The 6-letter "L" word - Calling the word police

The correct term for 'LASHUP,' is 'LATCHUP!'

Ralph

I believe that if the 'L' word is good enough for Lionel to use in their manuals, then it's good enough for my railway.  (Ut-Oh, that's me banned from the forum for life now...Byeeee.......I'll miss you all...... Waaaaa!) 

The correct terminology would be, MU (Multi Unit). Hey, I'm from a railroad family. I had my chops slapped more than a few times growing up.

I think Rich has given up trying to correct everyone.

Rich,

Here's the best example of a "Lashup" I've found.

The consist is 2 wagons of Borax, Ronald Reagan, and a water wagon.

George

As that's a mule-train, wouldn't it be an MU (Mules Used)? 

You're right on top of things, Nicole.

My Dad and grandfather used the term many, many years ago, and especially when "lashing up" a team of mules to garden plow. Maybe that's where Lionel and MTH got their terms from. Rich not just being and agreeable Joe, but when I heard my Step dad talking about their motive power on the Southern, and especially when they started using Radio units in the middle of their freight trains, especially when leaving Louisville thru Duncan tunnel west to St.Louis, the terminalogy was always and still is Multiple Unit Consist, and anywhere else they used more than one engine to do the job.

In the U.S. Navy lash-up was always used when tying with line, or rope, especially a sleeping rack.

One had to lash line on the frame of the rack to hold and secure the canvas support, which a mattress was placed onto, along with the rest of the bedding.

Ralph.

LASHUP???

Isn't that where Dick Dastardly tied Penelope Pitstop to the railroad track?

I have seen the word used in literature published by real railroads.  I doubt if they learned it from Lionel.

I favor calling it a MUC instead of a lashup!

As in "let's MUC a couple of engines". Or "Let's put some engines in a MUC!"

Like this?

I'll bet that he wants a medal now. 

When you know and understand the correct terminology, why in the world would anyone get a kick out of continuing to use something that is obviously wrong. 

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

When referring to diesels...maybe. Show me where it was used even ONCE when referring to multiple STEAM LOCOMOTIVES on one train.

An excellent observation...one with which I totally agree.

Matt,

    I too have been trying to use the correct term MU or Multi Unit but must confess I do slip out the occasional Lash Up every now and then.

    Recently a friend gave me a bunch of Green Frog DVDs from as early as 1992, I was shocked to hear the term Lash Up through out several DVDs when describing MU consists of engines. For example "a SD60 leads a lash up of GE and EMD engines".

    I respect Rich and his opinions but the more I think about it the words Lash Up make more and more sense. Its not rope or cord they are referring to doing the lash up it is the hoses and cables which connect each engine to each other to allow multi unit operation.

    I guess I will join Nicole because she has it right.

JohnB

Toy train people are really "out there."

And a BLMT as well! (Hint: The M is not for mayonnaise)  

I would say that what is it two decades ago Lionel came up with a "good" term to describe electronically to tie  more than one TOY TRAIN engine to another.  It covers any and all configurations Steam to steam, steam to diesel, diesel to diesel etc.,etc., etc.

Again here we are talking TOY Trains.  On the real train forum that is a different story. 

And for the record I know three real train engineers here and they all use the term and none of them are into 3-rail and/or Lionel.

Yes, I'm sure you do know engineers who use the term lashup once in a while. So do I. And those engineers all run DIESELS.

I suppose I can accept it when the word is used to describe a Multiple Unit Consist of diesels, but there is no way in the wide, wide world of sports that it is appropriate to use "lashup" to describe double or triple-headed steam locomotives.

Rich, now you have me wondering, in the steam era, what did railroaders use to describe the equivalent of a MUC of steamers.   Double-heading and triple-heading is what I know of, with pushers behind.  Sound right for steam?

So Multiple Unit Consist would be correct only for diesel units?

Double and tripper-heading correct only for steam?

Lashup never truly correct, but forgivable perhaps for diesels?

Rich,

Do you think it's realistic to expect Lionel & MTH to use separate terminologies to accomplish what amounts to the same thing with their remotes?

I mean, do you think MTH's DCS remote should give the option of "Lashup" or "MU" and have it give you back an error if you selected "MU" when you were trying to program in 2 steam engines together?

You are putting words in my mouth.

This discussion has gone the way these things always do, off on a tangent into la-la land.

We're all done here. Thread closed.