funny, I always thought it meant something else. (hmmmm hmmmm)

Nelson Bay wrote:... although I've heard folks talking about "doggie style". I'm told that's a locomotive...

Oh no...

The downward spiral continues...

Maybe a new topic about "dogs"? LMAO!



Seriously, the only time I've heard anything about "dogs" was...

"Dogcatch Crew"; meaning a recrew sent out to relieve a train (crew) "dead on time", as if they're out "collecting the strays that didn't come home" (the train didn't make it to the terminal).

"Making puppies" or having "intimate carnal knowledge of a canine"; meaning a crew is dragging their feet getting the work done, the crew is said to be "f***ing the dog".

My apologies to our Moderator, Charlie6017, for this questionable reply. I guess I don't know what a "barking" turbo sounds like ... maybe I've heard one, but never heard it described as "barking".

No problem Rob.........

Hey guys.......All I ask is let's keep it clean...........

Charlie

Dont get mad at this there Henry, just thought about how your disappointment in us not using the term when looking at how a set of power is lined up could play a good part in a comedy spoof about when railroaders run into railfans. A Dumb and Dumber type story line with some good old cheezy laughs and special effects like you'll find in a movie like Caveman. A railfan on vacation comes up on a local setting cars off the headend, says to the guys on the ground "I see your locomotives are Elephant Style"....."WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT OUR HOGHEAD!!!"...."I said your Elephant Style"......hoghead yells out the window "GRAB HIM...." ..... against his will throw him up on the units for the rest of the trip while leading him to think he's in the movie Deliverance. That would be a funny movie.

That didnt all come from my head, theres been plenty of times we have scared/tricked a few new guys into thinking that they dont wanna be alone with that guy, we call him Broke Back..... he loved the movie just ask him. Leading him to think something... severely wrong... might happen to them during this trip. Comes time to get down and buckle or jump on the caboose, they dont know if your laughing at them or if its just a joke.

But you are missing my point. Meanings of words and phrases differ from one part of the country to another and from one country to another. Railroad terms often differ from railroad to railroad, too. Terms also differ from one group to another. Threrefore there is no reason to deride or cast despersions and derogatory remarks upon a group or an individual for using a term one never heard applied before. Hot box means one thing to railroaders but for the rest of the population it sounds like something else. A "tramp" in seafareing circles means something entirely different to landlubbers. In railroading I gave as an example the many different terms I have heard to describe a local freight from drill, Merry Go Round, roustabout, turn, and I am sure many others. Even the term "foamers" is not just a railroaders' term but also could be used by those who imbibe or to a dog that is rabid (er, that's most railfans, isn't it) or a body of water full of undetermined suds.

Reguardless...Theres no reason trying to prove your point to railroaders there bud. I cant for the reason of me think of why you keep trying. Maybe the reason you dont understand why we would never choose to pick that term up, let me explain it to you. We pick on and haze people like you wouldnt believe, for the most part we are a bunch of heathens when we are in groups, it only gets worse as more of us come together. If one guys shows any weakness, defect, lack of self esteem due to a trait.... its like being thrown into a snake pit. If we feel that bringing something like that up to your face is gonna get at ya so the rest of us can laugh, we'll do it. Heres a example of someone putting themself out there for punishment, theres a guy from Salt Lake i believe that wears yellow bibs and a yellow hat, we call him Chiquita Banana. Same thing goes for saying Elephant Style in the yard office, never mind on the radio. Thats why we dont use that term, if anything its better to just point and grunt if your trying to explain something while at work. THAT IS WHAT ITS LIKE AT WORK ON A CLASS ONE RAILROAD. Understand now buddy? We have no use for it, we use other words to describe a consist that is set up that way which works just fine, saying the word Elephant (since theres air hoses everywhere to aid us in pranks and visual jokes) or the thoughts that can come to mind when you say Style, as Nelson Bay brought up. Unless a guy likes getting picked on, you have to watch what you say and put out there. Do you finally understand why?? I've saw more then one guy get abused while trying to pick up there grip.... and they werent even doing anything wrong. Last thing you would want to do is throw an air hose in there cuzz you said Elephant Style.... and the guy doing the pounding wanted to show it to you first hand. Not Good.

