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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Motorman

Motorman \Mo"tor*man\, n.

  1. A man who controls a motor. [archaic]

  2. an operator of a motor vehicle, especially of a streetcar or subway train.

Wiktionary
motorman

n. 1 (context dated English) A man who controls a motor. 2 A person who operates a motor vehicle. 3 (cx India English) A train driver.

WordNet
motorman

n. the operator of streetcar

Wikipedia
Motorman
See Operation Motorman for the British Army operation in Northern Ireland

A motorman is the title for a 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 United States 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The term has been replaced by more neutral ones, as gender-specific job titles have fallen into disuse, and because many systems employ large numbers of women in the position.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 City Subway and London Underground, the position is now called train operator (T/Op).

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

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.

Usage examples of "motorman".

The motorman yells and throws himself on the brakes like a football player.

Hundreds of the excited mob press close to the cowering motorman, whose hand is observed to tremble perceptibly as he transfers a stick of pepsin gum from his pocket to his mouth.

The motorman and the conductor had not been home since the morning of the 4th.

As soon as he saw the motorman pitched into the gutter, Merriwell moved toward the carriage.

I think the motorman simply found the hansom unmanageable, for some reason.

The motorman of the trolley car had neglected his duty and joined a gaping crowd at a corner.

An inspector from the transit authority arrived to question the motorman, whom the police already had in hand, of course.

The motorman set his teeth hard, and rang the gong loudly, insistently.

The motorman stood with his hand on the lever, ready to start the car the moment the track should be clear.

Carrots, with a pack of street Arabs at his heels, jeered at the new motorman, climbing up on the car and taunting him, until, at last, his patience was exhausted, and he suddenly lifted his foot and kicked one of the boys off the car.

They tried to drag the motorman off, in spite of the guards, they smashed the car windows, they tore out the cushions, they beat the policemen, and wrenched their clubs out of their hands.

Evidently they had not noticed the dangerous position of the carriage, and now the motorman started the car forward.

The police, now seeing the danger, forced the furious motorman to stop the car until the crowd had had time to fall back and the carriage had safely crossed the track.

And, almost at once, in the doorway of the partition appeared a streetcar motorman in blue jacket and hat.

The motorman, thrown forward, pugnosed, on the guidewheel, yells as he slides past over chains and keys.