Southern Pacific Lines Coast Line Division “The Route of the Octopus”

Southern Pacific Lines

Coast Line Division

“The Route of the Octopus”

S.P. Railroad Terminology

12 hour trick- work day

"a good shove" - what head end engineers call a certain expertise for helper service

a.m. trick - 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
articulated- a steam locomotive with two sets of driving wheels under a single boiler; articulated locomotives have wheel
arrangements such as 2-8-8-4 or 4-6-6-4; articulated rolling stock like some old pax cars or modem double-
stack cars share trucks between adjacent carbodies
back up Mallies- cab-forwards called by engineers
bad order - a command placed on a card tacked to a defective car when examined by the car inspector
block- a section of track defined for the purpose of controlling trains
bridge traffic- freight received from one railroad to be moved by a second for delivery to a third; also “overhead traffic”
button job- CTC / dispatcher job
call boy- responsible to call the train crews for work
caboose rocket- when a caboose train slack catches, employees fly inside

cannon-ball - an extra hours pay for working air

- the term “cannon ball” was used when switchmen laced the air on a train or cut of cars in the yard

Class 1 railroad- a railroad with average annual gross revenue greater than $255.9 million
Class 2 - $20.5 - 255.9 million
Class 3 - under $20.5 million; 1997 figures
cockpit check - inspection of engine cab and controls
consist- a group of locos; or, the make-up of a train, often expressed as a list of cars in a train
covered wagons- F-units
crossover - two tracks switches laid back-to-back to allow trains to move from one track to another parallel track
crotch switch-
cut - several cars attached to an engine, or coupled together by themselves; a group of cars destined to stay
together for a time; also a right of way that has been excavated across a high area rather than run over or
tunneled through it
deadhead - to move in a train not to support its operation but to be properly positioned for later work; can apply to
railroad employees as well as equipment
deck- 3600/3700 series 2-10-2
depart single- only the head end power
derail- to leave the rails; also a device placed on the track, usually on a siding to prevent cars from rolling on to the
mainline and causing a major collision
died on law- could no longer work because of the 12 hour Hog Law
died on hrs of service - freight crew working 16 hours
dog house-
door- box car position at a warehouse door
double heading- the use of two locomotives with two separate crews to pull
doubling - cutting a train in two to make a grade because of inadequate power
dynamic braking - an auxiliary system that uses locomotive traction motors as generators producing a powerful braking effect
fan trip-
fire lighter-
five thousand- 5000 series, three cylinder 4-10-2
garden- where perishable packing sheds were located
going for beans- going to dinner
hacks - cabooses
hanging a car-
head end cars- mail, baggage and express cars, so called because they were usually positioned just behind the locos the
passenger trains they moved in
hearing the bark - engine noise
helper- a locomotive added to a train for a portion of its run to provide extra power to climb a grade; called a
“pusher” if added to the rear of the train
herder-
highball- a signal from a crew member to an engineer by hand motion, lantern, or radio to proceed; from old-time
ball signals that were hoisted high to show “clear”
hog law- under Federal Hours of Service Act a crew could only work 12 hours before a required rest period
hogheads - engineers
hoopin' ‘em up- order hoop
hotbox- an overheated wheel bearing which, if left undetected, can burn off and cause a derailment
in the hole- on a siding, usually to allow another train to pass
interchange- junction of two railroads where cars are transferred between them
interlocking- an arrangement of track switches and signals that are mechanically or electronically linked so that
conflicting routes are impossible to set up
joint - connection of two cars
knocking down- what you do to retainers
meet- when two trains approach from opposite directions and pass, one using a siding
mixed train- a train carrying both freight and passengers, the latter either in passenger cars or in the caboose
mudhen- old 4020 series steam locomotives
oil cans- oil cars
old kettle - old steam engine
on sheet - a train passing a reporting station is recorded on train sheet
on the advertised - at the same time as that shown in the public timetable-on time
on the ground- derailed
one empty- a 25-ton caboose
OT - on time
patching a crew- relieved by a new crew
per diem - the daily rental paid by one railroad for the use of the cars of another
piggyback- the transportation of highway truck trailers or containers on flat cars
“pops” set up- air brake retaining valves set
pool “single end” - A single-ended pool is like a turn, with crews operating out and back from their terminal.
pool ‘double end” - A double-ended means crews from both ends work back and forth.
pretty short - not enough power to climb a grade, need helper service
“protect” yard job-
pulling the pin- uncoupling a car
roll-by- visual inspection of a moving train for any unsafe conditions
rolling stock- cars and or locomotives
run around- a maneuver in which the locomotive is uncoupled from its train, run past the train on another track, and
uncoupled to the other end of the train
sailor train - Navy troop train
set offs-
sit on lead-
soak - Relatively low-temperature steam was exhausted and quickly condensed in cool weather. Most SP locos that
could be called "soaks" had slide valves--or piston valves with no dry pipe. Using saturated steam, (i.e. not
superheated). Saturated steam is "wet," superheated steam "dry," thus the term "soak."
soft puffing - exhaust coming out slow
solid train of “roots”- sugar beet train
stack to hack - from engine to caboose
"subs” - short for suburban car
sure spots - locations along industry track where specific cars are spotted
stealing initial- Initial Terminal Delay; extra pay a crew could claim if their train failed to depart the terminal within 1 hr
and 15 min.
“swing” helper- helper cut in mid-train
switch is wrong- a switch is wrong when it is lined against you
taking beans- crews would take on coal
“thin wallet job” - a loco crew job that paid too little
tramp - A Roustabout Job where he does anything needed in a freight yard.
traveling light- a locomotive running by itself without other cars
tying up-
unit train - a train carrying a single bulk commodity, usually coal or grain, from one shipper to one one consignee
without any switching or classification en route
varnish- a slang term for a passenger car or a passenger train, derived from the coats of varnish applied to wood
passenger cars

Wamps - the term Wamps came from the sound the cylinders made using saturated steam.associated with the

2-8-8-2 engines as classes AC-1,2,3.

"weed weasel" - slang for a trainmaster conducting efficiency tests of train crews

wye - an arrangement of tracks forming the letter Y used for turning cars and engines

Dictionary of RR terms

There's a book called RAIL TALK, A Lexicon of Railroad Language, collected and edited by James H. Beck, 1978. ISBN 0-931408-00-8

Southern Pacific Lines
Glossary of S.P. Railroad Terminology