Definitions Useful in Model Railroading

 

A

AAR: Association of American Railroads, a major trade organization.

Abutment: A supporting structure on each side of a bridge.

Accessory decoder: A digital device to control trackside accessories.

ACI: Automatic Car Identification: An electronic system that uses a scanner to track railroad cars.

Air Brake: The compressed air system employed for braking.

Alligator: Named for long nose, an Alco RSD-15 locomotive.

Alternating Current: Household current (AC).

Ampere or Amp: An electrical measurement of power strength.

AREA: American Railway Engineering Association.

ATC: Automatic train control to aid in driving trains.

B

B Unit: A diesel locomotive unit without a cab.

Ballast: Crushed or chipped rock used under track to keep the roadbed level and distribute weight of railroad stock.

Bandit: A locomotive from the former Milwaukee Road line. After the sale of Milwaukee Road to Soo Line, their engines were painted over and resembled bandits.

Banking: Assistance from an additional locomotive at the front, center or end of a train.

Bare table: An empty spine or well car.

Baseboard: A structure for model railroad construction.

Bellows: Accordion-like structure connecting passenger coaches.

Bench work: The structure that provides support for a model railroad layout. Often constructed of wood grids or girders.

Big Boy: A name given to a large, steam 4-8-8-4 locomotive.

Billboard: A pre-1972 Santa Fe locomotive in the blue and yellow paint scheme.

Black Widow: A Southern Pacific locomotive paint scheme of all black with some silver.

Block: In prototype railroads, a length or section of track with defined limits. In model railroading, an isolated section of track or tracks for wiring in DC.

Bloody Nose: The scarlet red nose of a post-1959 Southern Pacific diesel locomotive.

Body Shell: The structure of a model without the mechanical portion.

Bolster: The cross-member on the underside of a rail car, where weight is transferred to the center of the truck.

Box Car: An enclosed railroad car for transportation of freight.

Branch Line: A secondary rail line from a Main line.

Bright Future: A CSX tricolor paint scheme.

Bull: Railroad police officer.

C

Cab: The compartment for an engineer or fireman.

Caboose: A rolling office or living quarters for the conductor or rail crew, usually found at the rear of a train.

Cadillac: Name given to an EMD SD9 locomotive for the smooth ride they provided.

Calf: A cables switcher with diesel engine.

Can opener: The herald for Conrail.

Catenaries: Overhead wires for power distribution to railroad system.

Catfish: A D9-40CW locomotive on the Norfolk Southern line.

Coal drag: A train shipment of coal.

Code: Height of model rail, measured in thousandths of an inch.

COFC: Container On Flat Car (see: Intermodal)

Consist: A list of the cars that make up a train. A group of locomotives is a locomotive consist.

Coupler: Mechanism for connecting rolling stock.

Covered wagon: An EMD E or F series locomotive.

Cross Tie: Longer than a standard sleeper, often used at switch points.

Crossing: Railroad tracks that directly cross each other at the same level.

Crossover: An alignment of turnouts providing train movement from one track to another.

Crummy: Another name given to a caboose.

Current: The flow rate of electricity.

CV: Configuration Variable that are memory locations on a decoder.

D

Dark Future: The CSX paint scheme also known as Yellow nose.

Decoder: A digital device that receives commands from a central station.

Derail: A device to prevent rolling stock from moving onto a mainline.

Diamond: A level crossing of railroad tracks forming a diamond shape.

Diesel: An internal combustion engine that powers locomotives.

Direct Current: Electrical current in a continuous one-way flow (DC).

District: A section of track on a layout powered by a single booster circuit.

Double slip switch: A track crossover with points in both directions.

Drawbar: Mechanism that connects the locomotive to the tender.

Duck Under: A location where one bends down and goes under a layout for access.

Dynamic braking: locomotive motors generate electric power from moving train for this regenerative form of braking.

E

Elephant style: The lash-up of locomotives that all face forward.

End Stop: Used to stop rolling stock at ends of track like sidings.

Engine: Common name given to a model steam or diesel locomotive.

F

Fallen flag: A former railroad company.

Fiddle Yard: An area on a layout, sometimes hidden, to manually assemble trains.

Firebox: Used to light the fire that heats a boiler in a steam engine.

Flange: Part of a rail wheel that engages the track on the inside edge to keep rolling stock on the track.

Flash: Unwanted, extra material on molded parts.

Flex Track: Model railroad track designed to curve to form custom radii.

