Pete,
I am sure you are aware that the Q always referred to diesels as motors right up through the early BN days, not locomotives, engines or diesels. You had a consist of three motors on a train, not three locomotives or engines. I am sure that for people working for the RR, use of motorman was probably appropriate, particularly for the gas electric cars and early small Zephyrs. When I first went to work for Electro-Motive, some people who did not have direct contact with RR personnel, could not understand my use of the term engine for a locomotive. To many people in EMD, an engine was something that was installed inside a locomotive carbody. Of course the term motor for a locomotive is more closely associated with electric locomotives, but then, a diesel electric is an electric locomotive with it's own power source. So maybe the Q was more correct than most other RRs!
Bill Barber
Gravois Mills, MO
Wed Jan 8, 2014 7:48 pm (PST) . Posted by:
Leo...to add to the TO you saw....In the ICC report on the collision of the PZ and the south local at Napier, MO in October '39 the train orders were addressed to No. 21 MOTORCAR 9900. During my braking days most train orders were address to MOTOR NO 1234. I'll have to check if I've seen anything addressed to c&M. Although some were as above most were addressed to Engine No. 1234....seemed to be dependent on what the dispatcher wanted to do.
Pete