pug

Origin unknown, possibly related to West Flemish pugge (“(adjective) small; (noun) short person; pet name derived from the first name Pugge”); though it is uncertain whether sense 1 (“senses relating to someone or something small”) and sense 2 (“senses relating to people”) are derived from the same source.
Sense 1.8 (“small demon”) was probably influenced by, though not a variant of, puck.

pentu

any of various animals, such as a ferret, hare, squirrel, or young salmon

Senses relating to someone or something small.

(rail transport) In full pug engine: a small locomotive chiefly used for shunting (“moving trains from one track to another, or carriages from one train to another”).


shunt

en-verb

shunt (third-person singular simple present shunts, present participle shunting, simple past and past participle shunted)

shunts (present singular third-person)
shunting (participle present)
shunted (participle past)
shunted (past)

From Middle English shunten, schunten, schonten, schounten, shont, shonte, shount, shounten, shunte (“to move rapidly or suddenly, jerk; to swerve, turn away; to avoid, dodge, escape, evade”), either:
* possibly a back-formation from Middle English shǒnen (“to decline to do, refuse; to abandon, forsake; to disdain, dislike, hate; to avoid, escape; to be afraid, fear; to be wary of”), from Old English sċunian, sċyniġan; see shun. Or
* an alteration of Middle English shunden, *schunden, *schinden, from Old English sċyndan, sċendan (“to hasten, hurry”) (as in āsċyndan (“to remove, take away”), from Proto-West Germanic *skundijan, from Proto-Germanic *skundijaną (“to compel, drive, push; to accelerate, rush, speed up”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kew(n)t- (“to rattle, shake”).
* from unrecorded Old English *sċunettan, a derivative of sċunian (“to shun, avoid”).
The English word is cognate with Danish skynde (“to hasten, hurry, speed”), Icelandic skynda, skunda (“to hasten”), Middle High German schünden (“to compel; to urge; to irritate”), Norwegian skynde (“to hurry, rush”), Swedish skynda (“to hasten, hurry; to scuttle, scurry”). Outside Germanic, compare Sanskrit स्कन्दति (skándati, “to dart, leap, spring, spurt or burst forth, ejaculate, assail, drop, split”), Albanian shkund (“to shake; to swig”).
As regards the noun sense, compare Middle English shunt (“swerve; sudden jerk”), derived from the verb.

cog

Porter, run over while shunting a luggage train, in consequence of his getting entangled in shunting-rope.

1846, “Report”, in Report of the Officers of the Railway Department to the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council for Trade: With Appendices I. & II. For the Years 1844–45. […] (House of Commons of the United Kingdom, 1846 Session, Accounts and Papers; 15 (Railway Department)), volume XXXIX, London: Printed by W[illiam] Clowes and Sons, […], for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, →OCLC, class no. 3 (Accidents Attended with Personal Injury to Servants of the Company, under Circumstances Not Involving Danger to the Public), page xxi:

But despite its plague of tunnels, the run-in on this route is of unusual interest to the locomotive enthusiast: besides the hordes of self-important saddle-tanks shunting in the extensive yards, there was at one time the chance of seeing those slender little North London engines, with their large outside cylinders and no visible storage place for coal, and also an occasional South Eastern locomotive sporting a lot of polished brass.

1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 704:

On arrival at Spiez, the locomotive (No. 206) was immediately uncoupled and drew ahead to enable an Italian through coach from Interlaken to Milan to be loose shunted (with passengers aboard and controlled by means of its handbrake) on to the front of the train.

1953 August, J. G. Click, “The Lötschberg Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 515:

(transitive, rail transport) To move a train from one track to another, or to move carriages, etc. from one train to another.


shunt

These improvements consist, firstly, in a novel construction of apparatus to be attached to or applied upon railways, at those parts termed switches, shunts, or moveable rails, which are commonly used for transferring engines, carriages, or trains, from one line of rails to another, as occasion may require, and which apparatus I call a "switch or shunt protector."

1838 December 17, John Hawkshaw, “[Recent Patents.] To John Hawkshaw, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Civil Engineer, for His Invention of Certain Improvements in Mechanism or Apparatus Applicable to Railways, and also to Carriages to be Used thereon”, in W[illiam] Newton, editor, The London Journal and Repertory of Arts, Sciences, and Manufactures, volume XV (Conjoined Series), number XCII, London: Published by W. Newton, […], published 1840, →OCLC, page 74:

(rail transport) A switch on a railway used to move a train from one track to another.


banker

Between them these engines work passenger trains on the Keith line, and also act as bankers up to Dava when required.

1944 January and February, W. McGowan Gradon, “Forres as a Railway Centre”, in Railway Magazine, page 23:

Because of a shortage of W.R. pannier tanks, two "E6" 0-6-2 tanks, Nos. 32410/5, were engaged as bankers on the Folkestone Harbour branch at the beginning of March; [...].

1960 May, “Motive Power Miscellany: Southern Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 314:

(rail transport, British, Australia) A railway locomotive that can be attached to the rear of a train to assist it in climbing an incline.


gauge

en-noun

gauge (countable and uncountable, plural gauges)

From Middle English gauge, gaugen, from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French gauger (compare Modern French jauger from Old French jaugier), from gauge (“gauging rod”), from Frankish *galga (“measuring rod, pole”), from Proto-Germanic *galgô (“pole, stake, cross”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰalgʰ-, *ǵʰalg- (“perch, long switch”). Cognate with Old High German galgo, Old Frisian galga, Old English ġealga (“cross-beam, gallows”), Old Norse galgi (“cross-beam, gallows”), Old Norse gelgja (“pole, perch”). Doublet of gallows.

cog

It was Locke who concisely won the argument for a standardised gauge of 4ft 8½ inches over Brunel's 7ft 0 ¼in preference. […] Today, over 60% of the world's railways use that gauge.

2023 August 23, David E Norris, “Joseph Locke: a railway injustice...”, in RAIL, number 990, page 57:

(rail transport) Ellipsis of track gauge.

(rail transport) Ellipsis of loading gauge.


reefer

(rail transport, US) a refrigerator car (type of boxcar).


release

en-noun

release (countable and uncountable, plural releases)

From Middle English relesen, relessen, from Old French relaisser (variant of relascher).

отцепване

a device adapted to hold or release a device or mechanism as required

(railways, historical) In the block system, a printed card conveying information and instructions to be used at intermediate sidings without telegraphic stations.


skate

Back-formation from Dutch schaats, from Middle Dutch schāetse, from Old Northern French escache (“a stilt, trestle”) (compare French échasse and English scatch), from a Germanic language, perhaps Frankish *skakkjā (“stilt”, literally “thing that moves”), related to *skakan (“to shake, swing”).

der

(rail transport, Philippines, chiefly Bicol) A makeshift handcar.


slack

Either from the adjective in Etymology 1 or the verb in Etymology 2.

This pitfall, beginning in February and finishing in May, resulted in a drop of about 3 ft. in the platform level; during this period it was necessary to level the track three times weekly, and impose a service slack of 15 m.p.h. The subsidence appears now to have finished, and normal speed is once again permitted.

1939 June, “Pertinent Paragraphs: Pitfalls”, in Railway Magazine, page 456:

The train runs slowly with frequent slacks for bridge and culvert repairs. At one point occurs the changeover from left- to right-hand running.

1949 September and October, “The "Nord Express"”, in Railway Magazine, page 336:

A 40 m.p.h. slack at West Ruislip, quickly followed by a 30 m.p.h. slack at Gerrards Cross, increased our lateness to four minutes at High Wycombe.

1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 103:

(rail transport) A temporary speed restriction where track maintenance or engineering work is being carried out at a particular place.


spectacle

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Mélange a trois-spectacle.wav

From Middle English spectacle, from Middle French spectacle, from Latin spectāculum (“a show, spectacle”), from spectō (“to see, behold”), frequentative of speciō (“to see”). See species. Doublet of spectaculum.

(rail transport) A frame with different coloured lenses on a semaphore signal through which light from a lamp shines at night, often a part of the signal arm.


sunflower

From sun + flower. Compare English sunbloom.

(UK, rail transport) An Automatic Warning System (AWS) indicator in the driver's cab that is displayed after a driver has acknowledged an audible warning, which consists of a yellow circle enclosing a white circle, with black spokes overlaid.


track

→ Kashubian: trak (Canada)

From Middle English trak, tracke, from Old French trac (“track of horses, trail, trace”), of uncertain origin. Likely from a Germanic source, either Old Norse traðk ("a track; path; trodden spot"; > Icelandic traðk (“a track; path; tread”), Faroese traðk (“track; tracks”), Norwegian tråkke (“to trample”)) or from Middle Dutch trec, *trac, treck ("line, row, series"; > Dutch trek (“a draft; feature; trait; groove; expedition”)), German Low German Treck (“a draught; movement; passage; flow”). See tread, trek.

gloss

"line, row, series"; > Dutch <i class="Latn mention" lang="nl">trek</i> (“a draft; feature; trait; groove; expedition”)

cog

They briefly closed the railway to remove debris found on the track.

(railways) The way or rails along which a train moves.


chugger

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-chugger.wav

(rail transport, colloquial) A heavy-duty locomotive whether electric, diesel, hybrid or steam-powered


Chunnel

Blend of Channel (“the English Channel”) + tunnel; the term had been coined by 1960 (see quotation).

blend

Sir Brian Robertson, Chairman of the B.T.C., told a London audience in January that he would not be surprised if a Channel tunnel for rail traffic, equipped with special wagons to carry road vehicles, were recommended by the study group which has been re-assessing the feasibility of the "Chunnel".

1960 March, “Talking of Trains: London-Paris in four hours”, in Trains Illustrated, page 134:

Rumors, carefully and cleverly circulated by Mascodagama’s friends, diverted speculations toward his being a mysterious visitor from beyond the Golden Curtain, particularly since at least half-a-dozen members of a large Good-will Circus Company that had come from Tartary just then […] had already defected between France and England, somewhere in the newly constructed ‘Chunnel.’

1969, Vladimir Nabokov, chapter 30, in Ada, or, Ardor: A Family Chronicle, Harmondsworth, London: Penguin Books, published 1970, →ISBN, part 1, page 144:

She knows a café here, a French place. Remembering breakfast there with Damien. […]Here it is: faux-French with real French waiting tables. Chunnel kids, guest workers.

2003, William Gibson, Pattern Recognition (Bigend cycle; book 1), New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, →ISBN, page 79:

(rail transport, informal) Short for Channel Tunnel.

Csalagút

Channel Tunnel — see also Channel Tunnel


Channel Tunnel

From Channel (English Channel) + tunnel.

(rail transport) The man-made tunnel under the English Channel joining England and France.


U-boat

(rail transport, slang) Nickname given to the General Electric Universal Series diesel-electric locomotives.


limited

Twentieth Century Limited

(rail transport) An express train that only halts at a limited number of stops.


In a letter to the author he says that when he went to King's Cross in 1936 the A4s were, and had been for some time, at a low ebb in performance.