Flex Track: Ready-made flexible track sections, sold in 36” lengths.

FRA: Federal Railroad Administration.

FRED: Flashing Rear End Device used on the end of trains in replacement of caboose.

Freight Yard: A storage or assembly point for freight cars.

Frog: Part of a turnout that allows wheels to pass at an intersection of track.

G

Gandy dancer: A railroad track maintenance employee.

Gauge: The actual width between tracks. Most railroads in North America are 4 feet, 8.5 inches. (Often confused with “scale”).

Geep: Name for EMD GP series locomotives.

Genset: A locomotive that uses multiple engines and generators rather than a single set.

GEVO: Name given to GE Evolution series locomotives.

Goat: Locomotive used in yard switching.

Gondola: A flat and open car with short sides for hauling materials like steel.

Grade Crossing: Road and track crossing at same elevation.

Gradient: The incline of a slope expressed as a ratio.

Green goat: A switching locomotive with an engine and rechargeable batteries.

Guard Rail: Added rail to guide wheels through turnouts, or within boundaries on a bridge.

H

Hammerhead: A name given to ALCO road switchers with a high short hood.

Hand Laying: Prototypical placement of model railroad track using individual pieces. 

Helix: A circular structure that elevates track as it rotates at heights (grades) that are appropriate for prototypical and scale modeling standards.

Hogger: A Locomotive engineer.

Homasote: A pressed paperboard material that is commonly used in model railroad layouts. It is typically available in 4’ x 8’ sheets, when available.

Hopper: Type of freight car that releases the load at the bottom. (Types are covered and uncovered).

Horse head: A part of the Norfolk Southern logo.

Hotbox: An over heated wheel bearing.

Hump Yard: A freight car assembly yard that utilizes gravity to roll cars into position.

Hy-cube Car: A boxcar of about 10,000 cubic foot capacities for hauling low-density freight like automobile bodies.

I

ICC: Interstate Commerce Commission.

Inbound train: An arriving train.

Interchange: Track arrangement allowing trains to change main lines.

Intermodal: A method of moving materials by more than one mode of transportation; such as containers from a ship, to a train, then to a truck for delivery, as an example.

J

Journal: The end of a wheel axle that moves in bearings.

Juice Train: A unit train comprised of special Tropicana cars.

K

Kodachrome: The paint scheme used by Southern Pacific and Santa Fe following their merger.

L

Ladder: The main track of a railroad yard that other tracks branch from.

M

M.U.: Multiple Units, as in locomotives.

Main Line: The track serving as the primary route for trains.

Manifest: A freight train of mixed cars and cargo, or the detailed list of a shipment.

Mill Gondola: An over-length gondola for hauling specialized loads.

Module: Using a standard, it is a section of layout that can be connected to other modules to form a continuous layout.

MoW: (Maintenance Of Way) Railroad equipment used to maintain track, roadbeds and right of ways.

N

Narrow gauge: Track that is less than the standard gauge. In model railroading, HOn3 is HO scale, with 3 scale feet between the tracks

NMRA: National Model Railroad Association

O

Observation Car: A passenger car with large windows for viewing at the rear of the train.

Operation: The simulated running of trains on a model railroad layout.

Ops Session: Prototypical running of model railroad equipment using real railroad conventions.

P

Parlor Car: A passenger car with deluxe accommodations.

Patch: Rolling stock bearing new reporting marks, painted over old marks.

Pig train: A train of Intermodal cars (piggy back).

Piggy Back: Vehicles driven onto flat bed railroad cars.

Points: Parts of a turnout that take wheels from one track to another.

Power Bus: The wires that carry that power and electronic signal from the booster or station to the rails.

Power District: An isolated section of tracks in DCC wiring.

Private varnish: Privately owned passenger cars.

Programming track: isolated track section for programming locomotive decoders.

Protocol: The format of signals sent between devices in DCC.

Pullman Car: Most sleeping and dining passenger cars were produced by Pullman Inc., for many years. Ended their business in 1979.

Pumpkin: Current paint scheme of BNSF.

R

Radius: Usually measured in inches for model railroad track curves, it is a straight line measured from the center of a circle.

Rail Joiners: Metal device that connects two rail-ends on model railroad track.

Reefer: Abbreviated form of refrigerator, a type of freight car used to keep the contents refrigerated, mechanically or with ice.

Refrigerator Car: A railroad car with insulated walls, ceiling and floor for keeping goods cold while in transit.

Reporting Mark: A system by the Association of American Railroad to identify the owners of rolling stock.

