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section gang

American  

noun

Railroads.
  1. a group of workers who take care of a section of railroad track.


Etymology

Origin of section gang

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His powerful arms and shoulders Henry Armstrong attributes to his first job: swinging a sledge hammer in a railroad section gang.

From Time Magazine Archive

He has worked on a section gang, was a surveyor, once worked as a fireman on the Union Pacific.

From Time Magazine Archive

Ohio, he failed to graduate from high school, worked on a railroad section gang.

From Time Magazine Archive

He worked his way from section gang water boy to senior vice president of Illinois Central Railroad from which he resigned to rule the great mail order company.

From Time Magazine Archive

I come here in 1872 and railroaded 30 years, on the section gang and in the shops.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume XVI, Texas Narratives, Part 4 by United States. Work Projects Administration