1990, H.C.B. Rogers, Express Steam Locomotive Development in Great Britain and France, Crecy Publishing, →ISBN, page 89:

(UK, rail transport) A4 class, a class of steam locomotive used on the London and North Eastern Railway.


APT

(UK, rail transport) Initialism of advanced passenger train.


goods

→ Japanese: グッズ (guzzu)

→ Korean: 굿즈 (gutjeu)

An unusual visitor to Leeds on September 26 was Class 4 4-6-0 No. 75042 (17A), on a Class H goods from York; it soon returned on the 6.30 p.m. Leeds-York parcels.

1962 December, “Motive Power Miscellany: North Eastern Region”, in Modern Railways, page 425:

(rail transport, UK) Short for goods train.


pedestal

Borrowed from Middle French piédestal, itself borrowed from Italian piedistallo (literally “foot stand”). Spelling influenced by Latin pēs, pedem.

der

(rail transport) A casting secured to the frame of a truck of a railcar and forming a jaw for holding a journal box.


MGM

(rail transport) The station code for the Metheringham railway station in England.


NEC

(US, rail transport) Initialism of Northeast Corridor.


torpedo

* Borrowed from Latin torpēdō (“a torpedo fish; numbness, torpidity, electric ray”), from torpeō (“I am stiff, numb, torpid; I am astounded; I am inactive”) + -ēdō (noun suffix), from Proto-Indo-European *ster- (“stiff”). In the military sense coined by Robert Fulton in 1805. Cognate with Old English steorfan (“to die”), Ancient Greek στερεός (stereós, “solid”), Lithuanian tirpstu (“to become rigid”), Old Church Slavonic трупети (trupeti).
* (type of car): From 1908, after "the Torpedo", a car designed by Captain Theo Masui.

cog

(rail transport, US) A small explosive device attached to the top of the rail to provide an audible warning when a train passes over it.


hump

en-verb

hump (third-person singular simple present humps, present participle humping, simple past and past participle humped)

humps (present singular third-person)
humping (participle present)
humped (participle past)
humped (past)

Probably borrowed from Dutch homp (“hump, lump”) or Middle Low German hump (“heap, hill, stump”), from Old Saxon *hump (“hill, heap, thick piece”), from Proto-Germanic *humpaz (“hip, height”), from Proto-Indo-European *kumb- (“curved”). Compare Proto-Germanic *huppōną (“to hop”), from Proto-Indo-European *kewb-, *ḱewb- (unnasalised root), and English hub (a softened variant without nasal?).
Cognate with West Frisian hompe (“lump, chunk”), Icelandic huppur (“flank”), Welsh cwm (“a hollow”), Latin incumbō (“to lie down”), Albanian sumbull (“round button, bud”), Ancient Greek κύμβη (kúmbē, “bowl”), Avestan 𐬑𐬎𐬨𐬠𐬀 (xumba, “pot”), Sanskrit कुम्ब (kúmba, “thick end of bone”). Replaced, and perhaps influenced by, Old English crump (“crooked, bent”). More at cramp.

cog

In the first phase of the new yard's operation, from March 6 last, it was wisely decided to restrict the yard's use to allow for any "teething" ailments with complex electronic gadgets, so when I visited Margam early in May it was working well below its capacity, humping about 1,000 wagons a day; [...].

1960 July, G. Freeman Allen, “Margam yard - the most modern in Europe”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 405, 407:

(rail transport) To shunt wagons / freight cars over the hump in a hump yard.


Atlantic

Atlantics (plural)
Atlantick (alternative obsolete)

[ætˈlæɾ̃.ɪk]

From Middle English Atlantyke, from Latin Ā̆tlanticus, from Ancient Greek Ἀτλαντικός (Atlantikós, “Atlantean, of Atlas”), from Ancient Greek Ἄτλᾱς (Átlās), either from ἁ- (ha-, copulative prefix) + Proto-Indo-European *telh₂- (“bear, undergo, endure”) or of Pre-Greek origin.

der

It is equally curious that whereas the first Swindon-built Atlantic began its career as a 4-6-0, the first Great Western 4-cylinder 4-6-0 began its career as an Atlantic.

1944 January and February, 'Voyageur', “Atlantic Locomotives on the G.W.R.”, in Railway Magazine, page 26:

Where these Atlantics fell from acoustic grace, however, was in their feeble screechy little whistle, so different from the N.B.R. mellow standard pattern.

1952 December, R. S. McNaught, “The Voice of the Locomotive”, in Railway Magazine, page 839:

(rail transport) A steam locomotive of the 4-4-2 wheel arrangement.


gondola

Borrowed from Italian gondola, from Venetan góndoƚa, from Byzantine Greek κοντούρα (kontoúra, “cutter, kind of ship”).

[on the outskirts of Stalingrad] The railroad paralelled the road, and along the track we saw lines of burned-out gondolas and freight cars which had been destroyed during the war.

1948, John Steinbeck, chapter 6, in A Russian Journal:

Coordinate term: hopper car

(rail transport, US) A type of open railway car with low sides, used to carry heavy freight such as crushed rock or steel.


bond

en-noun

bond (countable and uncountable, plural bonds)

From Middle English bond, a variant of band, from Old English beand, bænd, bend (“bond, chain, fetter, band, ribbon, ornament, chaplet, crown”), from Proto-Germanic *bandaz, *bandiz (“band, fetter”). Cognate with Dutch band, German Band, Swedish band. Doublet of Bund. Related to bind.

(railways) A heavy copper wire or rod connecting adjacent rails of an electric railway track when used as a part of the electric circuit.


stable

en-verb

stable (third-person singular simple present stables, present participle stabling, simple past and past participle stabled)

stables (present singular third-person)
stabling (participle present)
stabled (participle past)
stabled (past)

From Middle English stable, borrowed from Anglo-Norman stable, singular derived from the plural Latin stab(u)la (“dwellings, stables”).

S.R. Pacific No. 34010 Sidmouth leaves Wembley Central to stable the stock of its excursion from the S.R. at North Wembley; the train was run in connection with a Wembley football event on April 30, 1960.

1960 July, Trains Illustrated, page 385, photo caption:

Great Western Railway has placed its Class 143 Pacer fleet into warm storage, with the majority stabled at Exeter.

2020 April 22, “Fleet News: Passenger operators put parts of fleet into warm storage...”, in Rail, page 25:

(rail transport, transitive) To park (a rail vehicle).


halt

From Middle French halt, from early modern German halt (“stop!”), imperative of halten (“to hold, to stop”). More at hold.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-halt.wav

The halt itself never achieved much importance, even with workers coming to and from the adjacent works.

On once more we swung, bumping uneasily along in the antique narrow-gauge coach, with gloomy woods and gathering night outside, shouts and songs (and quacks) inside—this was not at all the sort of train ordained by the logical strategists in Paris—then grinding to a stop at a mysterious halt which was no more than a nameboard in the pinewoods, without even a footpath leading to it, but nevertheless with a solitary passenger stolidly waiting.

1961 November, H. G. Ellison, P. G. Barlow, “Journey through France: Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 668:

(rail transport) A minor railway station (usually unstaffed) in the United Kingdom.


Berkshire

From Middle English Barrokschire, Berchesire, Barrokshyre, Berrucsire, from Old English Bearrocsċīr, taken from the Bearroc woods, possibly from Proto-Brythonic *barrọg, perhaps meaning “hilly” (compare *barros (“hill, peak, top”)) + Old English sċīr (“shire, county”).

Berkshire
Berkshire (disambiguation)#Other places
Berkshire pig

Erie, always an interesting road to watch, fortified itself in the late '20's with the largest roster of Berkshires in the land, and these engines were easily able to sustain the road until dieselization …

1959, David P. Morgan, editor, Steam's Finest Hour, Kalmbach Publishing Co.:

(rail transport) A steam locomotive of the 2-8-4 wheel arrangement.


motor car

The 20 sets of B.W. [British Westinghouse] equipment, including motor bogies and traction motors, were refitted to 20 new motor cars, similar in design to the 1913 stock, again at the railway company's Neasden Works.

1951 January, “The Inner Circle and its Rolling Stock”, in Railway Magazine, page 59:

A motor car is provided with two self-ventilated series-wound G.E.C. traction motors, each having a continuous rating of 80 h.p. at 575 V. 116 A. at a field strength of 66 per cent.

1960 February, “The first of London's new Piccadilly Line trains is delivered”, in Trains Illustrated, page 94:

(rail transport, US) Synonym of railcar (“self-propelled railway vehicle”).


bunker

→ Catalan: búnquer

desctree

→ German: Bunker
→ Polish: bunkier
→ Romanian: buncăr

The origin of the noun is uncertain; the earliest sense is sense 6.1 (“box or chest, the lid of which serves as a seat”), from Scots bunker (“bench; pew; window-seat; sand pit (especially in golf); coal receptacle; sleeping berth, bunk”), from Early Scots bunker, bunkur, bonker (“a chest or box, often serving as a seat”), probably from Old Norse bunki (“a heap”) (probably whence bunk (“sleeping berth in a ship, train, etc.”)), from Proto-Germanic *bunkô (“a heap, pile; a bump, lump, a crowd”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰenǵʰ- (“thick”) or *bʰeg- (“to billow, swell; to arch, bend, curve (?)”). Compare Middle Low German bunge (“drum, container”), Middle High German bunge (“drum”). Sense 1 (“hardened shelter designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks”) was derived from German Bunker during World War II, which was itself from bunker (“large bin or container for storing coal”) (sense 5).
The verb is derived from the noun.

cog

Among tank engines, the 0-6-2 wheel arrangement was by far the most numerous, there being nearly 450 of this arrangement, which offers the advantage of good power and adhesive weight, coupled with adequate tank and bunker capacity, within a limited compass.

1939 September, D. S. Barrie, “The Railways of South Wales”, in The Railway Magazine, Westminster, London: IPC Transport Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 161:

The bunkers of these engines hold enough coal for one round journey of 120½ miles, and water is taken in each direction at Hexham.

1941 December, “Notes and News: A Tank Engine's 241-mile Day”, in Railway Magazine, page 569:

(rail transport) The coal compartment on a tank engine.


FOC

freight operating company
freight operating company

(UK, rail transport) freight operating company


wagon

wagons (plural)
wagan (alternative)
waghen (alternative)
waggon (alternative British dated)

→ Dutch: wagon

→ French: wagon (see there for further descendants)

→ German: Waggon

→ Japanese: わごん, ワゴン (wagon)

→ Polish: wagon

→ Spanish: vagón

Borrowed from Middle Dutch wagen, from Old Dutch *wagan, from Proto-West Germanic *wagn, from Proto-Germanic *wagnaz (“wagon”), from Proto-Indo-European *woǵʰnos (“wagon, primitive carriage”), from *weǵʰ- (“to transport”). Doublet of wain. Related also to way, weigh.
Sense 8 (“woman of loose morals; obnoxious woman”) is probably a derogatory and jocular reference to a woman being “ridden”, that is, mounted for the purpose of sexual intercourse.
The verb is derived from the noun.

wa

four-wheeled cart for hauling loads — see also cart

Various methods have been suggested for effecting this transfer by a bodily removal of whole wagons; either by lifting the bodies from one set of wheels to another, or transferring the wagons, wheels and all, to some kind of truck; but practically these projects wholly fail. […] It is calculated that to bring a train of fifty wagons under the machine, one by one, a horse would have to traverse five miles and a half.

