I agree, things varied from place to place on the
railroad. For example, in this neck of the woods, you
didn't hear the term "graybacks". They were always
"covered Wagons".
John D. Mitchell, Jr.
--- liljop <wulrich@a...> wrote:
> --- 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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