Search results
Early railroad workers
- Gandy dancer is a slang term used for early railroad workers in the United States, more formally referred to as section hands, who laid and maintained railroad tracks in the years before the work was done by machines.
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Gandy_dancer
People also ask
What is a gandy dancer?
Why are track workers called gandy dancers?
Why do Gandy Dancers ride train tracks?
What was a gandy dancers demonstration lining track?
Gandy dancer. A railroad section gang – including common workers sometimes called gandy dancers – responsible for maintenance of a particular section of railway. One man is holding a bar, while others are using rail tongs to position a rail. Photo published in 1917. Photo of railroad maintenance section crew, Lake Erie & Western Railroad ...
The Gandy Dancer. Last revised: June 6, 2023. By: Adam Burns. The gandy dancer term has blossomed into folklore over the years, celebrated in several songs, books, and other mainstream mediums. Despite its near mythical status it described a once very common job on the railroad, hard labor.
Jan 22, 2018 · The term “gandy dancers” may have come from the odd gait of the tracklayers, who walked in straight lines like a gaggle of ganders (male geese) as they carried the rails to their last resting place on the ties.
Sep 27, 2023 · To put it simply, a Gandy Dancer refers to the laborers who toiled tirelessly on the railroads, maintaining and constructing tracks in the early days of the industry. These skilled workers were responsible for the precise alignment of rails, ensuring a smooth and safe passage for locomotives and their precious cargo.
Mar 6, 2024 · A gandy dancer is someone who works on the maintenance crew of a railroad. Track crews are critical for a working railroad, as these men and women ensure that the tracks are in good working order, and they address situations on the tracks before they turn into problems.
Oct 17, 2023 · Gandy Dancers “Gandy dancers” was a nickname for railroad section gangs in the days before modern mechanized track upkeep. The men were called dancers for their synchronized movements when repairing track under the direction of a lead workman known as the “caller” or “call man.”
