This article contains a list of

jargon Jargon, or technical language, is the specialized terminology associated with a particular field or area of activity. Jargon is normally employed in a particular Context (language use), communicative context and may not be well understood outside ...

used to varying degrees by railway enthusiasts, trainspotters, and railway employees in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, including nicknames for various locomotives and multiple units. Although not exhaustive, many of the entries in this list appear from time to time in specialist, rail-related publications. There may be significant regional variation in usage.

A

;

Absolute block signalling Absolute block signalling is a British signalling block system designed to ensure the safe operation of a railway by allowing only one train to occupy a defined section of track (block) at a time. Each block section is manually controlled by ...

: A British

signalling A signal is both the process and the result of transmission of data over some media accomplished by embedding some variation. Signals are important in multiple subject fields including signal processing, information theory and biology. In ...

scheme designed to ensure the safe operation of a railway by allowing only one

train A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...

to occupy a defined section of track (block) at a time, used on lines which lack

automatic block signalling Automatic block signaling (ABS), spelled automatic block signalling or called track circuit block (TCB ) in the UK, is a railroad communications system that consists of a series of Railway signal, signals that divide a railway line into a seri ...

; Aspect : The indication displayed by a colour-light signal (e.g. a yellow aspect) ; Autocoach : A passenger coach fitted with a driving cab and controls for use in an autotrain ;

Automatic warning system Automatic Warning System (AWS) is a railway safety system invented and predominantly used in the United Kingdom. It provides a train driver with an audible indication of whether the next Railway_signal, signal they are approaching is clear or a ...

(AWS) : The specific form of limited cab signalling introduced in 1948 in the United Kingdom to help train drivers observe and obey warning signals

B

; Baby Deltic : D5900 class

Bo-Bo B-B and Bo-Bo are the AAR wheel arrangement, Association of American Railroads (AAR) and British classifications of wheel arrangement for railway locomotives with four axles in two individual bogies. They are equivalent to the B′B′ and Bo′B ...

diesel-electric locomotives, constructed by the

English Electric The English Electric Company Limited (EE) was a British industrial manufacturer formed after World War I by amalgamating five businesses which, during the war, made munitions, armaments and aeroplanes. It initially specialised in industrial el ...

company. They used a single

Napier Deltic The Napier Deltic engine is a British opposed-piston valveless, supercharged uniflow scavenged, two-stroke diesel engine used in marine and locomotive applications, designed and produced by D. Napier & Son. Unusually, the cylinders were di ...

engine/generator combination, as opposed to the two-engines layout and Co-Co wheel arrangement of the much longer Deltic locomotives from the same manufacturer, to which they bore a very strong family resemblance. ; Baby Warship : North British D6300 class locomotives, which used one diesel engine coupled to a hydraulic transmission, making them effectively half a D600 Warship or D800 Warship, each of which had two engines ; Bagpipes :

British Rail Class 33 The British Rail Class 33, also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton, is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives, ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962. They were produced as a more p ...

/1 locomotives, specifically those fitted for push-pull working with 4TC stock ; Basils : A nickname for the British Rail Class 755 bi-mode / diesel multiple units. Named for the TV character Basil Fawlty due to many teething problems on introduction. ; Bed pan : A name used for the service that used to operate between ''Bed''ford and London St. ''Pan''cras; this service has subsequently been replaced by cross-London service on the Thameslink route. It is sometimes used when referring to the line from Bedford to St Pancras, and not any service in particular. ;

Black Five The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Stanier Class 5 4-6-0, commonly known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotives. It was introduced by William Stanier and built between 1934 and 1951. A total of 842 were built, initially ...

: A

LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Stanier Class 5 4-6-0, commonly known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotives. It was introduced by William Stanier and built between 1934 and 1951. A total of 842 were built, initially ...

. Class of

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

built in the UK, named from their black 'mixed-traffic' livery and 'Class 5' power rating. ; Blood and Custard : The Crimson and Cream livery used on BR's coaches during the 1950s and 60s ; Bobby : A signaller. From

Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850), was a British Conservative statesman who twice was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1834–1835, 1841–1846), and simultaneously was Chancellor of the Exchequer (1834–183 ...

