philip.marshall Wrote:
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> Hi Stewart,
>
> You piqued my curiosity, so I had to look it up.
> The Oxford English Dictionary lists "trig" as a
> verb meaning "to make firm or fast; prevent from
> moving, especially [to] stop the motion of (a
> wheel or a cask) with a wedge or block", or as a
> noun referring to said wedge or block. It's
> attested as far back as the late 16th century and
> possibly derived from the Old Norse
>
tryggja, "to make firm or secure", which
> would mean it came from the Vikings. So, it's a
> lot older than railroading.
Thanks Philip,
I've never heard that before. Trig is a very old term. The other regional term I've heard (which may pre-date railroads as well) is "muckle" I. E. "muckle onto the turntable pole and turn the engine". It's another one of those northern New England terms.