motorman

See Operation Motorman for the British Army operation in Northern Ireland

Hat pin from motorman on the Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee railroad.

A motorman is the person who operates an electrified trolley car, tram, light rail, or rapid transit train.

The term refers to the person who is in charge of the motor (of the electric car) in the same sense as a railroad engineer is in charge of the engine. The term was (and, where still used, is) gender-neutral. Though motormen have historically been male, females in the position (such as in the U.S. during the World Wars) were usually also called motormen as a job title.

The term has been replaced by more neutral ones, as gender-specific job titles have fallen into disuse, and because many systems employ large numbers of women in the position. On the New York Subway, the position is now called train operator (T.O.), but it is still called motorman in Chicago.

The operator of an electric locomotive or an electric multiple unit train on a commuter or mainline railroad is typically called an engineer.

The term may also refer to a person on a locomotive-hauled train when the train is being propelled by the locomotive. The driver is responsible for applying power in the locomotive, while the motorman (usually in a specially-built or converted vehicle) at the front of the train, is responsible for obeying signals, sounding the horn, and applying the brakes where necessary.

Oilpatch motorman

In the oilpatch, a motorman is the member of the drilling crew who is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the engines on an oil rig.

External links

• Schlumberger Oilfield Glossary

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