A grip is what railroaders call their bag of tricks. There are certain things that will be needed on a trip, such as track warrants, paperwork, lantern, radio, spare batteries and safety equipment, such as gloves, high visibility vest, and glasses. Besides these items required to get the job done, most railroaders want to bring a lunch or two and a couple changes of clothes and toiletries for their time in the hotel away from home. All this needs to be carried on to the train somehow, and ideally, it will all be carried in one bag. That bag is called a grip. Railroader's bags were once called grip sacks, however over the decades of railroading, that term was eventually shortened to simply grip.
Grips come in all shapes and sizes. There really is no specific bag that the word grip refers to. Some railroaders prefer backpacks for all their gear, while others prefer shoulder bags. Some railroaders carry one bag for their railroad gear and a second, smaller one for their clothes and toiletries. Some railroaders carry their lunch in a separate container as well. In any case, it is correct to call any of these a grip. My grip is a rugged and durable shoulder bag, and I put everything in it. It has my name embroidered on it for easy identification, but other than that, it really is a fairly nondescript, black shoulder bag.
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