a red freight train passing under a freight bridge with bicycles on it in a country setting

Speaking of Trains: A Glossary of Modern-Day Hobo and Railroad Worker Slang

by Brakeshoe Author

You want to ride freight trains like the characters in the Great Depression. So you find an experienced hobo to let you hold onto her coattails. You got someone to copy a crew change guide for you. But now there's all these unfamiliar words assaulting your ears. Never have you heard so much slang. What does it all mean? Well, The Black Butte Center for Railroad Culture's Speaking of Trains outlines over 600 of these pieces of railroad jargon in a comical way. What are freddies? What about wheaties? A sperry car? When I'm done with this space bag, I'm going spanging as long as I don't run into any bulls or special agents. We're hoping to leave the Jungle to catch the Juice Train in our fart sacks, but my partner is afraid of Catching the westbound. Talk like a railroad expert (unlike me right there!)

  • Speaking of Trains: A Glossary of Modern-Day Hobo and Railroad Worker Slang image #1
  • Speaking of Trains: A Glossary of Modern-Day Hobo and Railroad Worker Slang image #2