1846, Thornton [Leigh] Hunt, Unity of the Iron Network: Showing how the Last Argument for the Break of Gauge, Competition, is at Variance with the True Interests of the Public, 2nd edition, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, page 6:

The total weight of goods and minerals loaded into wagons on the railways of the United Kingdom during the year 1913, the last complete period of working under normal conditions before the outbreak of war, was 372,037,000 tons, of which 299,129,000 tons, or 80.41 per cent., consisting of coal and minerals.

1918 June 21, H. Kelway-Bamber, “Coal and Mineral Traffic on the Railways of the United Kingdom”, in The Engineer, volume CXXV, number 3260, London: Office for publication and advertisements, […], →ISSN, →OCLC, page 546, column 2:

(rail transport) A vehicle (wagon) designed to transport goods or people on railway.


engineer

→ Burmese: အင်ဂျင်နီယာ (anggyangniya)

→ Hawaiian: ʻenekinia

→ Hindi: इंजीनियर (iñjīniyar)

→ Japanese: エンジニア (enjinia)

desc

အိန်ဂျေန်နဳယျာ

→ Mon: အိန်ဂျေန်နဳယျာ

→ Mon: အိန်ဂျေန်နဳယျာ

→ Persian:

Dari: اِنْجِنِیر (injinīr)

/ˌɛn(d)ʒɪˈnɪə/

/ˌɛnd͡ʒɪˈnɪ(ə)ɹ/

/ɪnˈd͡ʒɪnɪjə(ɾ)/

The noun is derived from:
* Middle English enginour (“one who designs, constructs, or operates military works for attack or defence, etc.; machine designer”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman enginour, engigneour [and other forms], and Middle French and Old French engigneor, engigneour, engignier (“one who designs, constructs, or operates military works for attack or defence; architect; carpenter; craftsman; designer; planner; one who deceives or schemes”) (modern French ingénieur), from engin (“contraption, device; machine; invention; creativity, ingenuity; intelligence; deception, ruse, trickery”) + -eor, -or (suffix forming agent nouns); engin is derived from Latin ingenium (“innate or natural quality, nature; intelligence, natural capacity; ability, skill, talent; (Medieval Latin) engine; machine”), from in- (prefix meaning ‘in, inside, within’) + gignere (the present active infinitive of gignō (“to bear, beget, give birth to; to cause, produce, yield”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“to beget, give birth to; to produce”)) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns); and
* from engine + -er (occupational suffix); and
* from engine + -eer (suffix forming nouns denoting people associated with, concerned with, or engaged in specified activities), possibly modelled after Middle French ingénieur (a variant of Middle French, Old French engigneour; see above), and Italian ingegniere (“engineer”) (obsolete; modern Italian ingegnere).
The verb is derived from the noun.
Cognates
* Medieval Latin, Late Latin ingeniārius (“engineer”)
* Medieval Latin ingeniator (“one constructing or using an engine”)
* Old Occitan engenhador, enginhador
* Portuguese engenhador (obsolete), engenheiro (“engineer”)
* Spanish engeñero (obsolete), ingeniero (“engineer”)

nb...

(Late Middle English) engyner, (Middle English) engineour, enginer, engyneour, engyneor, engynour, yngynore

engineor, enginere, engineur, enginor, enginur

cog

Coordinate term: fireman

(chiefly US, rail transport) A person who drives or operates a locomotive; a train driver.


points

(rail transport, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) Movable rails which can be used to switch a train from one railway track to another.

výhybka

movable rails used to switch a train from one track to another


lantern

lanterns (plural)
lanthorn (alternative archaic)

→ Bengali: লন্ঠন (lonṭhon)

Hindi: लालटेन (lālṭen)

→ Irish: laindéar

→ Malay: lentera

Indonesian: lentera

→ Telugu: లాంతరు (lāntaru)

From Middle English lanterne (13th century), via Old French lanterne from Latin lanterna (“lantern”), itself a corruption of Ancient Greek λαμπτήρ (lamptḗr, “torch”) (see lamp, λάμπω (lámpō)) by influence of Latin lucerna (“lamp”). The spelling lanthorn was current during the 16th to 19th centuries and originates with a folk etymology associating the word with the use of horn as translucent cover. For the verb, compare French lanterner to hang at the lamppost. Displaced native Old English lēohtfæt (literally “light-container”).

ncog

(rail transport) A light formerly used as a signal by a railway guard or conductor at night.


sidetrack

sidetracks (plural)
side-track (alternative)
side track (alternative)

railroad siding

small railroad track for unloading, passing

(rail transport) A second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for unloading freight, or to allow two trains on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction); a railroad siding.


sidetrack

en-verb

sidetrack (third-person singular simple present sidetracks, present participle sidetracking, simple past and past participle sidetracked)

sidetracks (present singular third-person)
sidetracking (participle present)
sidetracked (participle past)
sidetracked (past)
side-track (alternative)
side track (alternative)

It was just after 5 p.m.; would the non-stop "Capitals Limited" come up next? It was due in at 5.30 and other trains are often side-tracked in its favour.

1951 January, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Essex and Hertfordshire”, in Railway Magazine, page 46:

Two westbound freights were in the vicinity and the operator was kept busy passing them radio messages with the latest information on the late running of the streamliners, to allow the enginemen to keep moving until the last possible minute before they had to sidetrack their trains to let the fast trains overtake.

1961 July, J.Geoffrey Todd, “Impressions of railroading in the United States: Part Two”, in Trains Illustrated, page 423:

(rail transport) To divert (a locomotive or train) on to a lesser used track in order to allow other trains to pass.


cross-platform

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-cross-platform.wav

At Euston the cross-platform interchange between the Victoria Line and the Northern Line (City branch) will be unusual in that passengers will board trains travelling in the opposite direction to continue their journey. Normally, of course, in cross-platform interchange, trains depart in the same direction.

1962 October, “London gets its Victoria tube”, in Modern Railways, page 256:

(rail transport) That takes place between two trains in different platforms, usually across an island platform.


FOT

(rail transport) The station code of Fo Tan in Hong Kong.


fleeting

From Middle English fleten (“to float”), from Old English flēotan (“to float”), from Proto-Germanic *fleutaną, from Proto-Indo-European *plewd-. By surface analysis, fleet + -ing.

(US, rail transport) An automatic operation mode of an absolute signal that reserves a route for several trains following one another, without the need for dispatcher to re-set the route for each train.


Darth Vader

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-Darth Vader.wav

"Darth" is a blend of dark + death (the derivation from Dark Lord of the Sith is a later development).
"Vader" is traditionally explained as being from Dutch vader (“father”). However, the idea of Vader's fatherhood was only developed for The Empire Strikes Back (after the character was introduced), making this improbable. It is more likely a shortening of invader or from the surname Vader.

When the new GEX stock (Darth Vaders!!) are in service, and the inevitable happens and they break down, EWS will no doubt trundle along to rescue it

1999 September 17, gl1, “Gatwick Express New Stock Nose Cones”, in uk.transport.london (Usenet):

What was modified so that 73s could haul (or push) and heat air-con stock on Gatwick Express (pre Darth Vader) - the locos or the coaches?

2005 January 5, Peter Masson, “What future for the MK3's?”, in uk.railway (Usenet):

Is there not also a degree of commonality with the Darth Vader units of Gatwick Express, which are likely to join the Southern fleet when (if) the GatEx franchise is terminated?

2006 February 11, Tony Polson, “First Capital Connect want more 319s from Southern”, in uk.railway (Usenet):

(informal, British, rail transport) A British Rail Class 460 train.


knitting

en-noun

knitting (countable and uncountable, plural knittings)

From Middle English knyttynge; equivalent to knit + -ing.

Fair point. Instead of tearing down the knitting and using diesel, tear down the knitting and use turbines.

2002 April 26, David Stevenson, “Re: Diesel vs Electric”, in uk.railway (Usenet), retrieved 2018-04-10, message-ID <B8EF5604.1C7F1%hoagy@cix.co.uk>:

It also helps, if: [...] the knitting is aligned with the track below, or rather vice versa, something else that went after 1996.

2007 October 19, "Capt. Deltic", “Re: GNER knitting down (again)”, in uk.railway (Usenet), retrieved 2018-04-10, message-ID <1192811754.580518.56340@e34g2000pro.googlegroups.com>:

My suggestion would be to electrify the uphill bits only, in each direction, and to use diesel traction when coming down the other side. Massive savings on posts and knitting for a start.

2016 December 9, Andrew Clarke, “Re: Great Western Railway warns of slower journeys on new trains”, in uk.railway (Usenet), retrieved 2018-04-10, message-ID <111f6d4a-e880-4b12-89f3-04250296ea7d@googlegroups.com>:

(rail transport, informal, UK) overhead electrification wires, OHLE


layup

The caboose, long decrepit, rested on a forgotten layup just north of the dry riverbed.

The City Hall station on the BMT line [...] has a lower level that was never put into service. Yet the platforms have been maintained, are well illuminated, and serve as a layup and storage area for the MTA.

2005, Julia Solis, New York Underground: The Anatomy of a City, New York City: Routledge, →ISBN, page 83:

(rail transport, countable or uncountable) A track used to store train cars.

Though I knew we shouldn't be there, she pulled me out of the tunnel and into the dark layup, its floors still grubby from the morning commute many hours ago.

A nonmoving empty train, or a layup, was easiest to pin down at night or on weekends when trains would park on the dormant stretches of express tracks.

2010, Michele Carlo, Fish Out of Agua: My Life on Neither Side of the (Subway) Tracks, New York City: Citadel Press, →ISBN, page 88:

(rail transport) A train car sitting in storage (laid up), often overnight.


knock down

en-verb

knock down (third-person singular simple present knocks down, present participle knocking down, simple past and past participle knocked down)

knocks down (present singular third-person)
knocking down (participle present)
knocked down (participle past)
knocked down (past)

(dated, rail transport) To send a stop signal to ensure a train is signalled to stop at the correct point.


washout

en-noun

washout (countable and uncountable, plural washouts)

washouts (plural)
wash-out (alternative)

huuhtoutuminen

erosion of a relatively soft surface by a sudden gush of water; channel produced by this action

In a message to NR [National Rail] staff on August 14, Haines said: "It's not just Scotland impacted by extreme wet weather. This week we have seen, and will continue to see, heavy rain fall. This has caused washouts and landslips across the length and breadth of Great Britain."

2020 August 26, “Network News: [Grant] Shapps Orders Rapid Review of Flash Flood Resilience from NR”, in Rail, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 9:

The erosion of a relatively soft surface by a sudden gush of water; also, a channel produced by this action.