If you want to, you can come down here in the morning sometime when the Devil Soda Ash Train pulls up and someone says "looks like we're gonna have to wye" and you can say "no the proper term is Elephant Style" and see what happens to you.

I have never met a railroader like you and the one's you describe. And I hope I never do.

We have (had) a real "gem" in our class, that we just finished in Wilmington. He is now called "Lumpy" or "Lumpy-Doodles". That name will unfortunately (for him) stick with him for the rest of his railroad career, however short that is. Railroaders are a cunning, sadistic, antagonistic and vicious lot. (but enough about their good traits) The weakest are immediately singled out, and are unfortunately (sometimes) fodder for the rest of the pack. UP tells it like it is, while not even scratching the surface. SooLineRob, we all know what Final Terminal Delay is really called, right..... (woof-woof). We got a thread about barking turbos on the EMD Forum. It's the giant "burp" it makes, when the bearings and/or impeller get coked up. It blasts a big bark, then freezes up again, until the pressure busts it loose again, with another bark, a ball of fire, and a huge plume of thick black smoke. This might repeat itself two or three times a minute, under a heavy load, in the 8th.
Railroaders are very "cliquish", someplaces might never accept an outsider, even after years and years of working with him. People can, and do sometimes get "blackballed" even though most folks wouldn't know what that really means. Railroaders do. Of course railroaders know what a hotbox means, as well as a tramp, and a lot of other terms and words, that would make a normal person scratch their head. Trying to force railfan created/accepted terms into mouths of railroaders isn't going to cut it. This isn't a "slam" against whoever posted this, but you can't honestly talk the talk, unless you are walking the walk. Stuff you want to have from trackside is great. I'm trackside myself, whenever the mood strikes. You won't know me, and you certainly won't know I'm a railroader. I might get as much fun watching and listening to you, as you do watching, and listening to us. You won't have me coming to work, talking about "elephant style" though, no matter how proper a term YOU might think it is. I'll bet you would snag any railroad "slanguage" you overheard, and would find a way to work it into a conversation, with your fellow buffs at trackside. That's the difference. We have our slanguage, and even though it might have regional variations to it, it's still ours. Just a thought. Regards.....

Glad you see where we're coming from now Henry. None of us were trying to get you all riled up like you thought we were. You just didnt understand our behavior bud.

They'll pull pranks on each other, too! Despite rules (there's TWO rule books, doncha know: one the Operating Rules and another book of rules called the General Conduct and Safety Rules). Pranks are prohibited, but they get pulled anyway! Particularly around shops and terminals. Just don't let the TM see you! So, Henry, you are most likely being "pranked" without even knowing it!!!
The terminology is no biggie. You would just be surprised at the variations AND how little many of them actually are used by the actual employees. Railroaders are railroaders. Fans are fans, and the two groups are usually quite separate from one another!

Gadfly

I wonder what I would be called if I showed up for work in my old airline uniform?

This thread reminds me of my working holiday days in england . several common tools has different names to what i was used too . for example we call locking pliers vise grips ( regardless of the brand ) they called them mole grips . pipe wrenches we call stilsons , they called them monkey wrenches . and so on , with most tools been known by the most popular brand in the country youre in . most would relaise the difference in terminology , but some would go , you mustnt know what youre doing , you dont know what mole grips are .
I also strike this alot in my current electrical profession , the old electrical engineers who write the theroy books and exam papers use terms that are no longer in common use , or describe using tools that are no longer commonly used . ( Avometer for e.g ) . Which makes it unnecessarrily difficult for young students to come to grips with info that is not relevant to thier everday working life .
the point I'm making i guess , is just because someone doesnt understand a term , doesnt mean they dont have an understanding of whats going on .
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