[CBQ] Wabashing was Re:Dutch Drop

[Kenneth Martin <kmartin537@surewest.net>]

   Pete,

 From "A Treasury of Railroad Folklore" p308.  Just before a "Q" 
strike(no date given) 'Bill' a drunken savage foreman of the Bridge 
Terminal (affiliated with the Wabash) in E. St. Louis was given a  
string of cars  to get to the "Q" before midnight when the gate would be 
closed. Well the yard was full, so Bill had his hogger back up getting 
slack then had him come forward pushing all of them in spilling cars 
all  over the place.

The next day Bill was fired and demanded to know why.  When shown a 
letter from the Q he stormed out cursing and frothing at the mouth. 
"I'll sue 'em for that, so help me, I'll make 'em weep over that word. 
There ain't no such damned word anyway-they reported me for "Wabashing 
that transfer track. Who the he** heard of Wabashin' cars?"

It seams a chief clerk in the Q yard had seen it and reported "Last 
night some crew filled our yard with cars, piled 'em all over the yard, 
so that the wrreker will be busy for a month clearing up the mess. It 
was a Wabash stunt." And with that the term got started.

Ken Martin


Jpslhedgpeth@aol.com wrote:

>While your at it Charlie...Look up the source of "Wabash" as a term....not 
>just a railroad name.   I'll let you know if you get the right answer.
>
>Pete
>
>  
>



------------------------------------

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CBQ/

<*> Your email settings:
    Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CBQ/join
    (Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
    CBQ-digest@yahoogroups.com 
    CBQ-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    CBQ-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/