(originally US, rail transport, road transport) A breach in a railway or road caused by flooding.


tramline

tramlines (plural)
tram line (alternative)

(rail transport) The rails that a tram runs on.


vestibule

Early 17th century, borrowed from French vestibule (“entrance court”), from Latin vestibulum (“forecourt, entrance court; entrance”), from vestiō (“to dress, clothe, vest”) + -bulum (“place, location”, nominal suffix). Doublet of vestibulum.

նախասրահ

small entrance hall before main hall or lobby

The exit side of the front vestibule contains a sliding door.

1912, Electric Railway Journal, volume XL, number 14, page 556:

The units have transverse seats, two and three astride the passageway with single or double longitudinal seats alongside the two entrance vestibules in each car.

1960 November, “New electric multiple-units for British Railways: Glasgow Suburban”, in Trains Illustrated, page 660:

(architecture) A small entrance hall, antechamber, passage, or room between the outer door and the main hall, lobby, or interior of a building.

(rail transport) An enclosed entrance at the end of a railway passenger car.

eteinen

enclosed entrance of a railway passenger car


Mexican standoff

en-noun

Mexican standoff (plural Mexican standoffs)

Mexican standoff
Reservoir Dogs
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

1876 US.
Three-way gun standoffs, popularized in spaghetti westerns such as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966), have come to be called Mexican standoffs, though this usage appears to date to the 1990s, notably in reference to Reservoir Dogs (1992); earlier usage refers to this as a “three-way standoff” or “triangular standoff”.

(rail transport) A near-collision between two trains; an averted cornfield meet.


train spotter

(rail transport) a person whose hobby is train spotting


B-unit

(trains) A locomotive with an engine, generator, and traction motors, but without a control cab.


tablet

→ Scottish Gaelic: tablaid

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-tablet.wav

From Middle English tablet, from Old French tablete (Modern French tablette), diminutive of table (“table”).

The latter's loss of time between Manakau and Levin was due to the mishap of dropping the tablet at Ohau, which entailed an out-of-course stop of 3 min. to recover it.

1939 November, “Overseas Railways: Locomotive Performance in New Zealand”, in Railway Magazine, page 351:

(rail transport) A type of round token giving authority for a train to proceed over a single-track line.


blowback

blowback (countable and uncountable, plural blowbacks)

blowbacks (plural)
blow-back (alternative)

The Boulogne stop lasted a few minutes, during which I was surprised to see no use was made of the blower. In this country, if you shut the regulator without the blower on, the odds are there will be a blowback.

1961 February, ""Balmore"", “Driving and firing modern French steam locomotives”, in Trains Illustrated, page 109:

(rail transport) On a steam locomotive, the reversal of exhaust gases when the regulator is closed without using the blower.


detrain

en-verb

detrain (third-person singular simple present detrains, present participle detraining, simple past and past participle detrained)

detrains (present singular third-person)
detraining (participle present)
detrained (participle past)
detrained (past)

If you plan to detrain at the next stop, please begin gathering your belongings.

Here my party detrained, but the train proceeded to Souk Ahras via Duvivier.

1944 January and February, Major J. C. F. Lloyd Williamson, “Ambulance Trains in Algeria and Tunisia”, in Railway Magazine, page 6:

Arriving at York under the station's magnificent curved roof is always a delight. Detraining, I ponder my next move.

2024 October 30, Paul Bigland, “The heat is on... and will the railway fray?”, in RAIL, number 1021, page 49:

(rail transport, intransitive) To exit from a train; to disembark.

wysiąść

(intransitive) to exit from a train; to disembark

Following the accident passengers were detrained through the rear cab.

The trouble occurred on the 10.5 a.m. Paddington-Bristol trip, when gangers' tools left on the track near Swindon punctured one of the unit's fuel tanks and the passengers had to be detrained to wait for the down "Merchant Venturer".

1961 February, “Motive Power Miscellany: Western Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 122:

(rail transport, transitive) To remove (a passenger or passengers) from a train; to evacuate (passengers) from a train.


See the Wikipedia article ISO 216, the international standard on paper sizes.

(UK, rail transport) A3 class, a class of steam locomotive used on the London and North Eastern Railway.


parliamentary

The train was moving less fast through the summer night. The swift express had changed into something almost a parliamentary, had stopped three times since Norwich, and now, at long last, was approaching Banton.

1931, Francis Beeding, “1/1”, in Death Walks in Eastrepps:

(British, historical, railways) Of a class of train which, by an act of parliament, ran both ways along a line, at least once each day, at the rate of one penny per mile.


dead weight

en-noun

dead weight (countable and uncountable, plural dead weights)

dead weights (plural)
deadweight (alternative)

Having dropped the coach, the trio returned with the Class 47 leading and the other two locomotives as dead weight.

2023 November 29, “Network News: Test runs for WCR fleet returnees”, in RAIL, number 997, page 24:

(rail transport) The total (unpowered) weight of a train to be propelled (or hauled) by the locomotive; another locomotive being hauled dead as part of the train is a dead weight.


side chain

side chains (plural)
sidechain (alternative)
side-chain (alternative)

When the screw coupling replaced the old chain couplings on passenger stock, the latter were retained and still coupled up to prevent severance of a train in the event of a screw coupling breaking. The contingency is so remote, however, that the side chains have been abolished.

1946 May and June, “The Why and The Wherefore: Miscellanea”, in Railway Magazine, pages 197–198:

(rail transport) On some railways, a chain fitted on both sides of a centre coupler or buffer at each end of a rail vehicle, which has a hook for connection to a corresponding chain on the next vehicle in a train.


blindside

blindsides (plural)
blind side (alternative)
blind-side (alternative)

(rail transport) A tram/train driver's field of blindness around a tram (trolley/streetcar) or a train; the side areas behind the tram/train driver.

slepý úhel

motor vehicle/train/tram driver's field of blindness


turret

From Middle English touret, from Old French torete (French tourette), diminutive of tour (“tower”), from Latin turris. Doublet of tor, tourelle, and tower. See tower.

оръдейна кула

a revolving tower constructed of thick iron plates

(rail transport) The elevated central portion of the roof of a passenger car, with sides that are pierced for light and ventilation.


loop

From Middle English loupe (“noose, loop”), earlier lowp-knot (“loop-knot”), of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse hlaup (“a run”), used in the sense of a "running knot", from hlaupa (“to leap”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hlaupaną (“to leap, run”). Compare Swedish löp-knut (“loop-knot”), Danish løb-knude (“a running knot”), Danish løb (“a course”). More at leap. The verb is derived from the noun.

der

In 1908 the line was extended to a station called Wood Lane, which was built on a terminal track loop so that trains could turn round and go back the other way, [...]

2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 119:

(rail transport) A place at a terminus where trains or trams can turn round and go back the other way without having to reverse; a balloon loop, turning loop, or reversing loop.

Basingstoke-Exeter will test this. From Salisbury westwards, it's largely single-track since British Rail downgraded it in 1967. There's a ten-mile loop between Templecombe and Yeovil, as well as shorter loops at Chard, Axminster and Honiton.

2025 February 5, Philip Haigh, “Where track and train integration will be put to the test”, in RAIL, number 1028, page 51:


summit

PIE word
 *upó
The noun is derived from Late Middle English somet, somete (“head, top”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman sumet and Middle French sommet (masculine), somete, sommette (“top of a thing; highest point of a mountain”) (feminine) (modern French sommet), from Old French somet, sommette, from som, sum (“highest point, summit”) + -et (suffix forming diminutive masculine nouns), -ete, -ette (suffix forming diminutive feminine nouns). Som, sum are derived from Latin summum (“top, summit”), a noun use of the neuter of summus (“greatest, highest; top, uppermost”, adjective) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *upó (“below, under”) + *-m̥mos, *-tm̥mos (“suffix forming superlative adjectives”)). The modern English spelling was influenced by summity (“height or top of a thing; utmost degree, perfection”) (obsolete).
The verb is derived from the noun.

The topmost point or surface of a thing; the apex, the peak.

(nautical, rail transport, road transport) The highest point of a canal, railway, road, etc.


DA

DAR

executive departments of the Philippines

Dhaka railway station
w:Kamalapur railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Dhaka railway station in Bangladesh.


tipple

en-noun

tipple (countable and uncountable, plural tipples)

Unknown but possibly from a Scandinavian source (see Norwegian tipla), or from tip + -le.

Alternative form: tippler

(countable, rail transport) An apparatus for unloading railroad freight cars by tipping them; the place where this is done.


mail train

A journey from Mombasa to Kampala is by no means dull. The mail train consists of about 13 carriages, three first, three second, three or four third, a restaurant car and two or three old first class non-corridor carriages used as seconds. This comes to about 400 tons tare. In addition there are two vans for crew and three or four covered freight trucks.

1950 April, Timothy H. Cobb, “The Kenya-Uganda Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 263:

This cutting from an East African newspaper caught our eye last month:
"The up mail train from Mombasa was held up for an hour at Kibwezi by an angry rhino on Monday night. The locomotive had collided with the rhino as it tried to cross the track. For some time the animal lay stunned between the rails but when it regained consciousness it was very irate. The engine driver, Mr. Mackenzie of Nairobi, tried unsuccessfully to frighten the rhino off the track but it refused to move. Eventually, it ran off into the bush and the train was able to proceed to Nairobi, where it arrived 28 minutes late."

1961 October, “Talking of Trains: B.R. exile at work?”, in Trains Illustrated, page 586:

There are special rooms where mail can be stored and stacked ready for despatch and accommodation with cooking facilities for T.P.O. crews who change from one mail train to another at Tamworth.

1962 December, “New station at Tamworth”, in Modern Railways, page 385:

As he passed though the station, he slowed to yell to the signalman, Frank 'Sailor' Bridges: "Sailor - have you anything between here and Fordham? Where's the mail?" Gimbert knew the mail train was due, and he didn't want to endanger another train with his burning bomb wagon.

2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:

(rail transport) A train used by the postal service to transport mail, and in some cases, to sort mail en route.


critter

First attested 1815, from a dialectal pronunciation of creature.

One of the biggest challenges facing a railfan photographer is the correct identification of one manufacturer's "critter" locomotive from that of another competing builder.

2025 March 7 (last accessed), R. Craig Rutherford, The Diesel Shop:

(rail transport, US) A small locomotive used in an industrial setting.


motive power

motive power (usually uncountable, plural motive powers)

While at first in the U.S.A. it may have been a matter of high-pressure salesmanship—and it has undoubtely been the irresistible enterprise of the General Motors Corporation, through its Electro-Motive subsidiary, that has set in motion this amazingly rapid transformation of American railway motive power, and has caused all the steam locomotive builders in the U.S.A. to follow suit or be left out in the cold—it seems now beyond dispute that, so far as the U.S.A. is concerned, the economics of the power question can be solved no other way.

1950 January, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, pages 12–13:

(rail transport, collectively) The locomotives that operate on a railway.


ERA

(European Union, railways) Initialism of European Railway Agency (called today the European Union Agency for Railways)


cowcatcher

With its long tapered cowcatcher, massive headlamp and enormous diamond smokestack behind, wagon-top boiler, high running-plate above the driving-wheels reached from a front door in the square side-window cab, cylinders with slide valves mounted on top, and double bogie tender, General in its present form is typical of much earlier American locomotive practice.

