Railway lingo as break-up metaphor

December 12, 2019 7:40 AM

I’m writing a song where the narrator breaks up with her boyfriend on a train, and I need a title. What are some good, short rail travel-related phrases that could serve as metaphors for a breakup?

I already have the phrase “whistle stop” in the song. The working title is “Leaving Trains”, which feels inaccurate and is also the name of a band to which I don’t want to invite comparison.

posted by pxe2000 to Grab Bag (27 answers total)

Uncoupling
posted by shibori at 7:42 AM on December 12, 2019 [10 favorites]

Best answer: All Departures
posted by fiercekitten at 7:42 AM on December 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: End of the line

Derailed

Signal Crossing
posted by AlexiaSky at 7:43 AM on December 12, 2019

Best answer: Derailment

Braking

Switching tracks

Disembarkment
posted by Tomorrowful at 7:43 AM on December 12, 2019

Best answer: Change cars

Switch seats

Offload cargo (ow)
posted by wellred at 7:47 AM on December 12, 2019

Best answer: Lonesome Whistle - there are a *lot* of train songs
Midnight Train to _
Last Train to _
Derail
Engine Brake
Off the Rails
posted by theora55 at 7:50 AM on December 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: All Local Stops
Express to _____
Rerouted
Out of Service
The Caboose
posted by dywypi at 8:09 AM on December 12, 2019 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Terminus
posted by dywypi at 8:12 AM on December 12, 2019 [3 favorites]

Loco Motive
posted by at at 8:24 AM on December 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Last call
Final stop
Last stop
Estimated time of departure
Ready to depart
Departing soon
This train is being taken out of service
Out of service
The club car is closed
Lonesome whistle
That lonesome whistle blows
I hear that lonesome whistle blowing
posted by Winnie the Proust at 8:43 AM on December 12, 2019

Deadheading (discussion here)
posted by Radiophonic Oddity at 9:15 AM on December 12, 2019

Best answer: Opposite tracks
Opposite platforms
posted by Mchelly at 9:16 AM on December 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: On the ground - trainspeak for derailed.
posted by leaper at 9:26 AM on December 12, 2019 [2 favorites]

Shunted into the sidings
posted by scruss at 10:31 AM on December 12, 2019

Best answer: Changing points
Points change
Sidelined
posted by unearthed at 10:44 AM on December 12, 2019

Best answer: Apparently, in the UK, they have frequent delays in the fall because of "leaves on the line".
posted by pykrete jungle at 12:16 PM on December 12, 2019 [6 favorites]

Mind the gap.
posted by frumiousb at 12:34 PM on December 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

Bad Order
posted by repoman at 1:15 PM on December 12, 2019

Best answer: Make/Break (adding subtracting cars)
Switching
Cranking the switch
Dwell time (time stopped in a station)
Berthing
Right of way
Running rail
Interlocking (where tracks cross)
Fouling a track (person or equipment too close to the track)
Milepost
Spur (storage track)
posted by agatha_magatha at 1:25 PM on December 12, 2019

Best answer: Changing trains.
Branch lines.
Taking a local.
Different stops.
posted by SemiSalt at 2:33 PM on December 12, 2019

Best answer: "Please take all your belongings with you..."
posted by theory at 2:56 PM on December 12, 2019 [2 favorites]

Came in to second “mind the gap.”
posted by bendy at 4:09 PM on December 12, 2019

Leaving platform 2 is the 12:56 to...
posted by Lanark at 4:25 PM on December 12, 2019

Rejection Junction?
posted by queen anne's remorse at 5:03 PM on December 12, 2019

"Back up and push" (already the name of a song), but "shove"comes up in that context.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:46 PM on December 12, 2019

Slack action?
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:50 PM on December 12, 2019

I'm getting off (at another station)?
posted by Thug at 4:43 AM on December 14, 2019