In rairoad talk whats a hoghead?

Question

shelterd live in Cailfornia

Answer 1

A locomotive engineer.

Other terms, over the years (at least, printable ones): Eagle eye, golden arm, hogger, hogineer, piglet, throttle jock(ey) and, my personal favorite, "The *#!!@$%^ son of a &%@!* that just broke the %^#!*##& train in two and now we're packin' *%#@*!% knuckles!", a term historically used by brakemen and conductors when referring to a hoghead.

At times, the term has a less than flattering connotation, as it is at times applied to an individual whose train handling skills are less than "proficient".

I've been asked where the term originated.  There are two theories.  One is that there at one time was a type of steam engine referred to as the Hogg engine.  Early days inventors uaually attached their name to a new design.  The engineer that ran it was the "Hogg head".

A second, and more plausible guess, is that steam engines were referred to, in general, as "water hogs", consuming much of the stuff.  Ran by the "water hog head", water was dropped and hog head remains.

There are many more slamg terms for firemen, brakemen and conductors as well.

A fun question. Thanks for asking.

Answer 2

Engineer, throttle jockey.

Answer 3

they are right and here are some fun filled facts

the fireman was also know as a diamond cracker or an ash cat.

a caboose. way car, crummy, monkey wagoon ,bobber.

a rapper was hoghead who ran his train to fast

Answer 4

a train engineer ............