1942 February, “Notes and News: An Historic American Locomotive”, in Railway Magazine, page 56:

The locomotive was black, an ungainly contraption led by the triangular snout of the cowcatcher, though there would be few animals where this engine was headed.

2016, Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad, Fleet (2017), page 83:

It was a rural railway that served the fertile Fens of Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. But because it flanked public roads and was unfenced (to save costs), it was deemed a tramway and its locomotives had to be fitted with a cowcatcher.

2023 January 11, Richard Foster, “British Rail's weirdest railways...: Wisbech & Upwell Tramway”, in RAIL, number 974, page 46:

(rail transport, principally US) A plough-shaped device affixed to the front of a locomotive (or other large vehicle), usually wedge or V-shaped so as to push or deflect objects on the tracks out of the way, to clear out the train's path and prevent the risk of derailment or major damage to it.

كانسة عقبات

plough-like device on the front of a train locomotive


lifeguard

lifeguards (plural)
life-guard (alternative)

/ˈlaɪfˌɡɑɹd/

From life + guard, calque of Dutch lijfgarde, where life has the sense of Dutch lijf (“body”) (hence literally “bodyguard”). Compare German Leibgarde (“bodyguard”), Danish livgarde (“bodyguard”), Swedish livgarde (“bodyguard”). Compare also Old English līfweard (“guardian of life”).

cog

It also looked at what effect stronger lifeguards might have had. They protect the leading wheels from small obstacles and in modern trains have coped with hitting landslip debris.

2022 March 23, Philip Haigh, “Network News: Driver of ScotRail HST had only seconds to react, says RAIB”, in RAIL, number 953, page 11:

(rail transport) A sturdy metal bracket fixed in front of each of the leading wheels of a train to deflect small objects away from the wheels to prevent derailment.

Schienenräumer

rail transport: metal bracket to deflect small objects


facing

(rail transport, of points and crossovers) Diverging in the direction of travel.


traductor

From Latin trāductiō, from trādūcō (“lead across, bring across”), from trans (“across, beyond”) + dūcō (“bear, carry”).

As soon as the bag is removed, the lever returns to its normal position by the action of the spring in the column, the traductor striking the rubber disc already referred to.

1896, Lawrence Saunders, S. R. Blundstone, The Railway Engineer - Volume 17, page 325:

Six pouches were to be put out at Warrington, and preparations were being made to use the traductors on the leading Aberdeen sorting carriage, as well as the four in the stowage van. […] from Moore station we counted five overbridges, and then, swiftly, with one man at each door the four bags in our van were fixed to the traductor arms. […] One more landmark, the Mersey bridge; once over this the traductors were lowered, and the moving of a big lever extended the net.

1948 March and April, O. S. Nock, “Scottish Night Mails of the L.M.S.R.—2”, in Railway Magazine, page 76:

Nearing Coatbridge, with five pouches to be set down, all four traductors on the stowage van were loaded ready, and there was yet another on the sorting carriage next in rear.

1961, Oswald Stevens Nock, British steam railways, page 56:

The ground apparatus consists of one or more standards from which the bags to be picked up by the train are hung, and a net to collect the bags from the traductors.

2002, Ian Harrison, Pat Hammond, Hornby: The Official Illustrated History, page 72:

(rail transport) A long arm that is used to suspend a bag to be dropped onto a passing train and which retracts automatically be means of a spring when the bag is dropped.


Bank

From Old English banc (“bank, hillock, embankment”), from Proto-Germanic *bankô.

der

Bank and Monument stations
Bank, Hampshire

Anybody familiar with the London Underground network will know that Bank Tube station is a place to be avoided - if at all possible - on a weekday morning. Located at the very heart of London's 'Square Mile' financial district, some 70,000 people detrain there during the morning peak, to pass through its gatelines and those at the adjoining station at Monument. A further 50,000 passengers squeeze into the station complex at exactly the same time of day, in order to change between the five lines that pass through it.

2019 October 23, Paul Stephen delivers a progress report on London Underground's transformative Bank Station capacity upgrade, Rail, page 68:

London Underground
London Underground#English

(rail transport) A major London Underground station in the City of London, named after the Bank of England and one of the busiest stations on the network (OS grid ref TQ3281)


Hall

* As an English, Scottish, Irish, German, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish surname: all from the noun hall. The name was likely reinforced by similar sounding words such as Swedish häll (“rock slab”).
* As a Chinese surname, variant Romanization of 何, 賀 /贺 (hè), see He.
** (locomotive): The locomotives were named after English and Welsh country houses with 'Hall' in their titles.
** (British and Scandinavian surnames): From the buildings, halls

Hall (disambiguation)#Places
Hall (surname)

(UK, rail transport) Hall class, a class of steam locomotive used on the GWR.


King

en-prop

King (countable and uncountable, plural Kings)

→ Japanese: キング (Kingu)

(UK, rail transport) King class, a class of steam locomotives once used on the GWR.


Met

(London, rail transport) The London Underground Metropolitan line.

(London, rail transport, historical, 1863–1933) The Metropolitan Railway.


Pacific

From Latin pācificus (“peace-making”), so called by Magellan because he sailed peacefully over it after weathering Cape Horn.

Britannia's firebox would appear to have derived from those of the Bulleid Pacifics, which it closely resembles.

1951 April, Stirling Everard, “A Matter of Pedigree”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 273:

These were the first class of tender locomotives with this wheel arrangement in the world, although there is some doubt as to whether the name "Pacific" was given to the type because New Zealand is in the Pacific Ocean or because some similar engines were built a few months later for the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

1954 August, J. B. Snell, “The New Zealand Government Railways—2”, in Railway Magazine, page 559:

(rail transport) A steam locomotive of the 4-6-2 wheel arrangement.


Pullman

Ellipsis of Pullman car, after the Pullman Palace Car Company, named after American engineer and industrialist George Pullman (1831–1897).

named-after

It is realised that the old Pullman standard sleeper, with its convertible "sections", each containing upper and lower berths, and with no greater privacy at night than the curtains drawn along both sides of a middle aisle, has had its day.

1944 November and December, “"Duplex Roomette" Sleeping Cars”, in Railway Magazine, page 324:

(rail transport, US) A railroad passenger car; especially one of the luxurious ones named after the eponymous Pullman Palace Car Company.


Saint

(UK, rail transport) Saint class, a class of steam locomotives used on the GWR.


Shay

(rail transport) A geared steam locomotive, patented by Ephraim Shay.


Star

* As a German and Jewish surname, from Star (“starling”).
* Also as a German and Jewish surname, semantic loan from German Stern (“star”).
* As a Dutch surname, from star (“stiff, rigid”).
* As a Slovene surname, from star (“old”).
* As an English given name, from star, sometimes originating as a nickname.

semantic loan

(UK, rail transport) Star class, a class of steam locomotives used on the GWR.


T

en-noun

T (countable and uncountable, plural Ts)

(rail transport, in multiple unit formations) Trailer car.


Underground

Although some of the stations on ' The Branch ' have not, as yet, suffered any considerable structural alterations, all are now equipped with the familiar Underground type name boards, and as a result the imposing titles of G.N. days have been ruthlessly curtailed.

1940 October, “Notes and News: The High Barnet Branch”, in Railway Magazine, page 569:

Heathrow has a 28% share of passengers arriving by rail, two-thirds of whom come by the Underground.

2019 October, John Glover, “Heathrow rail expansion”, in Modern Railways, page 71:

(UK, rail transport) The London Underground.


cabin

→ French: cabine (see there for further descendants)

→ Hawaiian: kāpena

→ Japanese: キャビン (kyabin)

→ Korean: 캐빈 (kaebin)

From Middle English caban, cabane, from Old French cabane, from Medieval Latin capanna (“a cabin”); see further etymology there. Doublet of cabana and cabane.

(rail transport, informal) A signal box.


DB

(rail transport) Initialism of Deutsche Bahn (German Railways). Previously used by its predecessor, Deutsche Bundesbahn.


tamper

(rail transport) A railway vehicle used to tamp down ballast.


caboose

cabooses (plural)
camboose (alternative)
cambouse (alternative)

From French cambuse, from Middle Dutch kabuys, kabuis (Modern Dutch kombuis (“galley; kitchen”)). Cognate with Swedish kabyss.

(US, rail transport) The last car on a freight train, consisting of cooking and sleeping facilities for the crew; a guard’s van.


retainer

mechanical engineering
mechanical engineering

(rail transport, mechanical engineering) A retaining valve.


RE

Rewari Junction railway station
w:Rewari Junction railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Rewari Junction railway station in India.


ICE

(rail transport) Initialism of Intercity-Express (“German high speed train”).


Mogul

On that August Thursday afternoon, there was little freight traffic; a large "K3" Mogul went down with a short, fast goods, and a W.D. 2-8-0 proceeded northward light. […] We saw a few Gresley Moguls on goods, as a limited amount of freight traffic was sandwiched in even on this busy day.

1951 January, R. A. H. Weight, “A Railway Recorder in Essex and Hertfordshire”, in Railway Magazine, pages 44, 46:

(rail transport) A steam locomotive of the 2-6-0 wheel arrangement.


RPM

rpm (alternative)
R.P.M. (alternative)
R. P. M. (alternative)

Royapuram railway station
w:Royapuram railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Royapuram railway station in India.


WP

Western Pacific
w:Western Pacific Railroad

(rail transport) Initialism of Western Pacific.


IE

(rail transport) Initialism of Iarnród Éireann. (Irish Railways)


LAT

(rail transport) The station code of Lam Tin in Hong Kong.


CR

(UK, rail transport) Initialism of Caledonian Railway.


CPR

Canadian Pacific Railway
w:Canadian Pacific Railway

(rail transport, Canada, US) Initialism of Canadian Pacific Railway.


ATO

ATO (countable and uncountable, plural ATOs)

Trains running through the Thameslink 'Core' in central London are using Automatic Train Operation (ATO) with European Train Control System (ETCS) in regular service. [...] Using ATO will enable GTR to reach the intended 24 trains per hour target between St Pancras International and Blackfriars.

2020 January 2, “Thameslink uses ATO in 'Core'”, in Rail, page 12:

automatic train operation
w:automatic train operation

(rail transport) Initialism of automatic train operation.


BR

(UK, rail transport) Initialism of British Rail, formerly British Railways up to 1965.


Jn

Alternative form: JN

(rail transport, India) Abbreviation of junction.


S&T

(rail transport) Initialism of signalling and telecommunications.


ATP

ATP (countable and uncountable, plural ATPs)

automatic train protection
w:automatic train protection

(rail transport) Initialism of automatic train protection.


SVG

Stevenage railway station
w:Stevenage railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Stevenage railway station in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England.


parkway

Bristol Parkway railway station
M32 motorway
Stoke Park, Bristol

By surface analysis, a blend of car park + railway. However, it is possible that the term originally derived from Bristol Parkway railway station built in the early 1970s, which appears to have been named after the M32 motorway, also called Parkway because it runs through Stoke Park.

