Sitting on top of the drive mechanism of this Baldwin 4-6-0 is an automated lubricator. On a recent tour of the Disney Steam and Monorail yard, I learned the origin of the phrase - "The Real McCoy".
Early steam required stopping the train every few miles to oil the drive train. In a move to improve efficiency the RR companies required the firemen/oilman to walk out on the edge of the boiler walkway and oil the drive train without stopping and at speed - a very dangerous job. In 1877 a black fireman by the name of Elijah McCoy invented a "lubricating cup" which would automatically drip oil where and when needed. He patented the device and in normal fashion the RR companies tried to copy the device and produce their own. McCoy's device was so good and reliable that when firemen were assigned an engine the first question they asked was - "Does it have The real McCoy?" Hence a new idiom enters our conversation.
How about "Making the grade..." or He's just "Blowing off Steam"
