--- In BRHSlist@y..., "William Franckey" <budapest@g...> wrote:
> Jonathan and List,
> Growing up in and around railroaders through the 50's and 60's, the
words
> greybacks and redbirds were very common terms indeed. When the
hotshots had
> a SD-7 or 9 stuck between two pair of greybacks, the crews really
thought
> they had something. When the new red color began to appear,
redbirds meant
> newer, more powerful locomotives which meant getting back home
quicker thus
> redbirds was a word that conveyed a lot of meaning. Out of the
roundhouse,
> the cans of Dupont Gloss Black and smaller cans of the new "red"
were used
> on more things than locomotives. I don't ever remember any
railroaders using
> the term "blackbirds." Blackbirds might have been used early on
but I never
> heard the expression.
> Bill
>
can not say that any post in this thread is in error. things were
different division to division. everyone is honestly relaying what
they heard or can recall. my experience, being the youngest son of an
engineer, who was set up when i was born, and working a short career
myself on the Q. never heard or used the term blackbird or redbird,
did use red or red motor. can recall walking from yard office out to
the pit and remarking to engineer we have a pair of red ones (talking
gp7's on local and night runs) recall people remarking 2xx got new
paint, when it showed up in red, but did not say the 2xx is a
redbird. did know that the red was called chinese red, thats all.
first time ever heard redbird, blackbird was on this list.
agree with 100% with bills statement about red power, but the red
900's meant new power, mainline, the big time, fast trips, cd's,
turbo whine, advance cd, big money, pool turns, climb on-go fast-stop-
get off, as soon as the rear end said 'all movin' you are due at the
next terminal a 100+ miles away.....
warren
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