; originally, the railway police were responsible for signalling. ; Bodysnatcher : British Rail Class 57 diesel-electric locomotives—made by transplanting a

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

reconditioned power unit and alternator into a Class 47 bodyshell Bettendorf truck at Illinois Railway Museum

;

Bogie A bogie ( ) (or truck in North American English) comprises two or more Wheelset (rail transport), wheelsets (two Railroad wheel, wheels on an axle), in a frame, attached under a vehicle by a pivot. Bogies take various forms in various modes ...

: The undercarriage assembly of rolling stock incorporating the

train wheel A train wheel or rail wheel is a type of wheel specially designed for use on railway tracks. The wheel acts as a rolling component, typically press fitted on to an axle and mounted directly on a railway carriage or locomotive, or indirectl ...

s, suspension, brakes and, in powered units, the ''

traction motor A traction motor is an electric motor used for propulsion of a vehicle, such as locomotives, electric vehicle, electric or hydrogen vehicles, or electric multiple unit trains. Traction (engineering), Traction motors are used in electrically powe ...

s'' ; Booking clerk : A member of staff at railway stations, employed to sell tickets to passengers, able to provide advice on ticketing and route options, and responsible for the daily accounts and auditing of the station ; Bone :

British Rail Class 58 The British Rail Class 58 is a class of Co-Co locomotives, Co-Co diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight. The narrow body with cabs at either end led to them being given the nickname "Bone" by railfan, rail enthusiasts. Their design repre ...

diesel-electric locomotive—from the shape: the body is narrow with wide cabs. (Also called

egg timer An egg timer or kitchen timer is a device whose primary function is to assist in timing during cooking; the name comes from the first timers initially being used for the timing of cooking eggs. Early designs simply counted down for a specific p ...

.) Ironically, one of the final workings of this class was a railfan special called the Bone Breaker which ended in a bufferstop collision and a passenger breaking his leg.Class 58 Loco Group
; Bone Shaker :

London Underground A60 and A62 Stock The London Underground A60 and A62 Stock, commonly referred to as A Stock, was a type of sub-surface rolling stock which operated on the Metropolitan line of the London Underground from 12 June 1961 to 26 September 2012, and on the East London ...

, due to the shakey ride of the old trains. The nickname was coined by an ITV News reporter during a report on the A Stock's last day of service on the Metropolitan Line. ;

Brake van Brake van and guard's van are terms used mainly in the UK, Ireland, Australia and India for a Rolling stock, railway vehicle equipped with a hand brake which can be applied by the Conductor (transportation), guard. The equivalent North Americ ...

: A heavy vehicle with powerful brakes which was attached to the rear of goods trains in the days when most wagons were not fitted with a continuous braking system. Its function was to supplement the locomotive's braking power in slowing and stopping the train and to keep the couplings uniformly tight by selective light braking to avoid snatching and breakages. It also conveyed the train guard, hence its alternative name of ''"guards van"''. Partly analogous to ''caboose'' and its synonyms. ; Brush :

British Rail Class 47 The British Rail Class 47 or Brush Type 4 is a class of diesel-electric locomotive that was developed in the 1960s by Brush Traction. A total of 512 Class 47s were built at Brush's Falcon Works in Loughborough and at British Railways' Crewe Wo ...

diesel-electric locomotive, also known as the "Brush Type 4". Followers of this type are often known as "Brush bashers". ; Bubble car : A

British Rail Class 121 The British Rail Class 121 is a single-car double-ended diesel multiple unit. 16 driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten single-ended trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 (later re ...

122 122 may refer to: * 122 (number), a natural number * AD 122, a year in the 2nd century AD * 122 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * ''122'' (film), a 2019 Egyptian psychological horror film *" One Twenty Two", a 2022 single by the American rock band ...

single railcar. This name was later made official by

Chiltern Railways Chiltern Railways (legal name The Chiltern Railway Company Limited) is a British train operating company that has operated the Chiltern Railways franchise since July 1996. Since 2009, it has been a subsidiary of Arriva UK Trains. Chiltern Rail ...

