Railroad Language

Railroading, like any other profession, has its own unique language and subculture. Railroading however, seems to have a greater “civilian" following than most other blue collar industries so the general public usually knows more slang from this line of work.

As colorful as this language is, much of it is not fit to publish here. One of the best known is the signal or command: “highball." The track is clear and you are cleared to proceed.

Less well known synonyms include such phrases as “Whup on 'em!" "Beat the hide off of 'em, and "Shake 'em!"

Nit picking railroad officials who are sticklers for correct procedure gnash their teeth at this kind of talk on the radio.

There are a couple of pretty universal commands to make an emergency brake application. "Big Hole It!" comes from the fact that, when any type of brake valve is placed in emergency position, all the air pressure goes out a big hole. “Plug 'em!" means the same thing, but its origin is obscure. Less common are "Bust 'em", or “Bust the air."

In normal operations, a normal stop command is simply "That'll do."

Non railroaders talk a lot about something that "jumps the tracks." That term is virtually unheard of on a working RR. On the Brushclump, Stumpjump & Podunk, we say that someone or something “got on the ground," or "derailed," (the correct term).

Locomotives and cabooses go by many names. Locomotive is the correct term for engine, jack, mule, hog, or horse, to name just a few. Many individual make and model locomotives have names that come from their numerical model designation; Geep (GP-7) or U-Boat (U-30c). One of the two brands of locomotives still built in the U.S. is called Brand X because it is so unpopular with maintenance personnel.

The physical appearance or shape of locomotives have given us names like “covered wagon, alligator nose, shark or centipede." Locomotives rebuilt or converted in the company shop are not called by any name printable here. Ditto for the people who designed them.

Cabooses are correctly called "waycars." But more commonly called just "cabooses or hacks."

To ask a conductor who his engineer is, ask him, "Who's pulling you?"

To ask an engineer who his conductor is, ask him, "Who ya pullin'?"