way to run a railroad

noun

Method of managing a complex operation.

“This is no way to run a railroad.”

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Meanings

noun
  1. USMethod of managing a complex operation.

    This is no way to run a railroad.

    2 more examples

    This is a hell of a way to run a railroad.

    Is this any way to run a railroad?

Origin

From the demanding nature of running a railroad before telecommunications.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

way to run a railroad. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/way%20to%20run%20a%20railroad

MLA

“way to run a railroad.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/way%20to%20run%20a%20railroad. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “way to run a railroad,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/way%20to%20run%20a%20railroad.

Source: way to run a railroad on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.