, the final company to have operated the 121 in mainline service. ; Bullhead rail : A steel rail section commonly used in 60 ft lengths on almost all railway lines throughout Britain until c1950, which due to its shape must be supported in cast iron chairs that are screwed to the sleepers. It is still found on some London Underground lines, on secondary and preserved lines, and in yards. The rail has two heads (shaped somewhat like a vertical dumbbell) which led some people to assume that when one side became worn, the rail could be inverted and reinstalled for further service rather than being replaced (it can't, because the two heads are different sizes, and by the time the top became worn down sufficiently to fit in the chairs when the rail is inverted, both the top and the bottom of the rail would be too small for further use).

C

; Cant : The superelevation angle of a track (the relative level of one rail to the other), typically around a curve ; Cape : A British Railways telegraphic codeword to note the cancellation of a passenger train serviceBritish Railway Telegraphic Codewords
– ''from booklet BR30064 (accessed 2009-02-12)'' ; Car

transporter wagon A transporter wagon, in railway terminology, is a goods wagon, wagon (International Union of Railways, UIC) or railroad car (US) designed to carry other railway equipment. Normally, it is used to transport equipment of a different rail gauge. ...

or car transporter van : A specialized freight car for transporting automobiles ;Cat : A British Rail Class 68 diesel-electric locomotive ; CessOnLondonUnderground

: The area either side of the railway immediately off the ballast shoulder which provides a safe area for workers to stand when trains approach ;

Chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. It may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

: A cast iron bracket screwed to the sleeper and used to support bull head rail that is held in place by a wooden key (wedge) or spring steel clip—still found on preserved railways and in yards ; Check rail : A double rail section of track, sometimes found in train yards and on bridges to prevent derailments or limit damage caused by derailments, by having rail on both sides of the wheel flange. Also found on curves with a tight radius and switches and crossings ;

Chimney A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typical ...

, funnel, or stack : A smokestack ; Chopper : British Rail Class 20 diesel-electric locomotive ; Chord : A curve connecting two otherwise-unconnected rail lines that lie at tangents to that curve (Usually both lines are straight, one being at a higher level than the other.) ; Clag : Originally used to describe the exhaust of steam locomotives, "clag" is a term describing the often spectacular (particularly blackened, as in Class 37, or whitesmoked, as in Class 55) exhaust emissions of many older British diesel locomotives, especially, Classes 52 and 55.Llangollen Diesels
/ref> ; Coach : Railway vehicle for use in passenger trains ; Coffee pot : Applied to the shape of

SR Q1 class The SR Q1 class is a type of austerity steam locomotive constructed during the Second World War. The class was designed by Oliver Bulleid for use on the intensive freight turns experienced during wartime on the Southern Railway (Great Britain), ...

steam locomotives ; Composite : A passenger car with more than one class of accommodation provided (e.g. first and third). In earlier days of three-class travel, first and second class, and second and third class composites were also built. A car with first, second, and third classes was also known as a tri-composite. ; Connecting rod : The drive rod connecting the crosshead to a driving-wheel or axle in a steam locomotiveWhite (1968), p 465-466. ;

Coupling A coupling is a device used to connect two shafts together at their ends for the purpose of transmitting power. The primary purpose of couplings is to join two pieces of rotating equipment while permitting some degree of misalignment or end mo ...

(UK) : The mechanical connector at either end of a railway carriage allowing it to couple together with other carriages to form a train ; Crompton :

diesel-electric locomotive (fitted with

Crompton Parkinson Crompton Parkinson was a British electrical manufacturing company. It was formed in 1927 by the merger of Crompton & Co. with F. & A. Parkinson Ltd. The brand is now part of Brook Crompton. History Crompton & Co. was a lamp manufacturer foun ...

electrical equipment). See also Slim Jim.

