footplate

foot +‎ plate

footplate (plural footplates)

1. (rail transport) The metal plate which forms the base platform of a steam locomotive and supports the boiler and the driver's cab, particularly in the United Kingdom.
   • 1960 October, P. Ransome-Wallis, “Modern motive power of the German Federal Railway: Part Two”, in Trains Illustrated, page 611:

     All the same, nearly eight hours on the footplate covering a distance of 320 miles, with an ambient temperature of up to 103° for much of the time, proved an ordeal which I would not lightly undertake again.

   • 1961 March, Balmore, “Driving and firing modern French steam locomotives”, in Trains Illustrated, page 148:

     After a while we left the engine, but not before André had examined the 4-6-4 very carefully, with hammer and torch, both outside and underneath. And that was the end of my footplate work on this particular weekend.

   • 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:

     This uncoupling done, Gimbert opened the regulator as Nightall climbed back onto the footplate, in order to pull the one burning wagon away from the rest of the bomb-laden train.

2. The engineer's cab in any kind of train.
   • 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage, published 2007, page 845:

     Kit had fallen into conversation with a footplate man who was deadheading back out to Samarkand, where he lived with his wife and children.

3. (anatomy) The flat portion at the base of the stapes; pedicel.
   • 2008, Michael Valente; Holly Hosford-Dunn; Ross J. Roeser, Audiology Treatment, page 218:

     The footplate of the stapes develops and ossifies in conjunction with the otic capsule and thus takes its origin from the otic placode in the embryo.

4. The part of a roller skate that attaches to the boot.
5. (construction) A timber in a wood frame that distributes a concentrated load.
6. (auto parts) A platform on which the driver's foot rests but which, unlike a pedal, has no effect.

• footplateman, footplate man

footplate (third-person singular simple present footplates, present participle footplating, simple past and past participle footplated)

1. (rail transport) To travel (or work) on the footplate of a locomotive.
   • 1979 August, Michael Harris, “A line for all reasons: the North Yorkshire Moors Railway”, in Railway World, page 415:

     Hard work is required from men and machines as I was to experience later when footplating Lambton No 5 on five bogies battling its way up Newtondale.