Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hell on Wheels:
This expression was a reference to the gamblers and
prostitutes who followed railroad crews in their own railcars (on
wheels) while the transcontinental railway was being built.
highballing down the road:
Early signals were given to a moving train
by hoisting colored balls onto a pole; a ball at the top of the pole
meant “all clear.”
light at the end of the tunnel:
The consensus is that this common
expression originated with the railroad.
on track, off track:
A railroad track is the obvious origin of these
expressions.
over the hump:
When freight cars are pushed over the hump, or high
point, in a rail yard, they roll easily by themselves to a siding.
sidetracked:
A reference to diverting a train onto a siding until
another can pass.
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