A railroad employee assigned to a yard crew whose primary job is throwing ground-level switches to route cars onto the correct tracks. They work on the ground alongside conductors and engineers, coupling air hoses, pulling pins, and directing locomotive movements by radio or hand signals to assemble and disassemble trains.
Tell the switchman to line us into track four after we clear the lead.
In older eras, this was a distinct craft with its own union. On most Class I railroads, the duties are performed by someone holding a conductor certification working a yard assignment.
Related terms
Switch points
The pair of movable, tapered rails in a turnout that steer wheels onto one route or the other.
Switchyard
A complex of parallel tracks used for sorting railcars and assembling trains.
Pull the pin
To uncouple cars by lifting the coupler's pin with the cut lever; also, to retire from the railroad.
Shove
To push cars with the locomotive behind them, as opposed to pulling them.