Re-railer: Usually molded as a crossing, it is a section of model track that directs wheels back onto tracks.

Reverse Curve: A curve in track followed by a curve in the opposite direction.

Reverse Loop: Part of a track section on a layout that turns back onto itself. It may be used to turn trains around or a result of layout design, but will require special wiring.

Right of Way: Property owned by a railroad for track passage.

Roadbed: The material under the track and sleepers, to include the earth beneath the ballast.

Rolling Stock: Any vehicle that travels on rails, including locomotives.

Roundhouse: A circular structure for locomotive storage or repair and serviced by a turntable.

RPO: Railway Post Office.

Running Board: A walkway along the roof of boxcars or the sides of tanker cars.

S

Scale: The relationship between the original and the smaller version expressed as a ratio and/or Letter in model railroading.

Scratch Building: Making models from raw materials rather than kits.

Screamer: An EMD F40PH locomotive for full-throttle operation in front of passenger equipment.

Sectional Track: Pieces of model railroad track sold as straight sections and measured radii curves.

Semaphore Signal: An older type signal that uses a short arm with colored lamps.

Sergeant stripes: A Canadian National paint scheme of 70’s and 80’s.

Siding: A track section with a turnout at both ends; often used for passing or temporary staging.

Signal Box: Structure housing components for signal operation.

Signal: Light or light and bell indicator for the control of train movement.

Single Slip: A turnout with points in one direction.

Sleeper: Also called a tie, made of wood or concrete, it is the cross piece to support and space tracks.

Sound decoder: A digital device that produces railroad locomotive sounds.

Speeder: Small motorized track inspection vehicle.

Spike: A large “nail” used in holding track components in place.

Spine Car: A railroad car made of a center sill and end floors for hauling containers.

Spur: A track with a turnout at one end and a dead-end at the other.

Standard Gauge: For North American railroads, it is the distance between rails at 4”8.5”.

Styrene: A widely used plastic available in numerous shapes and dimensions. (Polystyrene).

Super Elevation: Where the outside rail on a curve is raised for better train handling.

Switch Machine: A motor or mechanism to operate turnouts.

Switch Stand: A mechanical device used to change the direction of turnouts. It throws the points and indicates the direction with a colored device like a sign or light.

Switch: Common name of a turnout, a track mechanism for changing from one set of tracks to another.

T

Tangent Track: A curve or line transition to change track direction smoothly.

Tangent: Straight section of track.

Tank Car: Various railroad cars for carrying liquid material such as oil, acid, vinegar, etc.

Team Track: A track where railroad cars can be loaded or unloaded by the public.

Tender: A railcar containing coal and water, attached behind a locomotive.

Tie Plate: Device that secures rail to tie.

Tie: Wood or concrete piers that support rails, spaced evenly on a bed of crushed stone.

Toaster: Name given to GE locomotives.

TOFC: Trailer On Flat Car (see: Intermodal)

Track Speed: The maximum safe speed for train traffic.

Traction: Rail equipment run by electricity like trolley systems.

Transformer: Used to convert electricity into useable form for model railroads.

Tread: The part of a locomotive wheel contacting the track.

Truck: Generalized term for the axle, wheel assembly and mechanism under a railroad car.

Tunnel motor: EMD SD40T-2 and EMD SD45T-2 locomotives designed with lower air intake to keep air clean while in tunnels. Used by Southern Pacific.

Turnout: A track mechanism for transferring rail car wheels to attached track for route change; also called a “switch”.

Turntable: Rotating structure for turning locomotives or rolling stock to other tracks, called “service tracks”.

U

U-Boat: A GE locomotive in the Universal series.

Uncoupling lever: A mechanical device that raises the pin in a coupler to open it for uncoupling.

Under Frame: The structural components that support the body of a rail car.

V

Volt: The push of electric power.

W

Warbonnet: Santa Fe’s red and silver paint scheme.

Watt: Amount of electrical power measured as Volt multiplied by Amps.

Weathering: An artistic process of aging model railroad components, including rolling stock.

Welded Rail: Rail sections welded together to form a continuous section without joints.

Wet noodle: Canadian National logo since 1961.

Wheel Arrangement: The standard expression of the number of wheels in front of the driving wheels, the driving wheels and then the number of wheels behind the driving wheels. E.g.: 4-6-2.

Worm Drive: A gearing that drives the motor at 90 degrees for greater efficiency.

Y

Yard: A group of tracks for assembly and storage of railroad cars.