Railroad engineer cap

A railroad engineer cap is a cotton ticking front-brimmed cap similar to the fatigue cap once worn by the US Army, and the utility cover worn by the USMC. The upper part is a single piece of fabric folded and pleated, usually loosely, to the band. The brim is stiffened with multiple layers of cloth, and is relatively flexible. Caps of this design (whether striped or solid colored) were sometimes referred to in advertisements, in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, as "shop caps."

The design dates back to 1890 and was part of a larger trend toward workers of specific trades choosing their own distinctive apparel, or uniforms. Since train engineers were affectionately known as "hog heads", their distinctive hats became known as "hog head hats".

Originally, the hats were made of dark-colored denim, but in 1920, a Wisconsin clothing manufacturer offered hats of that design made of blue-and-white striped material, as a promotion to encourage sales of their overalls, which were also made of that material. The combination of blue-and-white striped caps and overalls became the standard apparel of train engine crews throughout the remaining years of the steam-engine era and into the era of diesel- and electric-powered locomotives. Though use of the traditional engineer's cap spanned decades, today's engine crews most typically choose "baseball"-style caps for their head apparel.

References

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