Did You Grow Up Hearing Railroad Terms?

Discussion in 'New Member Introductions' started by Winisdatter, May 13, 2009.

  1. Winisdatter

    Winisdatter Member

    I was very fortunate. I was raised by my grandmother, who was raied in a railroading family. So I heard (and still use) terms she taught me.

    Just yesterday I opened the ice box (still call it that) and took out the cottage cheese, applying the sniff test for edibility... at the sour oder, I remarked to my partner "Nope... this one's gone by the boards."

    Any time something has gone by the boards, it's spoiled, or too old, or past its sell by date or whatever... . Basically from when a train missed the signal boards telling it to slow or stop.

    I remember Mama telling Daddy when we were driving, if he was goign a bot too slow for traffic "Come on, Honey... Highball her!" Meaning... to speed up, of course.

    When I was a kid, and getting rambunctious, Mama might lay her hand on my shoulder... pick it up, lay it down again, pick it up, then a single pat, then lay it back in the standard "Approaching grade crossing" whistle signal., Meaning "Settle down or you'll *wish* a train had hit you, Child!" or she'd clap the signal if I wasn't within reach.

    "We're rolling!" simply meant "We're underway." and Mama used the term "Let's roll" LONG before 9/11.

    Mama once commented, on seeing a very threadbare bum "I bet he's riding the rods!". To ride the rods meant that a person was so poor (or so careless of their own life!) that they would clamber up onto the "rods" (the undercarriage) of a box car, slide a board or something up in there, and lie down, and hold on for dear life when the train started! I.E. someone down on their luck.

    From the sound it made passing us, Mama could tell which cars on a train were full, empty, and darn near what they were carrying, too! If we were on foot, and a train passed us, Mama always did the vertical over-the-head..down to the ground... over-the-head "Highball" gesture to the engineer as a greeting! Inevitably we'd get a whistle-tap as a reply. It became a greeting between us family members, too.

    When the country converted to Amtrak, I wept. it meant that the Frisco was gone for good, as well as all the other 'roads. My dream of becoming a switcher or brakeman was ended. Gone by the boards.

    Sylvia Stevens
     
  2. FRISCO4503

    FRISCO4503 FRISCO4503 Frisco.org Supporter

    Sylvia,
    I grew up in a railroad family too. My Great-Great Grandfather, Great Grandfather, Grandfather, Great Uncle and Uncle all worked for Santa Fe and I had one Great Uncle and an Uncle who worked for FRISCO and later MOPAC. I also worked as a brakeman, conductor, and Engineer for 14 years. That is neat how ya'll use the terms in yer everyday life. I sure do miss riding the rails.
    Will
     
  3. Winisdatter

    Winisdatter Member

    As I think, I remember more stuff. I used mnemonics to remember these... the grade crossing one I remember because the - - 0 - translates to "Get..... Offfffff... the- traaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacks!!" or "Heeeeeere...coooooooooooomes... the- traaaaaaaaaaaain!" I now am remembering more. A single long blast means approaching a station platform. Two longs mean release the brakes and proceed. I remembered that as "Lllllllllllllllets... gooooooooooooooooo!" I never did achieve the proficiency Mama had.

    Another term Mama used was "Big hole 'er!" meaning "apply the brakes. NOW!" used when I was acting up. "You'd better big hole 'er, before you go by the boards!"

    I don't quite recall the meaning of that term, but I think it had to do with applying brakes by shifting a lever into a large slot designed for emergency stops.

    Whistling flagmen in was a matter of a specific number of long blasts, but I don't recall the exact numbers.

    Memories returning. I love it.

    Sylvia Stevens
     
  4. I still do!!! My grandpa worked for Frisco and latter a little on Mopac and UP. Now he is retired. My Mom still uses some of the terms he said and my dad dose too because he works on the BNSF with tree triming on othere matienece stuff. So I was almost pushed to be a railfan and I'm fine with it.:)
    Ship it on the Frisco!!!



    Murphy Millican
     
  5. trainsignguy

    trainsignguy Member Frisco.org Supporter

    My Grandpa worked for the Frisco on the Clinton Sub as a section laborer most of his life and I never heard him once call a switch a turnout. Pretty sure he called the speeder a handcar. And he also always called ballast by it's Frisco name of chat. I later found the name "chat" came from the Frisco usage of mining tailings (chat) from the Tri-State Mining District around Joplin, MO for ballast. I never heard of a turnout or ballast until I started reading Model Railroader and Trains.

    Dale Rush
    Blair Line LLC
    Carthage, MO
     
  6. Winisdatter

    Winisdatter Member

    Yes. "chat" actually comes from the word "chert" a type of mineral.. Heh! I didn't know it was Frisco specific... Mama always called any loose mid-sized stones "chat".

    Had a GREAT day today. Out walking the dogs, and here comes a train! So I faced the engine and gave the "tracks clear - proceed!" signal, topping it on the upstroke with a wave (This is not an official signal, Friend, I'm just saying 'Hi') and got two shorts (acknowledged) in return! I was grinning all the way home!!


    I'm so happy I'm once again within the sound of train whistles!

    For *years* every time our family moved, the first thing Mama would do was to check the map for railroad trackage. Where were we in relation to the trains? She *had* to be within the sound of the whistles. She once asked a realtor "Can you hear the trains from this house?" "Oh *no* Ma'am... it's very quiet here." "Well then, I don't want it!" "What? Why?" "Son... have you ever lived some place where the birds never sing? Where you can't hear the wind? Where the sky isn't right? I cannot live where there aren't any trains! I'd be disconnected... The time will come soon enough when I won't hear any whistles... Find me a house closer to the tracks!"

    She and Daddy are buried in California and I chose the site to be close to railroad tracks running by the cemetery. I don't know if she hears them or not... but I do.

    Sylvia Stevens
     
  7. DanHyde

    DanHyde Member

    Talk about terms? My Granduncle, Robert J. McGilvry said in that news article that " We had a 10 hour rule then. We had to tie it up after 10 hours" We all refer to the iron horse as a living thing, Robert J. lived it.:)
    The article is in my album.
    Dan
     

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