Ok, I know that some of you are veteran railroaders, but I'm just a rail fan
and am not familiar with some of the expressions and lingo you used. Could you
please explain for the ignorant among us the following:
What does "received his time" mean?
I also assume that 'closed the gate' means he realligned the switch(s).
Also, if the track was full, how could you get another 75 cars in there?
And lastly, didn't Bill realize that he had caused a major derailment? How
could he not know???
-Val
Ken Martin wrote:
> Pete,
>
> Like the poetry and appreciate the definitions but you missed one with a
> Q connection.
>
> 'On the Terminal RR in St. Louis (owned by the Wabash then) a foreman
> named Bill had the job of taking all the Q cars and putting them on the
> transfer track before midnight when the Q was going on strike. (year?)
> When he got there the track was full not one car would fit. So he had
> the engineer pull ahead putting in slack then back up as fast as he
> could and shoved in about 75 cars, closed the gate and went home
> satisfied with his delivery. Well Bill received his time for that night
> and wanted to know what for. When told he blew up and said "I'm going to
> sue there ain't no word. Whoever heard of "Wabashing" cars." And the
> crews started laughing at the strange charge.
>
> It was learmed that a chief clerk over in the Q yard office had named
> the stunt by reporting it to his superintendent in these words: "Last
> night some crew filled our yard with cars, piled 'em all over the yard,
> so that the wrecker will be busy for a month clearing up the mess. It
> was a Wabash stunt." He stated.
>
> With that the term got started."
>
> >From "A Treasury of Railroad Folklore" Botkin & Harlow
>
> Ken Martin
>
> PSHedgpeth@a... wrote:
> >
>
> > you wabashed one last night
>
> >
> > * non fits.....Cars not fit for loading
> > ** Class A's....boxcars suitable for flour or other high class commodities
> > ***Flats...flat bottom gondolas
> > **** Drops.....drop bottom gondolas
> > D
>
>
>
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