This is for everyone. I hope some of the guys/gals from the full size forum join in as well. I'm not sure how to format this but let me just throw out some terms. Switch Siding Coupler Freight car Engineer Fireman Conductor Roundhouse Station Signal Brakeman Highball(no not Jamison's on the rocks) Redball Extra Timetable OK, thats enough for now. These are terms that should be somewhat familar to most United States railroaders. What does your country call them. For example Siding, in Austrialia they are called: Crossing loops. What are they called in your country? ------------------ When in doubt, empty your magazine.
I remember someone mentioned something about those 'crossing loops'... I didn't read the whole thing but assumed they had a big loop to have the train go around. I'm wrong i hope!
In England: A switch is called a point. A siding is usually a dead end track, a siding on a running track that has access both ends is a passing loop. Freight car - goods wagon, although 'freight' is becoming the norm. Locomotive Engineer - Engine Driver. Conductor - used to be called a Guard, but is now Conductor. Roundhouse - we had some of these, but most of our engine sheds (Motive Power Depots) were straight roads through an open ended shed. ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery Alan's European Gallery Alan's British Steam Gallery
In Australia, most terms are based on those used in the UK. Notable exceptions; switch(es) - we call them points, or turnouts (tech). The switches are the moving 'blades' which rest against the stockrail. The rest is the lead and 'V' crossing (frog). siding/passing loop - passing or crossing loop and sometimes a run around (short length). Freight car - goods or freight car/wagon. Measured in 'lengths' of 22' (the length of a 4-wheel wagon of old). Siding and train lengths used to be stated in 'x' length but it now is now mostly in metres. Fireman - in 2 locomotive teams, this is a second. Essentially a dogsbody, and probably a driver in training. Conductor - Passenger services still use a guard. Brakeman - this is a hard one. I guess our equivalent to that is a shunter. Engine sheds are loco depots or running shed. Roundhouses, as such, have gone by the wayside but there are a few still in existence. Extra - non-timetable. Logged as N/T in Train Describer (TD) systems. I assume a redball is an emergency call? Gary. oh, highball - a tall, slim glass ------------------ Gary A. Rose The Unofficial TC&W page N to the Nth degree!
Thanks for the answers, how 'bout you guys from Europe. Are the terms the same as the UK and Down Under? BTW Highball used to be from the old signals of large balls strung on poles for daylight signaling of blocks. It meant clear ahead. ------------------ When in doubt, empty your magazine.
No, tunnel, I haven't head of redball before. The fastest freights are referred to as time freights or guaranteed freights. They usually run to a timetable. The highball I have heard before, and I do recall photos of that type of signal. Gary.
"Switch", in American parlence, is actually slang. "Turnout", is the real name used by railroads here. "Points" are the parts that actually move on the turnout and the "Frog" is the spot were the rail diverts and crosses the "Turnout". "Sidings" are stubed and "Passing Tracks" (Loops) have "Turnouts" to enter and exit on both ends. We had Cabooses (some say Cabeese), Shacks, Vans or Crummies on the ends of our trains and some still do. Most mainline trains now have a "FRED" (Flashing Rear End Device) or EOT (End Of Train) unit which flashes to the rear of the train and also sends a signal to the locomotive cab that tells breakline pressure and that "the rear of the train is still connected." ------------------ BNSF RAILFAN-TO-THE-MAX! Brent Tidaback, Member #234 and a N-Scaler to boot! [This message has been edited by Maxwell Plant (edited 01 August 2000).]
As a kid i remember reading about the 'Redball'... I don't recall seeing much about it anymore. Concerning cabooses, they're just about a distant memory around here. BNSF still has a couple for the locals but that's about it. I think UP still has a baywindow with the safety slogans north of the UP/BNSF diamond(Can't remember the name of the spot). It might be gone though.
