ch man ▁is ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁a ▁short ▁air ▁bra ke ▁extension ▁h ose ▁or ▁a ▁temporary ▁rail ▁repair . ▁ ▁A ▁rail ▁repair ▁dut ch man ▁is ▁typically ▁a ▁ ▁long ▁piece ▁of ▁rail ▁that ▁is ▁cut ▁in ▁advance ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁and ▁carried ▁by ▁a ▁section ▁crew . ▁If ▁the ▁gang ▁finds ▁a ▁rail ▁with ▁a ▁ch ipped ▁or ▁broken ▁end , ▁they ▁remove ▁the ▁conne ctor ▁pl ates ▁( fish plates ), ▁cut ▁out ▁the ▁dam aged ▁section , ▁replace ▁it ▁with ▁the ▁dut ch man , ▁and ▁b olt ▁the ▁connect ors ▁back ▁in ▁place . ▁This ▁is ▁often ▁only ▁a ▁temporary ▁repair . ▁ ▁When ▁w eld ing ▁rails ▁together ▁using ▁the ▁Th erm ite ▁process ▁began ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁a ▁section ▁of ▁rail head ▁approximately ▁ ▁long , ▁also ▁called ▁a ▁dut ch man , ▁was ▁often ▁placed ▁between ▁the ▁sections ▁being ▁joined , ▁with ▁only ▁the ▁web ▁and ▁foot ▁of ▁the ▁rail ▁being ▁new ▁Th erm ite ▁steel . ▁ ▁Theater ▁The ▁term ▁is ▁also ▁used ▁in ▁the atr ical ▁scen ery ▁construction , ▁where ▁a ▁dut ch man ▁is ▁a ▁strip ▁of ▁material , ▁usually ▁canvas ▁or ▁mus lin , ▁used ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁joint ▁between ▁two ▁ad jo ining ▁surfaces ▁( such ▁as ▁fl ats ). ▁The ▁strip ▁is ▁then ▁painted ▁or ▁text ured ▁to ▁match ▁the ▁ad jo ining ▁pieces ▁and ▁create ▁a ▁se am less ▁effect . ▁▁ ▁War p ▁or ▁we