D

; Darth Vaders : British Rail Class 460

Juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

electric multiple units (EMUs), so called due to their sloping cab ends, which resembled the front of the helmet worn by the Star Wars villain of the same name ; Deltics :

British Rail Class 55 The British Rail Class 55, also known as a Deltic, or English Electric List of British Rail power classifications#Type 5, Type 5, is a class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric for British Railways. Twenty-two locomot ...

diesel-electric locomotives (the "Deltics"), which use twin Napier Deltic power units ;

Detonator A detonator is a device used to make an explosive or explosive device explode. Detonators come in a variety of types, depending on how they are initiated (chemically, mechanically, or electrically) and details of their inner working, which of ...

: A small explosive device strapped to the top of a rail to alert an approaching train of danger ahead by creating a loud noise upon contact with a locomotive wheel ; Doodlebug : Waggon und Maschinenbau railbuses E79960-64, introduced 1958 ; Down : A direction (usually away from London, other capital city, or the headquarters of the railway concerned) or side (on left-running railways, the left side when facing in the down direction). ; Drain : The Waterloo & City line, a short line in London, is nicknamed "The Drain". ; Driver : The operator of a railway locomotive ; Driving trailer : A passenger coach which has a full set of train controls at one end, allowing for the use of push-pull train operation ;

Driving Van Trailer A Driving Van Trailer (DVT) is a Great Britain, British purpose-built control car railway vehicle that allows the driver to operate with a locomotive in Push-pull train, push-pull formation from the opposite end of a train. A key benefit of o ...

(DVT) : A class of control car 321406 at Kings Cross 2

; Dusty Bin : British Rail Class 321, from the game show 3-2-1, featuring the animated character "Dusty Bin" ; Dutch : The livery of British Rail Civil Engineers department rolling stock, due to the resemblance of

Nederlandse Spoorwegen (, , NS ) is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands. It is a Dutch state-owned company founded in 1938. The rail infrastructure is maintained by network manager ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003. Freight operato ...

's corporate livery ; Dyson :

British Rail Class 92 The British Rail Class 92 is a dual-voltage electric locomotive, which can run on 25 kV alternating current, AC from overhead wires or 750 V direct current, DC from a third rail. It was designed specifically to operate services through the Chann ...

E

; Egg Timer :

diesel-electric locomotive

F

; Fag packet livery : The original livery of the

First Great Western First Greater Western, trading as Great Western Railway (GWR), is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that provides services in the Greater Western franchise area. It manages 197 stations and its trains call at over 270. GWR ...

HSTs—a green colour scheme, fading to

ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...

with shiny gold stripe below the windows, so called because it resembles the packaging of a brand of Rothman's

cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into Rolling paper, thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhale ...

s ('fags') ; Ferret and Dartboard : The second

British Railways British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. Originally a trading brand of the Railway Executive of the British Transport Commis ...

emblem introduced in 1956, featuring a lion rampant holding a wheel. From a distance the wheel has a passing resemblance to a dartboard. ;

Fishplate A fishplate joins two lengths of track. A fishplate, splice bar or joint bar is a metal or composites connecting plate used to bolt the ends of two rails into a continuous track. The name is derived from ''fish'', a wooden reinforcement of a "b ...

: A metal plate that joins the ends of rails in jointed track ; Flat junction : A junction in which all track crossings take place at grade and routings must therefore be controlled by

signals A signal is both the process and the result of Signal transmission, transmission of data over some transmission media, media accomplished by embedding some variation. Signals are important in multiple subject fields including signal processin ...

and

interlocking In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. In North America, a set of signalling appliances and tracks inte ...