In the old days, your 'caboose' to us would be a 'guard's van' or 'brake van' and was used to apply braking power to the rear of a non-brake fitted train. (Yes, we had freight trains with no brakes!!!) The van was weighted to usually 20 tons, and the guard would apply the brake by a large screw down wheel. They have all gone now, except for some on maintenance trains. ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery Alan's European Gallery Alan's British Steam Gallery
Regarding Redball, I was hopeing someone would have the real definition. I know it meant as tunnel88 said an express thru freight. In fact during WWII after the invasion of Normandy, the Allied army set up a logistics train of trucks and commendierd roads, fuel, men to haul supplies to the front lines. The lines were moving so fast that normal supply trains couln'd keep up. They called it "The Redball Express". ------------------ When in doubt, empty your magazine.
Red Ball- something the ohio lottery does every once in awhile Sure your not meaning redeye (red signal) ------------------ Theres no such thing as having to many coal hoppers or GP40-2 when you model Chessie System LONG LIVE THE KITTEN!!! LONG LIVE BIG BLUE!!! I looked at DCC... and stayed DC!
Alan, and if you reported passing a disused petrol station enroute to the live steamer site, how many in USA would understand? Freights with no brakes? Only one car with a hand brake? Wow. How often did the engine brakes wear out under those conditions?
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ChrisDante: This is for everyone. I hope some of the guys/gals from the full size forum join in as well. I'm not sure how to format this but let me just throw out some terms. Switch Siding Coupler Freight car Engineer Fireman Conductor Roundhouse Station Signal Brakeman Highball(no not Jamison's on the rocks) Redball Extra Timetable OK, thats enough for now. These are terms that should be somewhat familar to most United States railroaders. What does your country call them. For example Siding, in Austrialia they are called: Crossing loops. What are they called in your country? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Switch-Switch Coupler-Coupler Freight Car-POS Engineer-Hogger (at least on BCR) Fireman-Fireman Conductor-On Via Rail Canada, 'Fired', on BCR, 'Engineer/Hogger', on CNR/CPR, 'a what?' Reball-a what? the rest are the same. Dane N. ------------------ BC Rail King BCRailKing@Canada.com InternationalRegion@tamr.org for TAMR info. Dane_Nicholson@tamr.org http://www.tamr.org
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by fitz: Freights with no brakes? Only one car with a hand brake? Wow. How often did the engine brakes wear out under those conditions?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> This was mainly in steam days. When the diesels came along, they did not have enough braking power, and the cars would just push the locomotive along the track when it tried to stop the train! So they invented a diesel 'brake tender'. This was basically a heavy weight mounted on two passenger bogies (trucks). They were usually coupled in front of the locomotive, fitted with brakes, and effectively doubled the braking power. They were not around long, as fully braked wagons (freight cars) soon replaced the unfitted ones. ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery Alan's European Gallery Alan's British Steam Gallery
Further question, in the UK and Europe and Aus. do you still run "wagons" with 2 wheel trucks, I remember in the '60s seeing a lot of them. The "wagons" were so short! Another question, how come your train lengths are so short. I remember Alan remarking on that on another post showing a 1.5mile tanker train on the SP or UP? This is fun ------------------ When in doubt, empty your magazine.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ChrisDante: Further question, in the UK and Europe and Aus. do you still run "wagons" with 2 wheel trucks, I remember in the '60s seeing a lot of them. The "wagons" were so short! Another question, how come your train lengths are so short. I remember Alan remarking on that on another post showing a 1.5mile tanker train on the SP or UP? This is fun <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> 4-wheeled wagons finally were condemned in the early 70's from memory. Train lengths have increased here in Australia over the last 10 years. The cross-Nullabor trains have been upwards of 2000m (1.25 miles) but locally they are kept somewhat shorter due to the operating profile. Grades enroute dictate train lengths. Gary.
<font color="3333cc">Yup, we still have two-axle wagons here. Some of them are new! Our trains are quite short, as they have to run at quite high speeds to keep out of the way of the intensive passenger trains. Also we do not have sidings long enough to hold very long trains. I have to admit that I do not know much about modern British freight operations, as we don't have any near where I live and I spend my time studying American railroads, instead </font> ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery [This message has been edited by Alan (edited 18 August 2000).]
I saw an article-don't remember where- about how a European locomotive was being powered with a GM 645E engine... Things related to railroads seem to be quite different in Europe...
