One by one, men made inventions for trains, so that traveling became safer and more comfortable. Engines began to burn coal instead of wood. A piece of wire screen in the smokestack stopped the flying sparks, although cinders came through--and they still do to this very day. Coaches and sleepers had softer seats, but they were still noisy for a long time because they had wooden bodies that creaked while the wheels clattered along. [Illustration] Thirsty travelers at first had to buy drinks from the water boy who walked back and forth through the train. Later, cars had a tank of water and one glass for everyone to use. The glass sat in a rack, and it had a round bottom so that it wouldn’t be of much use to a passenger who was tempted to steal it. Lots of things about trains were different in the old days, but one thing was the same. They were just as much fun to ride in then as they are now. RAILROADING TALK Here are more of the slang words that railroaders have made up: BALLING THE JACK--this is what they say when they mean a train is going very fast. Highballing means the same thing. BOOMER--a railroad worker who moves from place to place without sticking very long at any one job. There are still a few boomers, but in the old days there were thousands. [Illustration] BUCKLE THE BALONIES--this means fasten together the air brake hoses which run underneath all the cars. CHASE THE RED--this is what the flagman says he does when he goes back with a red flag or lantern to protect a stalled train. CRACKER BOX--a Diesel streamliner. Glowworm means the same thing. CRADLE--a gondola or hopper car. DOODLEBUG--a little railroad motor car that the section crew uses. DOPE--the oily waste that is packed in journal boxes. GARDEN--a freight yard. GIVE HER THE GRIT--squirt sand onto a slippery track. GREASE THE PIG--oil the engine. HIGH IRON--the track that makes up the main line of a railroad, not switching track or station track. PULL THE CALF’S TAIL--jerk the cord that blows the whistle. RATTLER--a freight train. SHOO-FLY--a track that is used only until regular track can be laid or repaired. STRING OF VARNISH--a passenger train. High wheeler is another nickname. [Illustration] INDEX ashcat, 10 Astra-Dome, 68 backshop, 33-37 bad-order car, 33 baggage car, 78 bakehead, 10 ballast, 83 banjo, 10 barn, 10 Big Liz, 83 Big Wamp, 39 bobtail, 31 boxcars, 54-55 brakeman, 10, 20, 28, 65 brakes, 20 bridges, 58 Brotherhoods, 32 CTC, 62-64 caboose, 13, 16, 17 call boy, 22 car knocker, 34 car retarder, 29 car tinker, 34 cattle cars, 49 Centralized Traffic Control, 62-64 cherry picker, 31 circus cars, 57 classification yard, 25-29 “club down,” 18 compartment, 74 conductor, 65 couplings, 32 cowcatcher, 86 crum box, 17 crummy, 17 cupola, 17 “deckorating,” 20 depressed center car, 57 detector car, 84-85 diamond pusher, 10 Diesel locomotive, 38-40 diner, 69-70 dispatcher, 64 division point, 24