; Flat wagon : A type of rolling stock, which can be a flat-bottomed car with no sides on which freight (including

intermodal container An intermodal container, often called a shipping container, or a freight container, (or simply "container") is a large metal crate designed and built for intermodal freight transport, meaning these containers can be used across different Mode ...

s) can be stacked. A bulkhead is a flatcar with walls on the front and rear. A center-beam bulkhead is a bulkhead flatcar with an additional wall dividing one side of the flatcar from the other, but still without any sides. ; Fly shunting : The practice of uncoupling a locomotive from a wagon in motion and running over point, whereupon an employee on the ground lines the point to divert the vehicle onto an adjacent track. Once commonplace, this practice has led to several lawsuits against railway companies and is now strictly prohibited due to the high risk to life and property. ; Flying Banana : The first design of GWR diesel railcars, introduced in 1932. This has since been adopted for the Network Rail

New Measurement Train The New Measurement Train (NMT), nicknamed the ''Flying Banana'', is a specialised train which operates in the United Kingdom to assess the condition of Rail tracks, track so that engineers can determine where to work. It is a specially converte ...

, due to its all-over yellow livery. Also occasionally used to describe the

High Speed Train High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilising trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated railway track, tracks. While there is ...

. ; Formation : The group of rail vehicles making up a train, or more commonly a group of locomotives connected together for multiple-unit (MU) operation ; Four foot : The area between the running rails of a

standard-gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...

track; the actual distance is . See also ''six-foot'' and ''ten-foot''.

G

;

Goods In economics, goods are anything that is good, usually in the sense that it provides welfare or utility to someone. Alan V. Deardorff, 2006. ''Terms Of Trade: Glossary of International Economics'', World Scientific. Online version: Deardorffs ...

: The products which are carried ; Goods van,

goods wagon Goods wagons or freight wagons (North America: freight cars), also known as goods carriages, goods trucks, freight carriages or freight trucks, are unpowered railway vehicles that are used for the transportation of cargo. A variety of wagon types ...

, or goods truck, railway wagon, or wagon : A type of rolling stock with a flat bottom enclosed on all sides and top, which is loaded and unloaded from sliding doors on each side ; Goyle : A

British Rail Class 31 The British Rail Class 31 diesel locomotives, also known as the Brush Type 2 and previously as Class 30, were built by Brush Traction from 1957 to 1962. They were numbered in two series, D5500-D5699 and D5800-D5862. Construction of the first lo ...

diesel-electric locomotive—from "

gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed Grotesque (architecture), grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from ...

" (after the somewhat ungainly headcode boxes above the driving cabs) ; Gricer : A rail enthusiast ; Grid or grid iron : A

British Rail Class 56 The British Rail Class 56 is a type of diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight work. It is a List of British Rail power classifications, Type 5 locomotive, with a Paxman (engines), Ruston-Paxman power unit developing 3,250 Horsepower, bhp ...

diesel-electric locomotive, from the large grilles British Rail Class 08 Shunter - 08911 - National Railway Museum - York - 2005-10-15

; Gronk : A

British Rail Class 08 The British Rail Class 08 is a class of diesel–electric shunting locomotives built by British Railways (BR). As the standard BR general-purpose diesel shunter, the class became a familiar sight at major stations and freight yards. Since the ...

or Class 09 shunter ; Growler : A

British Rail Class 37 The British Rail Class 37 is a Diesel locomotive, diesel–electric locomotive. Also known as the English Electric Type 3, the class was ordered as part of the British Rail Modernisation Plan, British Rail modernisation plan. They were number ...

diesel-electric locomotive (from the engine sound) ;

Guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

: The person in charge of a train and its crew. On passenger trains, a conductor is also responsible for tasks such as assisting passengers and collecting tickets. ; Gurgler : A nickname for the

, on account of its engine noise

H

;

Headshunt A headshunt (or escape track in the United States) is a short length of Rail tracks, track provided to release locomotives at Terminal station, terminal platforms, or to allow Shunt (rail), shunting to take place clear of main lines. Terminal hea ...

