A highball is a signal to proceed. The word comes from the old ball signals that were hoisted up a mast when the track was clear.
The Short Answer
A highball is a signal to proceed. In railroad speech it means the track is clear and the train can go, often at full speed.
Where the Word Came From
Early railroads used ball signals: a ball hoisted on a mast by ropes and pulleys. When the ball was raised to the top, the track was clear and the engineer could proceed. A lowered ball meant stop. The National Park Service says the word "originated from an old-time ball signal on a post, raised aloft by pulley when the track was clear." The National Register paperwork for a surviving ball signal in Delaware notes that the origin of the highball is unknown, but it was probably invented during the railroad expansion of the 1840s.
How the Meaning Grew
- A signal: a crew member waves a hand or lantern in a high, wide arc to say "come ahead" (NPS).
- A fast run: to "highball" is to run quickly.
- "Ball the jack": another expression for making a fast run.
- The drink: a highball in a glass is a whiskey and soda. American-Rails notes the railroad meaning does not depend on the bar.
Highball and Big Boy
Big Boys were built to move heavy freight over Sherman Hill and the Wasatch. For where 4014 runs today, see the Big Boy 4014 Tour History.
More lingo in the Railroad Terminology Glossary. The The Complete Guide to Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 has the whole story.
The Big Boy 4014 Shirts & Merch collection has designs for the railroad-minded, and our Railroad Worker Gear is built for the people who actually give the highball.
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Keep Reading in the Big Boy 4014 Knowledge Hub
Start with the complete guide to Big Boy 4014 for the full overview.