jerkwater town: a small town; a town served by a branch railway line

Early trains needed a frequent supply of water to replenish their boilers, so crews were often forced to stop, form a bucket brigade, and "jerk water" from streams along the way. Sometimes, the jerkwater towns along the route left water next to the tracks for the convenience of the train crew. Eventually, locomotives were built large enough to carry plenty of water for the trip. However, these later models were in short supply at first. They ran along the main lines only, while the jerkwater trains continued to serve the small towns along the branch lines. The term jerkwater town was applied to any small town, and eventually broadened to mean any small, inferior location.