: A length of track feeding a number of sidings that permits the sidings to be shunted without blocking the main line, or where two lines merge into one before ending with a buffer, to allow a run-round procedure to take place ; Hoover : A

British Rail Class 50 The British Rail Class 50 is a class of diesel locomotives designed to haul express passenger trains at . Built by English Electric at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows between 1967 and 1968, the Class 50s were initially on a 10-year lease ...

diesel-electric locomotive—from the sound of the engine cooling fans being similar to a

vacuum cleaner A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum, is a device that uses suction, and often agitation, in order to remove dirt and other debris from carpets, hard floors, and other surfaces. The dirt is collected into a dust bag or a plastic bin. ...

, prior to the refurbishment which removed this characteristic ; Hymek : A D7000 class locomotive using a V16 Maybach diesel engine coupled to a Mekydro hydraulic transmission 365537 B Stevenage

; Happy Train : A British Rail Class 365 because their revised front end resembles a grinning face.

J

; Javelin : British Rail Class 395 electric multiple units, due to their usage during the London

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

on ''Olympic Javelin Shuttle'' services ; Joint station : A railway station at which tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railways

K

; Kestrel : The British Rail HS4000 ; Key : Timber or sprung steel block used to secure Bullhead rail into the

chairs A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. It may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or Upholstery, upholstered ...

L

; Lamp : A portable (often handheld) light source that is used to signal train crews 50049 Defiance

; Large-logo livery : One of the first new British Rail locomotive liveries applied after many years of all-over rail blue. For this livery, the loco cabs were entirely 'warning yellow', with black window surrounds (the yellow usually wrapping round behind the cab doors); the main bodysides were still rail blue but featured very large running numbers with a large white British Rail 'double arrow' logo in the middle, the full height of the body. It was applied to refurbished British Rail Class 50, Class 50 locomotives, among others. ; Lightsaber : The cutter's torch, coined by Modern Railways magazine as a pun on the Class 460 'Darth Vaders' having their front ends cut off as part of the amalgamation with the Class 458s ; Location case : A trackside cabinet used to house signalling equipment such as relays or transformers ; Passing loop, Loop : A second parallel track (running for a short distance) on single-track railway lines, allowing a train to pass another

M

; Main line (railway), Main line : A principal artery of a railway system ; Merry-go-round train, Merry-go-round (MGR) train : Coal train running between a coal mine and a power station, loading and unloading without stopping or shunting ; Metrovick : Locomotives constructed by Metropolitan-Vickers, especially the British Rail Class 28 (D5700 class) Co-Bo ; Mickey Mouse : An LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0, Ivatt 2MT class 2-6-0 steam locomotive ;Milk Float : A British Rail Class 313 electric multiple unit, due to the distinctive humming sound made by this class of EMU ; Motion : Collective term for the connecting rod, coupling rods, and valve gear—forms part of the Steam locomotive#Running gear, running gear ; Motor train : A Branch line, branch-line train consisting of a steam locomotive and passenger carriages that can be driven from either end by means of rodding to the Regulator (steam engine), regulator and an additional vacuum brake valve. The fireman remains with the locomotive and, when the driver is at the other end, the fireman controls the Cutoff (steam engine), cut off and vacuum ejectors in addition to his usual duties. ; MTVal : A high-speed train consisting of one MTU engined power car, and one Valenta engined power car in the formation ;Multiple-unit train control, Multiple working : The ability of diesel and electric locomotives or multiple units to be joined together and controlled from one driving station. Such a set of joined locomotives is called a consist or (colloquially) "lash-up" and is said to be "MUed together".

N

; Networker Clubman : A British Rail Class 168 Clubman unit with original front end, so called because it resembles the front end of a Networker (train), Networker ; Normal : A non-enthusiast

O

; Open wagon : A type of rolling stock with a flat bottom and relatively low sides, used to haul material such as ore or scrap, and loaded and unloaded from the top which may be covered or uncovered ; Overbridge : A bridge over the railway ; Overlap : A distance (normally 180 metres or set according to the permitted speed of the line) beyond a stop signal which must be clear before the preceding stop signal can display a proceed aspect; allows a margin in case a train overshoots a signal before stopping

