What are some railroad terms?

General Railroad Terms and Lingo

  • bake a cake – building up steam.
  • battleship – a very large locomotive.
  • brass collar – an official representative of the railroad; a bigwig.
  • clown wagon – the caboose of a train.
  • COFC – acronym for containers on flatcar; means that the train is hauling shipping containers.

What is a car on rails called?

A railroad car, railcar (American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and UIC), also called a train car, train wagon, train carriage or train truck, is a vehicle used for the carrying of cargo or passengers on a rail transport …

What are each train cars called?

Learn the difference between these rail equipment types: auto rack, boxcar, centerbeam, covered hopper, coil car, flatcar, gondola, intermodal equipment, refrigerated boxcar, open-top hopper, tank car, well car.

What are the railroad bars called?

Level crossing signals
Level crossing signals are the electronic warning devices for road vehicles at railroad level crossings. The basic signal consists of flashing red lights, a crossbuck and a bell, attached to a mast. At most crossings, the signals will activate about 30 seconds before the train arrives.

What are the types of trains?

Indian Railways: 29 Types of Trains

  • Rajdhani Express. Rajdhani Express trains connect the national capital, New Delhi to various state capitals or the largest cities of several states.
  • Duronto Express.
  • Shatabdi Express.
  • Jan Shatabdi Express.
  • Sampark Kranti Express.
  • Garib Rath Express.
  • Humsafar Express.
  • Kavi Guru Express.

What is a train lover called?

A railfan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast or railway buff (Australian/British English), trainspotter or ferroequinologist is a person interested, recreationally, in rail transport.

What is the last car of a train called?

Cabooses
A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in switching and shunting, keeping a lookout for load shifting, damage to equipment and cargo, and overheating axles.

What does it mean to list all the cars on a train?

A listing of all rail cars on a train, in train order, that is transmitted from station to station in advance of the train’s arrival. A notification of an approaching event or intended action, such as notice to a customer that cars ordered will soon be placed at their industry.

Which is the best definition of a railroad?

1. A system in which signals are operated automatically by a train, a broken rail, an open switch, a car standing on a turnout fouling the main track, etc. 2.

What are some slang terms for the railroad industry?

The railroad industry has amassed an interesting and often times confusing laundry list of meanings/slang that can trip up even seasoned rail enthusiasts. Interestingly, some terms hearken back to equipment no longer used. For instance, “high ball” was an early type of signaling system employed across the country.

What do you mean by automatic train signals?

1. A system in which signals are operated automatically by a train, a broken rail, an open switch, a car standing on a turnout fouling the main track, etc. 2. Railroad crossing flashers and gates operated automatically by the approach of a train.