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Glossary Of North American Railway Terms
This article contains a list of terms, jargon, and slang used to varying degrees by railfans and railroad employees in the United States and Canada. Although not exhaustive, many of the entries in this list appear from time to time in specialist, rail-related publications. Inclusion of a term in this list does not necessarily imply its universal adoption by all railfans and railroad employees, and there may be significant regional variation in usage. 0–9 ; 3-step protection (US) : The protection given by a locomotive engineer to an employee working near, between, or under cars to which the locomotive is coupled, via a three-step process: :# Fully apply independent brake. :# Set reverser to neutral. :# Turn off generator field (or notify the ground employee, depending on company-specific rules and locomotive type, that protection is provided). ; 10 wheeler (US) : A steam locomotive with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement ; 241 (US) : Procession of a train past a stop signal with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terminology
Terminology is a group of specialized words and respective meanings in a particular field, and also the study of such terms and their use; the latter meaning is also known as terminology science. A ''term'' is a word, Compound (linguistics), compound word, or multi-word Expression (language), expression that in specific context (language use), contexts is given specific meanings—these may deviate from the meanings the same words have in other contexts and in everyday language. Terminology is a discipline that studies, among other things, the development of such terms and their interrelationships within a specialized domain. Terminology differs from lexicography, as it involves the study of concepts, conceptual systems and their labels (''terms''), whereas lexicography studies words and their meanings. Terminology is a discipline that systematically studies the "labelling or designating of concepts" particular to one or more subject fields or domains of human activity. It does t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Osceola, Wisconsin
Osceola ( ) is a village in Polk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,765 at the 2020 census. Located mostly within the Town of Osceola, the village sits on the border with Minnesota, separated by the St. Croix River. It is along Wisconsin Highway 35. History The village was named after Osceola, chief of the Seminoles. Geography Osceola is located at (45.322365, -92.698534). Cascade Falls, a waterfall with a crest on Osceola Creek, is located in downtown Osceola. According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water. Demographics 2020 census As of the census of 2020, there were 2,765 people, and 1,224 households living in the village. There were 1,356 housing units. The racial makeup of the village was 94.1% White, 0.7% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 1% from other races, and 3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.05% of the population ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cupola Caboose
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout. The word derives, via Italian, from lower Latin ''cupula'' (classical Latin ''cupella''), (Latin ''cupa''), indicating a vault resembling an upside-down cup. The cylindrical drum underneath a larger cupola is called a tholobate. Background The cupola evolved during the Renaissance from the older oculus. Being weatherproof, the cupola was better suited to the wetter climates of northern Europe. The chhatri, seen in Indian architecture, fits the definition of a cupola when it is used atop a larger structure. Cupolas often serve as a belfry, belvedere, or roof lantern above a main roof. In other cases they may crown a spire, tower, or turret. Barns often have cupolas for ventilation. Cupolas can also appear as small buildings in their own right. The square, dom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amfleet
Amfleet is a fleet of single-level intercity railroad passenger car (rail), passenger cars built by the Budd Company for American company Amtrak in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Budd based the Amfleet design on its earlier Budd Metroliner, Metroliner electric multiple unit. An initial order for 57 cars in 1973 to supplement the Metroliners on the Northeast Corridor grew to two orders totaling 642 cars, sufficient to reequip all the services on the Northeast Corridor and many other routes around the United States. The first 492 cars, known as Amfleet I and completed between 1975 and 1977, were designed for short-distance service. A second order of 150 cars, known as Amfleet II and completed between 1980 and 1983, were designed for long-distance service. They were the last intercity passenger cars built by Budd. Car types include both long- and short-distance coaches, cafes, club cars, and lounges. Since the construction of the cars, multiple rebuildings have eliminated the club ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ALCO RSD-15
The ALCO RSD-15 is a diesel-electric locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York between August 1956 and June 1960, during which time 75 locomotives were produced. The RSD-15 was powered by an ALCO 251 16-cylinder four-cycle V-type prime mover rated at ; it superseded the almost identical ALCO 244-engined RSD-7, and was catalogued alongside the similar but smaller RSD-12, powered by a 12-cylinder 251-model V-type diesel engine. The locomotive rode on a pair of three-axle ''Trimount'' trucks with all axles powered by General Electric model 752 traction motors. These trucks have an asymmetrical axle spacing because of the positioning of the traction motors. The six-motor design allowed higher tractive effort at lower speeds than an otherwise similar four-motor design. The RSD-15 could be ordered with either a high or low short hood; railfans dubbed the low short hood version "Alligators", due to their unusually long low noses. RSD-17 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lanham, Maryland
Lanham is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, it has a population of 11,282. The New Carrollton station (the terminus of the Washington Metro's Orange Line) as well as an Amtrak station are across the Capital Beltway in New Carrollton, Maryland. Doctors Community Hospital is located in Lanham. History The Thomas J. Calloway House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Lanham has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.54%, is water. Government and infrastructure Prince George's County Police Department District 2 Station in Brock Hall CDP, with a Bowie postal address, serves the community. The U.S. Postal Service operates the Lanham Seabrook Post Office in Lanham CDP. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Track Warrant Control