P

; Peak : A British Rail Class 44, British Rail Class 45, Class 45, or British Rail Class 46, Class 46 diesel-electric locomotive—so named because the earliest of these loco types, the ten Class 44s, were named after mountains ; Person in charge of possession (PICOP) : The railway or contractor's official responsible for safe working during engineer's possession ; Plastic pig : A British Rail Class 442, "Wessex Electrics" (electric multiple units)—so-named for being mostly made out of plastics in construction ; Point machine : A motor or device which operates points ; Points (rail), Points : The articulating rails that determine the route to be taken ;Possession :Closure of a section of railway for engineering or track renewal purposes ; Predator : A British Rail Class 70 (diesel), British Rail Class 70, a reference to the alien of the same name from the American films RCBTHandcar

; Handcar, Pump trolley : A small, hand-powered railroad car used for track inspection

R

;Railheading : The practice of travelling further than necessary to reach a rail service, typically by car. The phenomenon is common among commuters seeking a more convenient journey. Reasons for railheading include: that discounted fares may be available on another part of the route; to access a more frequent service. ; Rake : A set of rolling stock coupled together ; Rat : British Rail Class 25 diesel-electric locomotives—and related classes—reputedly originating from a term used on the LMR of British Rail in the 1960s where 25s were as common as "rats"; the Scottish-based Class 26 and 27 were sometimes known as "MacRats". See also #S, Splut. ; Rebel Alliance : South West Trains, coined by ''Modern Railways'' as a pun on the Darth Vader front ends of the s being cut off as part of the amalgamation with the Class 458 units (which amidst the pun was dubbed as their 'star fleet', all a pun on Star Wars) ; Roarer : Early British Rail 25 kV AC electric locomotive of types 'AL1'–'AL5' (later Classes British Rail Class 81, 81, British Rail Class 82, 82, British Rail Class 83, 83, British Rail Class 84, 84, British Rail Class 85, 85), due to the loud whine made by the traction motor cooling fans when the locomotive is at rest. The name originated with the AL3 type. Although the other types exhibit a less noticeable noise, the name is applied equally to any of them. ; British railway technical manuals#Documents produced by the Rail Safety and Standards Board, Rule Book : The system of rules for the safe operation of the railway, maintained by the Rail Safety and Standards Board. ; Trackage rights, Running powers : The legal right of one railway company to use the tracks of another, as agreed to by the companies concerned or their predecessors

S

EWS diesel locomotive 66188 at Cambridge station

; Shed : A Canadian-built British Rail Class 66, Class 66 diesel-electric locomotive (from the roof shape and also the corrugated bodysides) ; Shunter :# A small locomotive used for assembling trains and moving Railway wagons around :# A person involved in such work ; Signal passed at danger (SPAD) : An incident when a train passes a stop signal without authority ; Signal-post telephone (SPT) : A direct no-dial telephone link to the relevant signal box, positioned on or near a signal ; Silver bullet : China Clay slurry wagons ; Six foot : The space between a pair of adjacent lines, nominally six feet wide. See also ''four-foot'' and ''ten-foot''. ; Skipper : British Rail Class 142, Class 142 DMUs ; Slack : A temporary speed restriction to protect, for example, sections of track in poor condition and awaiting repair. Also applies to the timing tolerance included in timetable schedules to allow for such restrictions. ; Slack action : Looseness in a train caused by mating clearances in couplers ; Slam-door train : Any diesel or electric multiple unit with manually opening hinged doors (mostly the British rail classes British Rail Class 423, 423 and British Rail Class 421, 421), so called after the noise made by passengers slamming the doors Railroad tieswoodconcrete

