A boomer follows the work: traffic booms, harvest rushes and hiring sprees, putting in a few months or years on one road before moving to the next and starting over at the bottom of the seniority roster each time. Boomers carry a reputation for skill, toughness and unreliability in equal measure. The word covers anyone who has worked for several railroads, and boomer stories are a staple of crew room talk.
He's a real boomer, worked for four railroads and two short lines before he landed here.
Also heard as
- boomer brakeman
- drifter
Related terms
Old head
A veteran railroader with long seniority, respected for knowledge and sometimes resented for it.
Rattler
Hobo and old-head slang for a freight train, especially one banging along with its slack running in and out.
Bump
To use seniority to take a job held by someone junior, who is then displaced.