footplate

[ foot-pleyt ]

noun

1. Carpentry. a plate running beneath and supporting a row of studs; mudsill.
2. a platform or special floor area on which workers stand to operate a machine.

footplate

/ ˈfʊtˌpleɪt /

noun

1. 1. a platform in the cab of a locomotive on which the crew stand to operate the controls
   2. ( as modifier )

      a footplate man

Word History and Origins

Origin of footplate¹

First recorded in 1840–50; foot + plate ¹

Example Sentences

Organisers of the free event said the public will be able to step on to the 97-tonne engine's footplate.

From BBC

"We pay £200 per tonne of coal now. In normal circumstances our engines use three to four tonnes a day, even with footplate crews being economical."

From BBC

There was also a thought to bring the strut — the part that runs up the back of his calf and connects to the footplate — closer to his leg.

From Washington Post

Couple after couple perch together, heels of their feet barely balancing on the footplate.

From The Guardian

The researchers discovered writing on the footplate that was not visible to the naked eye.

From BBC