A track warrant is a set of instructions issued to a train crew authorizing specific train movements. The system is widely used in North America. The warrant is issued by the train dispatcher and delivered to the train crew via radio. The train crew copies the instructions onto a pre-printed paper form and reads back the warrant to ensure that nothing was misunderstood. Operation Track warrants are issued granting main track use between two named points (i.e. milepost sign, station, or any fixed physical point, such as a switch). The dispatcher may also issue time constraints (known as "Box 6" on a standard form), although the track warrants remain in effect until cleared by a member of the receiving crew. Track warrants are sometimes used in conjunction with a block signal system to provide rear-end protection against following trains. Track warrants usually allow a train to move in one direction only—a "proceed" instruction. Sometimes a train may also be given authorizing mov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Advanced Train Control System
An Advanced Train Control System (ATCS) is a North American system of railroad equipment designed to ensure safety by monitoring locomotive and train locations, providing analysis and reporting, automating track warrants, detecting blind spot and similar orders. ATCS specifications are published by the Association of American Railroads (AAR), and are designed to document the stated requirements of railway/railroad operational and technical professionals concerning ATCS hardware and software.Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC (2005)"Manual of Standards and Recommended Practices. Section K: Railway Electronics." Principles The basic principle behind ATCS is to provide a cost efficient, safe, modular, train control system with an open architecture. The primary goals of the system are to provide for * compatibility of systems across railroads. This helps to ensure seamless operation. For example, locomotives from one railroad will be able to communicate, via data r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alstom
Alstom SA () is a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer which operates worldwide in rail transport markets. It is active in the fields of passenger transportation, signaling, and locomotives, producing high-speed, suburban, regional and urban trains along with trams. The company and its name (originally spelled Alsthom) was formed by a merger between the electric engineering division of Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques (Als) and Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston (thom) in 1928. Significant acquisitions later included the Constructions Électriques de France (1932), shipbuilder Chantiers de l'Atlantique (1976), and parts of ACEC (late 1980s). A merger with parts of the British General Electric Company formed GEC Alsthom in 1989. Throughout the 1990s, the company expanded its holdings in the rail sector, acquiring German rolling stock manufacturer Linke-Hofmann-Busch and Italian rail signaling specialist Sasib Railways. In 1998, GEC Alsthom was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cab Signalling
Cab signalling is a railroad, railway safety system that communicates track status and condition information to the cab (locomotive), cab, crew compartment or driver's compartment of a locomotive, railcar or multiple unit. The information is continually updated giving an easy to read display to the train driver or Railroad engineer, engine driver. The simplest systems display the trackside signal, while more sophisticated systems also display allowable speed, location of nearby trains, and dynamic information about the track ahead. Cab signals can also be part of a more comprehensive train protection system that can automatically apply the brakes stopping the train if the operator does not respond appropriately to a dangerous condition. The main purpose of a signal system is to enforce a safe separation between trains and to stop or slow trains in advance of a restrictive situation. The cab signal system is an improvement over the Railway signal, wayside signal system, where vi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Positive Train Control
Positive train control (PTC) is a family of automatic train protection systems deployed in the United States. Most of the United States' national rail network mileage has a form of PTC. These systems are generally designed to check that trains are moving safely and to stop them when they are not. Positive train control restricts the train movement to an explicit allowance; movement is halted upon invalidation. A train operating under PTC receives a ''movement authority'' containing information about its location and where it is allowed to safely travel. PTC was installed and operational on 100% of the statutory-required trackage by December 29, 2020. Overview The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) describes positive train control systems as having these primary functions: * Train separation or collision avoidance * Line speed enforcement * Temporary speed restriction enforcement * Rail worker wayside safety * Blind spot monitoring History ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System
Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System (ACSES) is a positive train control cab signaling system developed by Alstom. The system is designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, protect against overspeed, and protect work crews with temporary speed restrictions. The information about permanent and temporary speed restrictions is transmitted to the train by transponders ( Balises) lying in the track, coded track circuits and digital radio. It was installed beginning in 2000 on all of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (except MTA territory) between Washington and Boston, and has been fully active since December 2015, a few months after the 2015 Philadelphia train derailment which it would have prevented. General system design ACSES provides railway trains with positive enforcement of "civil" speed restrictions (those based on the physical characteristics of the line). The on-board components keep track of a train's position and continuously calculates a maximum safe braking curve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