(rail transport, British, Australia) A railway station built on the edge of a town, typically with a large car park to function as a park and ride interchange.


TGV

From French TGV, from train à grande vitesse (“high-speed train”).

He also makes the point that in France, SNCF is currently refurbishing some TGVs built in 1988.

2024 May 29, Peter Plisner, “Network News: Gibb plans HS2 alternative with 155mph Pendolinos”, in RAIL, number 1010, page 6:

(rail transport) A French national high-speed train, run by the rail service of the same name.


NR

(rail transport) Initialism of Network Rail, a rail infrastructure manager in Great Britain


flatcar

flatcars (plural)
flat car (alternative)

(rail transport, US) A railroad freight car without sides and roof.


highball

Japanese: ハイボール, ハイ

From high + ball, of the same railroad origins as lowball.

A white ball hauled up to the crossbar indicated that the track was clear; a black ball, run up half way, meant stop. This was the origin of the use of the word "highball" to indicate a clear line ahead, which is still used in U.S.A. railway practice.

1946 November and December, “Notes and News: The American Highball”, in Railway Magazine, page 382:

(rail transport, US) An all clear or full speed ahead signal.


BY

Byculla railway station
w:Byculla railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Byculla railway station in India.


steamer

From steam + -er. The steamer duck or steamer (sense 6.2) is apparently named for its resemblance to a paddle steamer when swimming rapidly.

A mode of transportation propelled by steam.

(rail transport) A steam-powered road locomotive; a traction engine.


sleeper

Compare Norwegian sleip (“a sleeper (a timber); as adjective, slippery, smooth”). See slape.

траверса

structural timber in a floor perpendicular to the joists and floorboards

The train, minus the three abandoned trucks, again proceeded at a slow pace, with a pump trolley doing pilot ahead ; this was very necessary as a great many sleepers were found to have been burnt underneath the fishplates.

1901, George Gipps, The Fighting in North China (up to the Fall of Tientsin City), Shanghai: Kelly and Walsh, →OL, page 40:

I should imagine that the smooth riding and the quietness of the diesel or electric cab, coupled with the effect on the eyes of endless successions of sleepers disappearing from sight immediately under the driver's eyes, might in time have a soporific effect, so that the company of a second man, who can assist in signal observations when he is not at work in the engine cab, seems highly desirable in such conditions.

1961 July, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Trains Illustrated, page 401:

(rail transport, British) A railroad tie.


sleeping car

sleeping cars (plural)
sleeper car (alternative)

In August 1859, eighty years ago, a sleeping car appeared on the Chicago & Alton Railroad of the United States, a great advance on the primitive facilities previously available.

1939 November, “Pertinent Paragraphs: The Sleeping Car”, in Railway Magazine, page 360:

Today, the 'Night Riviera' is one of only two sleeping car services that survive in the UK.

2024 September 4, David Clough, “All aboard the 'Night Riviera' to Penzance”, in RAIL, number 1017, page 58:

(rail transport) A railroad car with sleeping facilities for passengers travelling overnight.

спален вагон

a railroad car with sleeping facilities for passengers travelling overnight.


rolling stock

en-noun

rolling stock (countable and uncountable, plural rolling stocks)

rolling stocks (plural)
rolling-stock (alternative)
rollingstock (alternative)

... while Grand Union says spare rolling stock could be used to provide additional capacity during events at the Principality Stadium and Celtic Manor Resort.

2019 October, “South Wales open access bid”, in Modern Railways, page 15:

(rail transport, uncountable, collectively) All vehicles that move on a railway, powered or unpowered.


interchange

interchange (countable and uncountable, plural interchanges)

/ˈɪntɚt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒ/

From Old French entrechange, by surface analysis, inter- + change.

Holborn tube station is the only interchange between the London Underground Central and Piccadilly Lines.

Moving on again, I catch another GWR Class 802 bound for Oxford via the Cotswold Line. Our first stop is at one of the newest stations on the network - Worcestershire Parkway, which opened on February 23. It's a four-platform (actually three-platform) split-level interchange with the line from Birmingham to Bristol.

2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 67:

(rail transport, countable) A connection between two or more lines, services or modes of transport; a station at which such a connection can be made.

交換 /交换

rail transport: connection between two or more lines, services or modes of transport


line up

en-verb

line up (third-person singular simple present lines up, present participle lining up, simple past and past participle lined up)

lines up (present singular third-person)
lining up (participle present)
lined up (participle past)
lined up (past)

(trains) To have switches set so the train is capable of moving along its correct route.


Hudson

The water-level route, the whistle and the loud staccato exhaust of this great engine recalled most vividly memories of the New York Central Hudsons highballing along the Hudson River between Harmon and Albany!

1960 October, P. Ransome-Wallis, “Modern motive power of the German Federal Railway: Part Two”, in Trains Illustrated, page 613:

(rail transport, US, Canada) A steam locomotive of the 4-6-4 wheel arrangement.


cupola

Borrowed from Italian cupola, from Latin cūpula (“little tub”); from Latin cūpa, cuppa (“cup”); named for its resemblance to a cup turned over.

(railways, Canada, dated) a small viewing window in the top of the caboose for looking over the train, or the part of the caboose where one looks through this window.


braked

On most aircraft, the mainwheels are braked, but the nosewheel or tailwheel is not.

(mechanical engineering, rail transport, aviation, of a wheel) Equipped with brakes (the vehicle-stopping devices).


panto

en-noun

panto (countable and uncountable, plural pantos)

(countable, rail transport, informal) Clipping of pantograph.


Angus

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Aonghas, perhaps literally "one choice".

(rail transport) A nickname for the 0-8-8-0 train configuration.


buffer

Agent noun from obsolete verb buff (“make a dull sound when struck”) (mid-16c.), from Old French buffe (“blow”).
The “boatswain's mate” sense is said to be popularly explained by the mate being a “buffer”, that is intermediary, between officers and men, but various other explanations have also been proposed.

bufro

anything used to isolate or to minimise the effects of one thing on another

1885, W. S. Gilbert, The Mikado, Act II, in The Mikado, and Other Plays, New York: Modern Library, 1917, p. 42, https://archive.org/details/mikadootherplays00gilb
The idiot who, in railway carriages, / Scribbles on window panes, / We only suffer / To ride on a buffer / In Parliamentary trains.

The underframe, which has been designed to take buffing loads of 200 tons both on the centre coupler and on the retractable side buffers, consists of two centre girders from which cantilevers project to support the solebars, which in turn carry the bodyside structure.

1951 May, “British Railways Standard Coaches”, in Railway Magazine, page 327:

Then, with a shock like a thousand goods trains crashing into a thousand pairs of buffers, the lips of rock closed.

1953, C. S. Lewis, chapter 14, in The Silver Chair, Collins, published 1998:

Anything used to isolate or minimize the effect of one thing on another.

(rail transport) A device on trains and carriages designed to cushion the impact between them.

Of course, I was not always right. I questioned the value of Crossrail (a scheme revived by Prescott after being scrapped by the Conservatives), suggesting wrongly that it may be "doomed to hit the buffers" […]. A dozen years later, I published my book on it, extolling the line's wonders. We are all allowed to change our minds.

2024 January 10, Christian Wolmar, “A time for change? ... just as it was back in issue 262”, in RAIL, number 1000, page 61:

(rail transport) The barrier placed at the end of the track to absorb the impact of a train that fails to stop.


CBI

(railways) Initialism of Computer-Based Interlocking.


TST

(rail transport) The station code of Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong.


HST

HST (countable and uncountable, plural HSTs)

(UK, rail transport) Initialism of High Speed Train, a common name for the InterCity 125.


composite

Borrowed from Middle French composite, from Latin compositus, past participle of compōnō (“put together”). Doublet of compost, compote, and kompot.

The units are made up as either:
[...]
Trailer composite—4 first-class compartments—24 seats; and 3 second-class compartments—24 seats,
[...]
A total of 40 vehicles are to be built, Ten of each type of power car, ten trailer composites, five trailer seconds and five trailer second/buffets.

1963 April, “New Inter-City diesel multiple-units for W.R.”, in Modern Railways, page 266:

(rail transport, UK) A railway carriage with compartments for two different classes of travel; see Composite Corridor.


Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company
Kalamazoo, Michigan

After the Kalamazoo Manufacturing Company.

(rail transport, Australia) A pump trolley.


longitudinal

/ˌlɒŋɡɪˈt͡juːdɪnəl/

/ˌlɔŋɡɪˈt͡ʃʉwdɪnəl/

/ˌlɒŋd͡ʒəˈtudənəl/

/lɔŋɡəˈt͡ʃʉːdənəl/

/lɒŋɡəˈt͡ʃʉːdənəl/

From Middle English longitudinal, from Latin longitūdin-, oblique stem of longitūdō (“length, longitude”). By surface analysis, longitude + -in- + -al.

surf

(rail transport) A railway sleeper lying parallel with the rail.


SR

Southern Railway
w:Southern Railway (UK)

(UK, rail transport) Initialism of Southern Railway.


interlocking

There was still no attempt to arrange interlocking between points and signals; that came later. In 1856, John Saxby carried out the principle involved in interlocking—the prevention of signals and points being in conflicting positions—and erected apparatus to do that at this same junction.

1955 April, R. H. Warring, “Some Early Railway Signals”, in Railway Magazine, page 233:

In addition to the usual interlocking between conflicting signal and point levers achieved by electric locks, track circuits, when occupied, hold signals governing entry to the relevant line at danger; [...] The up main through inner home signal was held at danger by interlocking, because the track circuits of a conflicting route ahead of it were occupied by another train [...].

1961 March, “Talking of trains: Collision at Waterloo”, in Trains Illustrated, page 138:

(rail transport) An arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through a set of intersecting tracks, such as junctions or crossings.


scissors crossover

en-noun

scissors crossover (plural scissors crossovers)

Here the line is joined by the Colne Valley branch, and both tracks are carried into Haverhill station upon a high embankment from which the town can be seen on the south side. The twin tracks, after traversing a scissors crossover, become the down and up roads through the station, which possesses an extensive goods yard.

1951 September, B. D. J. Walsh, “The Sudbury and Haverhill Line, Eastern Region”, in Railway Magazine, page 619:

Included in the new layout are four new scissors crossovers.

1962 October, “Talking of Trains: Liverpool Street layout remodelled”, in Modern Railways, page 222:

(rail transport) A superimposed pair of railway crossovers, resembling the letter X, permitting travel in either direction between a pair of parallel tracks.


hotbox

One of the ex-L. & Y.R. "pugs" displaced by diesels at Bank Hall, No. 51232, is going to Preston for employment on the dock lines there, but when en route on December 31 it ran out of water and also sustained a hot box, as a result of which it was detained at Bank Hall.

1961 March, “Motive Power Miscellany”, in Trains Illustrated, page 181:

In particular, hot boxes on freight trains are a persistent problem.

1963 July, “News and Comment: Roller bearings for freight stock”, in Modern Railways, page 6:

Experience with infrared hotbox detector installations has demonstrated the validity of the analysis.

1964, RSC, Railway Signaling and Communications - Volume 57, page 18:

(engineering) An overheated shaft bearing.

