Quote:
Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar
"Garrotero" is a helper in the locomotive. They pulled the brakes (garrote) and they still perform other activities the train driver (maquinista) orders.
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It sounds like a "garrotero" (or a "guardafrenos") is what US railroad companies call a "brakeman". Originally brakemen controlled the brakes on the individual cars of the train, but modern trains have brake systems that are controlled by the driver, so brakemen now have other responsibilities either on a train or in a train yard. In the US the common name for the driver/operator of a train locomotive/engine is "engineer", although there are several other possible names, including train driver.