Who remembers what a scoot is? Haven't heard that term in years. I heard it on the radio last night. CCR used it in one their songs. Rob
Other railroad's "scoot" The Long Island Rail Road operated several trains over the years that were referred to as "Scoot". The earliest was a battery car operated on the West Hempstead branch and the last was the RDC car that operated between Babylon and Patchogue. Generally, any single car self-propelled train was a "scoot".
Is that bird as in Falcon (CNW's hotshot piggyback service)? IIRC, on the CNW the scoots weren't single-car movements.
Working the Scoots (Metra passenger/commuter trains) in Chicagoland. Birds were C&NW's Falcon Service freights. Sometimes fast freights, priority trains, hot shots are called scoots. So are motorcycles.
Indeed. Do not forget the famous "Greenport Scoot". Lionel still makes a sset based on that one. Russ
scoot n. Regional Note: Scoot comes from a Scandinavian verb related to the verb shoot and, borrowed into Scots dialect, originally meant "to squirt with water." Two derived senses, both intransitive verbs, have become even more common: "to slide suddenly across a surface" and "to move quickly":
Exactly. In this instance, Rob is referencing the famous Metra (nee: C&NW), commuter trains. I first learned about them years ago. From a friend who was a Milwaukee Road leverman. (The operator in an interlocking tower.) Who worked in the greater Chicago area. Boxcab E50
As I recall, the term referred to high speed short light equipment that ran by 'time' during the early morning and evening passenger commuter runs between station points, usually at near 'wide open' speeds. Those pulled by the high stepping Atlantic's, Pacific's, Hudson's, and later big 4-8-4's were sometimes equipped with water scoops that could replenish their tenders with water in long in-track water pans on the fly. I can post old photos of some if anyone is interested. I believe the term was not applied to trains like the 20th Century Limited, Powhatan Arrow, etc. that were full sized 'scheduled' trains. There were diesel motor cars developed during and after the demise of steam, some with an extra car or so as needed to handle the traffic, that carried the same nick name. Besides passengers, some also carried express mail and perishables to small off mainline spots, if I am not mistaken. Were these what made the "Race Track" famous? Correct me if I am wrong, my memory is fading.