(rail transport) An overheated axle box, bearing and bearing enclosure.


CAB

(rail transport) The station code of Causeway Bay in Hong Kong.


CTC

(rail transport) Initialism of Centralized (or Centralised) Traffic Control.


permanent way

permanent (contrasted with the temporary way of a contractor) + way (as in railway)

Holonym: right of way

Meronyms: railbed, railroad track

The term "permanent way" arose to differentiate between the rough track laid by railway contractors for the constructional purposes of new lines, and the final ballasted track upon which the regular service of trains was to run. The former being purely temporary, qualification of "permanent" was applied to the latter.

1941 September, “The Why and the Wherefore: Temporary and Permanent Way”, in Railway Magazine, page 432:

Watt climbed the stone steps and stood before the wicket, looking through its bars. He admired the permanent way, stretching away on either hand, in the moonlight, and the starlight, as far as the eye could reach, as far as Watt's eye could have reached, if it had been inside the station.

1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:

No. 320 finally drew into Paris one minute early, having run the 78.3 miles from Longueau in 65½min, inclusive of a permanent way slack and the usual tortoise-like progress from St. Denis.

1961 December, H. G. Ellison, P. G. Barlow, “Journey through France: Part Two”, in Trains Illustrated, page 749:

The paid permanent way staff prepare and refettle the track during the week and at weekends volunteer gangs of some 30/40 people are engaged on relaying — [...].

1979 August, Michael Harris, “A line for all reasons: the North Yorkshire Moors Railway”, in Railway World, page 412:

(rail transport, British, Australia) The track and ballast (bed) of a railway.


FOH

(rail transport) The station code of Fortress Hill in Hong Kong.


crossover

crossover (countable and uncountable, plural crossovers)

The passenger train was signalled from one of the west end bay platforms along the Down South Line; as it passed through a crossover to the Up South Line the freight train, which had been travelling slowly to the Up South Line, over-ran the signal protecting the crossover and came into sidelong collision with it.

1961 February, “Talking of Trains: Collision at Newcastle”, in Trains Illustrated, page 76:

Network Rail developed and delivered the new crossover in just ten months - "phenomenally quickly", Mands says - and the work is included in the £20m build cost.

2023 December 27, Richard Foster, “New rail freight terminal leads the way”, in RAIL, number 999, page 40:

(rail transport) A pair of switches and a short, diagonal length of track which together connect two parallel tracks and allow passage between them.


stationmaster

The glare, the flies, while they waited, and he and the stationmaster put their heads together over the time-table, trying to find this other train, which, of course, they wouldn't catch.

1920, Katherine Mansfield [pseudonym; Kathleen Mansfield Murry], “The Escape”, in Bliss and Other Stories, London: Constable & Company, published 1920, →OCLC, page 273:

The stationmaster was an important part of the local community. Anyon Kay, in his reminiscences of Horwich in the early 20th century, remembers a Mr Horsfield as stationmaster - "a gentlemanly character who took his job very seriously".

2023 March 8, Paul Salveson, “Fond farewells to two final trains...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 54:

(rail transport) The person in charge of a railroad station, usually an employee of a particular railroad by which the station is owned, but sometimes an employee of a separate corporation, such as one owning a station used by two or more railroads.

geltokiburu

the person in charge of a railroad station


blind spot

blind spots (plural)
blindspot (alternative)

زاوِية مَيِّتة

part of the road/railway track/tramway track that cannot be seen

When he changed tracks, he sideswiped a railway worker that was in his blind spot.

(rail transport) The part of the railway/tramway track that cannot be seen in the side mirror or the side window.


through train

(rail transport) a train that travels a long distance without any stops


DM

DM (countable and uncountable, plural DMs)

(rail transport, in multiple unit formations) driving motor car


Dutch oven

From Dutch (“makeshift, substitutional, replacement, ersatz”) + oven. See Dutch for more information on the now obsolete sense that the term is derived from.
The cigar sense is said to originate in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

com

(rail transport) A protective cover for electrical contacts on a railway coupler, particularly but not exclusively used on the London Underground.


hotshot

hotshots (plural)
hot shot (alternative)
hot-shot (alternative)

Indeed, development proceeded so rapidly thereafter that Mopac, for instance, was rebuilding a series of 10-year-old Woodard 2-8-4's into 4-8-4's by 1940 - not because they couldn't steam but because their 63-inch drivers couldn't roll the hotshots fast enough.

1959, David P. Morgan, editor, Steam's Finest Hour, Kalmbach Publishing Co.:

(US, rail transport) A fast freight train.


gon

(rail transport) Abbreviation of gondola car.


cross junction

(railways) A location where two railroad tracks cross, without switches, as where different roads intersect.


gripper

/ˈɡɹɪ.pə(ɹ)/

(rail transport, slang) A ticket collector.


turntable

In order to transfer an engine or carriage laterally to another line of rails, at a station or terminus, circular platforms called turntables are established upon each set of rails, which turn as upon a pivot in the centre of each line, each contiguous pair of tables being connected by short branch rails, standing at right angles to the line of rails. The engine or carriage to be transferred is brought to rest wholly upon one table, which is then turned a quarter round, and the carriage is then wheeled on to the next turntable, which being likewise turned a quarter round, the engine or carriage will then be in a position to proceed on the line to which the second table appertains.

1846, Luke Hebert, The Engineer’s and Mechanic’s Encyclopædia, […]. In Two Volumes, volume II, London: Thomas Kelly, […], →OCLC, page 432:

Of locomotive interest was "an engine house for spare engines which was about 60 ft. × 51 ft.; on the outside of this was an immense turntable sufficient to turn the engine and tender at once."

1944 July and August, Reginald B. Fellows, “The Failure of Bricklayers Arms as a Passenger Station—I”, in Railway Magazine, page 211:

The domestic coal depot at St Pancras, north of Somers Town Goods. The numerous transverse sidings, into which full wagons were placed for unloading, were served by more than a dozen small wagon turntables from a central spine siding, with shunting by horses or possibly capstans and cables.

2021 December 1, Nigel Harris, “St Pancras and King's Cross: 1947”, in RAIL, number 945, page 43, photo caption:

(rail transport, road transport) A rotating platform placed in a circular pit, used for turning locomotives, cars, or trucks.

točna

rotating platform for turning locomotives

kääntötaso

rotating platform for turning cars and trucks


red flag

(rail transport, UK) A flag formerly used by a railway guard to warn the driver not to start the train.


Jubilee

See jubilee. The proper noun sense (“London Underground line”) was named after the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (born 1926) in 1977.

(rail transport) A London Underground line which runs between Stratford in East London and Stanmore in northwest London, via the London Docklands, South Bank, and West End.


stopper

The local train was empty at midday. She changed at Yatton and caught a stopper into Bristol. There was an express calling at Exeter which left Bristol at twelve-forty-five and she caught it by the skin of her teeth.

1996, Susan Sallis, Touched by Angels, Random House, page 300:

Changing times at Barnham on December 8 2022. Southern 313211 is an all-stations stopper.

2023 February 22, Howard Johnston, “Southern '313s': is the end now in sight?”, in RAIL, number 977, page 39, photo caption:

(rail transport) A train that calls at all or almost all stations between its origin and destination, including very small ones.


fishplate

From fish + plate. See fish (“curved wooden bar used to strengthen a ship's mast”).

The train, minus the three abandoned trucks, again proceeded at a slow pace, with a pump trolley doing pilot ahead ; this was very necessary as a great many sleepers were found to have been burnt underneath the fishplates.

1901, George Gipps, The Fighting in North China (up to the Fall of Tientsin City), Shanghai: Kelly and Walsh, →OL, page 40:

(rail transport) A metal bar that is bolted to the ends of two rails to join them together in a track.


fishplate

en-verb

fishplate (third-person singular simple present fishplates, present participle fishplating, simple past and past participle fishplated)

fishplates (present singular third-person)
fishplating (participle present)
fishplated (participle past)
fishplated (past)

One section of the line will consist of 60 ft. lengths of rail welded together on site to form fully continuous rails; another will be of 300 ft. lengths, flash butt-welded in Dinsdale Rail Welding Depot and fishplated together on site; [...].

1959 November, “Talking of Trains: Widening north of York”, in Trains Illustrated, page 518:

(transitive, rail transport) To connect (rails) together using a fishplate.


four foot (alternative)
four-foot (alternative)

(rail transport) Alternative form of four foot


railcar

skinnebus

self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus

автодрези́на

powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends

The semi-streamlined contour of the earlier G.W.R. railcars has been given up in favour of a more utilitarian blunt-nose end, and effective floor space gained thereby.

1941 October, “Notes and News: Great Western Parcels Railcar”, in Railway Magazine, page 474:

Profitable operation is being made possible by the widespread introduction of capacious diesel railcars, which for their comfort and speed are very popular with the travelling public.

1953 April, “Reviving U.S.A. Passenger Traffic”, in Railway Magazine, page 218:

(rail transport) A self-propelled railway vehicle for passengers, similar to a bus.

(rail transport) A powered single railway vehicle designed for passenger transport, with a driver's cab in both ends; Not to be confused with motor coach/motorcar, which is a powered railway vehicle capable to haul a train.


cherries

(rail transport, British) A rail-gap indicator.


banking

en-noun

banking (countable and uncountable, plural bankings)

On the Dava line, apart from the banking assistance given by the 4-4-0s, the traffic is handled by the standard class "5" 4-6-0s, known among the drivers as "Hikers"; these engines are shedded at Inverness and Perth.

1944 January and February, W. McGowan Gradon, “Forres as a Railway Centre”, in Railway Magazine, page 23:

(rail transport) The practice of assisting a train up a steep incline (called a bank) with another locomotive at the rear.

подта́лкивание

rail transport: helping a train up a steep incline


normalize

en-verb

normalize (third-person singular simple present normalizes, present participle normalizing, simple past and past participle normalized)

normalizes (present singular third-person)
normalizing (participle present)
normalized (participle past)
normalized (past)
normalise (alternative UK)

palauttaa

rail transport, transitive: to return to the normal position

palautua

rail transport, intransitive: to return to the normal position

(rail transport, transitive) To return a set of points (switches) to the normal position.

(rail transport, intransitive, of points) To return to the normal position from the reverse position.


staggered

en-adj

staggered (comparative more staggered, superlative most staggered)

more staggered (comparative)
most staggered (superlative)

The line now veers slightly south through a wooded cutting before arriving at the staggered platforms of Stocksmoor station (6½ miles) and a further ¾-mile stretch of level track leads to Shepley & Shelley (7¼ miles).

1959 May, Yorkshireman, “The Huddersfield-Penistone line and its branches”, in Trains Illustrated, page 253:

(rail transport, of platforms at a station) Not directly opposite each other.


thumper

en-noun

thumper (countable and uncountable, plural thumpers)

(UK, rail transport, slang) A kind of slam-door train introduced in the late 1950s.


