Everyone has co-workers or friends with nicknames, share a few

Question

Obviously some need no explanation, such as the ubiquitous "knuckles" or "scrap iron" that are flexible and can be applied to whomever messed up last. Over the years there have been some pretty colorful ones.

Answer 1

Wow...  a ton of ‘em here.  But the Southern Pacific’s Sacramento and Oregon Division’s were fertile grounds.  Some got their monikers from different sources and reasons, but we had an engine crew dispatcher in Roseville named Roy Berthune, and he personally dubbed a majority using their initials as the root...  the others got their name either for actions or inaction.

The list is long but I hope all enjoy the reading of the answer to a great question.  They appear in no particular order and most are old heads, most all gone now.  These were great men and superb engineers who taught me everything I have ever known (or taught what not to do) about train handling, gentlemen all...

“Water Tank” Weston

“Sour Mash” Miller

“Low Water” Linn

“Mile Post” Jones

“Suit Case” Sims

“Wooden Leg” Scott

“No Signal” Fultz

“Junior” Brashear

“Chopper 1" John Horton, aka “The Hippie Hogger”

“Chopper 2" Jack Keene (These two got their monikers after chartering a helicopter to fly into a major annual party thrown by a trainman once upon a time on his property called “Gopher Gulch.”... it’s a long story, destined to be a RailRail)

Ray “The Mexican General” Ortega

“Dinger” Linebarger

“Honeybee” Bews

Ed “Coffee Pot” Alexander

“Kick-stand” Dan Holleran

“Dutch” Newman

“Porky” Espinosa

“Crash” Caddel

Louis “The Mad Hungarian” Raddos

Steve “The East Yard Rapist” Longhoffer

“Killer” Kane

“Jerk and Kill” Williams

“Gentleman Jim” Mireles

“Buff” White — hogger and pitcher for the Oakland A’s

“Eggshell” Reginato

“Terrible Ted” Vasquez

Al “The Cannibal” Grant

“Diner Dan” Service

“Snuffy” Zumalt

“Jumpin’ Jim” Parise

Louie “The Great One” Bowler

“Phyllis” Bently

Red “Big Sky” McGaugh

“Liquid Propane” Mireles

Alex “Bat” Battistella

Ralph “No Shoes” Miller

“Faulty Dick” Falltrick

“Tiny” Shearer

Paul “Ferta” Leizer

Carl “Forever” Yuers

Al “The President of the Helpers” Marske

Henry "Milk Toast" Midkiff

Perry "Aquaman" Plantz

"Rotten Rodney" Turner

"Go Go" Godeaux

Jerry "Mister Engineer" Holbrook

There’s more, I’m sure, and I haven’t even touched on the trainmen yet... maybe that’s another question...

As for mine, well I'm changin' 'em out every so often right here..

Answer 2

.....man......this could get nasty.  Some people don't even know their nicknames that others give them.  There's Big Booty Lutty.....big butt, Tall Paul...who's tall of course, The sherminator....red head like in american pie movie.  Gloom and Doom....cause that's all of his stories.  Flex....because the guy thinks he has arms.  Uncle nasty....he's about 50 but likes 18 y/o girls.  Stinch.....his last name has the words in it.  Meat...well....he's just supposedly endowed.  Tuna....first name is charles as in charlie tuna.  So many I can't even think of them all.  Everyone pretty much has a nickname.  Some call me soft hands.  A guy I hired out with was arguing with me and said I probably have soft hands because I never worked a day in my life.  Kinda figured I went to college so I didn't have to.......that didn't work out so well.  The name kinda stuck with some guys.

Answer 3

I know a:

Ringo

Radio

Tiny

Answer 4

Funny, yes, I was thinkning the very samething myself earlier.

Mine, Rango of course, from an old Tim Conway tv western in the '70's, he was constantly falling off his horse, my Dad was given the nick after a horse mishap that landed him in the ER, I was LIttle Rango until he died, then the little was dropped.  

Punkinhead, d**k Head and Big Foot need no explanation, likewise "Festus" after his scruffy whiskers and a hitch in his getalong after Dr's put a 9" titanium rod in his hip to hold him together.

"Runaway Roy", he never had a runaway but he sure scared a few guys until he had some experience.

"Ole Honk" was one of the best hoggers I ever worked with, from the old school, hard drinking, hard living but smooth as silk with a train. We laid him to rest last fall, RIP Jack.

A kid showed up for work one day and "Hi, you can call me Tiger", an old switchman said, "Kid, you may get a nickname but you dont get to choose it" It sorta stuck though, everyone calls him Tigger now.

"Lightening" an engineer here named Rod, he is very slow and deliberate, takes forever to do anything so the name was stuck on him, reverse nomencalture I guess.

"Wrong-go" (me) after a mishap with a reverser on a work train many years ago, not all nicks are ones we would choose for ourselves. LOL

"007" Art thought he was a smoooth ladies man, he wasnt but the name stuck.

"VO5"  was always messing with his hair.

"Bam Bam" guy thinks he's a body builder

"Dark cloud" one of those doom and gloom kinds

"Bitchin Bob" and "Old Bitchandmoan" no explanation needed for either one

"Bubba" guy from Georgia, short and round, fits perfectly

others as I think of them. . . . . . .