Re: Aussie railway slang

["Tezza" <tezza2000@dingoblue.net.au>]

"gm4201" <gm4201@nospambigpond.com> wrote in message
LUOh6.23171$65.116118@newsfeeds.bigpond.com">news:LUOh6.23171$65.116118@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
| "Tezza" <tezza2000@dingoblue.net.au> wrote in message
| 3a8416ae$0$16397$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3a8416ae$0$16397$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
| >
| > | Sprag officially per the rules, was a thick piece of wood with pointy
| ends
| > | used to stick in the holes or between the spokes of wheels when the
hand
| > | brake was U/S to prevent the vehicle rolling away.
| >
| >
| > I seem to recall 20 odd years ago that a trainee shunter was called a
| sprag.
| >
| >
| Does that mean that trainee shunters were stuck in the wheels to stop
wagons
| rolling away? :)

Knew they had to be useful for something.