Piccadilly

Audio (US)

From Pickadilly Hall, a house belonging to a tailor who specialized in a type of lace collar called a piccadill, possibly from conjectured Spanish *picadillo, from picado (“punctured, pierced”); compare 17th century Spanish picadura (“a similar lace collar”).
Piccadilly attested from 1743; previously the area was called Portugal, and the street Portugal Street (1692), after Catherine of Braganza.

(rail transport) Manchester Piccadilly station, the main railway station in Manchester.

Why Piccadilly? The Piccadilly Line was originally the Great Northern, Piccadilly & Brompton Railway (GNP&BR) which was shortened to Piccadilly in practice. Running under the main road between Piccadilly Circus and Hyde Park Corner, Piccadilly made sense and was also the most well-known location in the original company name.

2024 March 6, Stefanie Foster, “The changing face of the Piccadilly...”, in RAIL, number 1004, page 52:

(rail transport) The Piccadilly Line of the London Underground, originally known as the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway.


diamond crossover

diamond crossover (plural diamond crossovers)

Named after the diamond crossing in its center.

"In 15 is illustrated the diamond crossover, one of the many kinds in common use."

1916, Lee O. Kellogg, editor, Details of Practical Mining, page 458:

"It travelled on until the bogie fouled a diamond crossover at the north end of the station where derailment became complete."

1955, L.T.C. Rolt, Red for Danger: A History of Railway Accidents and Railway Safety Precautions, page 104:

"Increased height is necessary when scales or a double hump lead with diamond crossover is placed on the descending slope of the hump."

1956, Robert William Abbett, American Civil Engineering Practice, page 2:

"A diamond crossover provides each track with access to the entire yard."

1958, S. Kip Farrington, Railroads of the Hour, page 230:

"Each chamber contains a diamond crossover designed for 60 km/h running."

1995, Institution of Civil Engineers (Great Britain), The Channel Tunnel, →ISBN, page 20:

"The closed-deck ballasted bridge is double-tracked and opens up to a third track through a combination diamond-crossover and double-slip switch before it reaches the bulkhead on the Hoboken side."

2002 August, Paul Jannotti, “Thinking outside the box on light rail: Hudson-Bergen project”, in Railway Track and Structures:

2004 — U.S. Federal Register, v. 69 #101, May 25, 2004, p. 29780.
"The reason given for the proposed changes is that the crossover and switches were installed to replace a diamond crossover. The BNSF is taking their north connecting track out of service, so the control point with the crossover is no longer needed."

~2005 — Robert Ferreira, "North Springs Branch", in "MARTA North Springs and Doraville Branches", http://world.nycsubway.org/us/atlanta/marta-northbranches.html.
"In December, 1999 a new diamond crossover interlocking was placed into service at Medical Center."

(rail transport) superimposed pair of railway crossovers, resembling a letter X, permitting to travel in either direction between a pair of parallel tracks


SSP

(rail transport) The station code of Sham Shui Po in Hong Kong.


interlaced

(rail transport) Synonym of gauntleted (“having overlapping parallel rail tracks”).


metals

It was appropriate that 'King' number 6000 began the return to steam on British Rail metals in 1971.

Now and again a night train roared along the metals within twenty feet of him; but he had all the Oriental’s indifference to mere noise, and it did not even weave a dream through his slumber.

1900 December – 1901 October, Rudyard Kipling, “chapter 8”, in Kim (Macmillan’s Colonial Library; no. 414), London: Macmillan and Co., published 1901, →OCLC:

They stood on the foot-bridge over Boathouse Station and looked at the metals gleaming coldly.

1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “chapter 7”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:

The way the glare from our engine firehole pulsated, reflecting continuously in the steam, combined with our achievement in keeping level with the lighter train until our metals parted at Wilton, provided another lasting memory.

1955 April, W. J. Alcock, “Unforgettable Moments”, in Railway Magazine, page 271:

Steam services began running over NR [Network Rail] metals from Grosmont to the traffic objective of Whitby in 2007, with operations enhanced by opening of the second platform at the terminus in 2014.

2019 October, James Abbott, “Esk Valley revival”, in Modern Railways, pages 77, 78:

(rail transport) The rail tracks owned by a company or organisation; a rail network.


switchback

The noun is derived from switch (“to turn (a train) from one railway track to another using a switch”, verb) + back (“so as to reverse direction and return”, adverb).
The verb is derived from the noun.

compound

"Of course," said Harry, "there will have to be a branch track built, and a ‘switch-back’ up the hill."

1873, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], Charles Dudley Warner, chapter XLIX, in The Gilded Age: A Tale of To-day, Hartford, Conn.: American Publishing Company, published 1874, →OCLC, page 445:

Marriage was the switchback, the giant racer, the lobster teas, the guarantee that one would never be alone.

1934, Graham Greene, chapter 4, in It’s a Battlefield, library edition, London: William Heinemann, published 1959, →OCLC, page 171:

A railway track on a steep slope in a zigzag formation, in which a train travels in a reverse direction at each switch.

serpentiinirata

The WR faction claims that the Westbury route is better adapted to high speed, to which advocates of the SR route are apt to retort that the effect of modern diesel traction on schedules over the Salisbury–Exeter switchback has yet to be measured (the speed potential between Waterloo and Salisbury is scarcely disputable) […]

1964 March, “News and comment: Which way to the west?”, in Modern Railways, Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing, page 147:

A railway track on which there are steep ascents and descents, a train moving partially or fully by the force of gravity using the momentum generated when descending to travel up an ascending part of the track; especially (British, dated), such a track built for fun rides at an amusement park; a type of rollercoaster.


MEF

(rail transport) The station code of Mei Foo in Hong Kong.


locomotive

/ˌləʊkəˈməʊtɪv/

From French locomotif, from Latin locō (literally “from a place”) (ablative of locus (“place”)) + Vulgar Latin mōtivus (“moving”) (see motive).
In the rail transport sense, ellipsis of locomotive (steam) engine, attested from 1814.

As on all other British Railways standard locomotives to date, the lubrication of motion pins and reversing gear is by grease nipple and gun.

1953 February 9, “British Railways Standard Class "4" 2-6-0 Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 109:

(rail transport) The power unit of a train that pulls the coaches or wagons.


daycoach

(US, rail transport) A normal railway car with seats, but no sleeping arrangements.


traverser

As the pithead (Fig. 15) had not been designed for large wide gauge cars it was necessary to replace the usual runround with a traverser.

1954, Colliery Engineering - Volume 31, page 8:

Before I left Paris I had the chance to visit La Chapelle depot. I was fascinated by the place. Basically, the steam depot is divided into two halves, the repair side and the steam side, with a traverser in between.

1961 March, ""Dalmore"", “Driving and firing modern French steam locomotives”, in Trains Illustrated, page 148:

The outside sidings and test areas are rail-connected at the western end to the Down Service line, whilst the test area and assembly area are connected via a traverser at the eastern end of the site.

2019 October, “Trackwatch: Wales”, in Modern Railways, page 90:


running board

(rail transport) A narrow footway above the driving wheels of some steam locomotives, and along the sides of some diesel locomotives.


push-pull

The coaches require modifications, including work to ensure they can work in push-pull mode with Class 67 locos.

2019 October, Rhodri Clark, “TfW seeks PRM derogation for Class 37 sets”, in Modern Railways, page 87:

That train is Inspection Saloon 975025, better known as Caroline. It's a former Hastings line Class 201 diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) buffet car converted to run in push-pull operation, with large windows at both ends to give a great view of the line ahead.

2022 December 14, Pip Dunn, “Caroline is ready for inspection...”, in RAIL, number 972, page 48:

(rail transport) Operating with locomotives at both the head and rear of a train, or with a locomotive at one end and a driving position in the vehicle at the opposite end, so that the train can be driven from either end.


regulator

To start No. S.002 effectively with a heavy train, one opens the main regulator sufficiently to move the train off very slowly. An excess of regulator opening with the by-pass valve open can cause heavy slipping; if the worst happens, the slipping continues a little longer after the regulator is closed than on an English locomotive.

1961 March, Balmore, “Driving and firing modern French steam locomotives”, in Trains Illustrated, page 146:

This uncoupling done, Gimbert opened the regulator as Nightall climbed back onto the footplate, in order to pull the one burning wagon away from the rest of the bomb-laden train.

2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:

(rail transport) A device that controls the supply of steam to the cylinders of a steam locomotive.

regulaattori

rail transport: device that controls the supply of steam to the cylinder


railroad tie

Holonyms: railroad track, rail track, railway track, train track, permanent way

(rail transport, US) A heavy, preserved piece of hewn timber laid crossways to and supporting the rails of a railroad or a member of similar shape and function of another material such as concrete.

траверса

piece supporting the rails of a railroad


flying meet

(rail transport) The carefully-timed situation in which two opposing trains on a nominally single-track line meet at a siding and are able to pass each other without stopping, because they have reached the siding simultaneously.


car door

car doors (plural)
car-door (alternative)
cardoor (alternative)

We found Jeru to be a pleasant city; with only one fault: the inhabitants will crowd into a car before passengers can get out; consequently the heads of the two columns collide near the car-door, and there is a general choke.

1863, Gail Hamilton, Gala-Days, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, page 22:

(automotive, rail transport) A door designed for use on a car (whether a railway carriage or an automobile).


VR

Virar railway station
w:Virar railway station

(rail transport) The station code of Virar railway station in India.

Victorian Railways
w:en:Victorian Railways

(Australia, rail transport, obsolete) Initialism of Victorian Railways.


redcap

redcaps (plural)
red cap (alternative)
red-cap (alternative)

From red + cap.
In sense of "porter", 1890s US; compare contemporary Japanese 赤帽 (akabou), Chinese 小紅帽 /小红帽 (Xiǎo Hóng Mào). On Labor Day, 1890, John Williams, an African-American railway porter, tied a red ribbon to his black uniform cap to stand out from the crowd at Grand Central Terminal. The strategy was so successful that it was soon adopted by others in the profession, leading to the synecdochic use of redcap as a term for all railway porters.

(US, rail transport) A porter in a US railway station.


siding

From side + -ing (“derivative noun, having the quality of”).

suffix

They slept where they could, sometimes in an empty truck on a siding near the station, sometimes in a cart behind a warehouse; [...]

1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 47”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:

Laid out over six square kilometres, Sellafield is like a small town, with nearly a thousand buildings, its own roads and even a rail siding – all owned by the government, and requiring security clearance to visit.

December 15 2022, Samanth Subramanian, “Dismantling Sellafield: the epic task of shutting down a nuclear site”, in The Guardian:

(rail transport) A second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for loading or unloading freight, storing trains or other rail vehicles; or to allow two trains on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction) (the latter sense is probably an American definition).


horsebox

On October 31 [...] Laira "Grange" No. 6871 passed through Wolverhampton with a Holyhead-Didcot horsebox special.

1960 January, “Motive Power Miscellany: Western Region”, in Trains Illustrated, page 58:

(UK, rail transport, obsolete) A van-type railway vehicle specially built for the carriage of horses.


signalling

en-noun

signalling (countable and uncountable, plural signallings)

signallings (plural)
signaling (alternative)

(rail transport) the signals and associated equipment required for their operation.