; Railroad tie, Sleeper : Bars of wood or concrete placed beneath and perpendicular to track to support the rails ; Slim Jim : Narrow-bodied version of the

diesel-electric locomotive (identified as sub-class 33/2)—built for the confined loading gauge on the Hastings line. See also #C, Crompton). ; Slip coach : A passenger coach that is disconnected from a train without the train having to stop. While the train continued on its route, the slip coach would be guided and stopped by a guard on board using the coach's own brake mechanism. This practice was almost entirely limited to the United Kingdom and was discontinued in the 1960s. ;Spinner :A Midland Railway Midland Railway 115 Class, 115 Class steam locomotive, due to their large driving wheels ;Splut : Another nickname for the British Rail Class 25, referring to their habit of spluttering when their engines cut out and failed, which they often did. See also #R, Rat. ;Station pilot : A shunting engine based at a major passenger station and used for passenger-train shunting duties ;Stop and examine : A now-defunct British Railways rule which required a train crew to stop the train and examine the cause of an unexpected noise, vibration, or other irregular events. ;Subway (underpass), Subway : A tunnel passing underneath the railway tracks to allow passengers to cross from one platform to another ; Super 60 : A rebuilt class 60, upgraded by DBS. Mainly seen in an overall red livery, with half-yellow fronts, but a couple can be seen in the original Sector livery. ;Cant (road/rail), Superelevation : The banking of railway track on curves. Specifically, the practice on high speed lines (where the cant needs to be higher) of gently introducing the elevation of the outer rail before the bend starts, in order to avoid sudden lurches. Synonymous with #C, cant.

T

; Tadpole : A British Rail Class 206, 3R diesel electric multiple unit (DEMU), named due to having two vehicles 8 ft 2½ in wide and one vehicle 9 ft 3 in wide ; Tank engine : A locomotive that carries its own fuel and water instead of hauling a Tender locomotive, tender ; Teddy Bear : A British Rail Class 14 diesel-hydraulic locomotive for shunting and trip working. Coined by Swindon Works' foreman George Cole who quipped "We've built the Great Bear, now we're going to build a Teddy Bear!". ; Ten foot : The space between sets of lines (e.g. between pairs of fast and slow lines). See also ''four-foot'' and ''six-foot''. ; Terminal station, Terminus (UK) : A station sited where a railway line or service ends or terminates W8FreshwaterKingscote

; Terrier : The LB&SCR A1 Class 0-6-0 steam locomotive, on account of its distinctive "bark" when running ; Theatre indicator : An illuminated number usually attached to Railway signal, signal indicating arrival Railway platform, platform for train approaching a station ; Thousands : British Rail Class 52, Class 52 diesel-hydraulic locomotives (the "Westerns") given the number range beginning with D1000 ; Thumper : Southern DEMU (BR Classes British Rail Class 201, 201–British Rail Class 207, 207)—unlike conventional DMUs these used a single, comparatively large diesel engine and electric generator mounted immediately behind one driving cab. The power units made a distinctive "thumping" noise when working hard. ; Thunderbird : A locomotive kept on standby at a strategic location, ready to rescue a failed train—from ''Thunderbirds (TV series), Thunderbirds'' ; Toothpaste : The livery used by Network SouthEast. So called due to the red, white and blue colours resembling the colours of striped toothpaste. ; Top and tail : A train with locomotives at both ends, for ease of changing direction ; Tractor : A

diesel-electric locomotive, possibly from the engine sound, also because they could be found hauling almost anything as a mixed-traffic design 465034 at Waterloo East

; Train driver : The operator of a locomotive ; Train engine : The locomotive closest to the train during a double-heading operation ; Train register : A book or loose-leaf sheets kept in a signal box and used to record the passage of trains, messages passed, and other prescribed events ; Train shed : The part of a railway station where the tracks and platforms are covered by a roof. Also known as an ''overall roof''. Wye

; Wye (rail), Triangle : Three railway tracks in a triangular form with points at all three corners—can be used to turn a train around ; Tug : A British Rail Class 60 diesel-electric locomotive, as named because of their tremendous pulling power, size and sluggish nature. Class 60s upgraded by DB Schenker are called 'Super Tugs'.

U

; U-Boat : A Southern Railway (Great Britain), Southern Railway SR U Class, U class 2-6-0 steam locomotive ; Underbridge : A bridge carrying the railway and allowing a roadway to pass under the railway ; Up : A direction (usually towards London, other capital city, or the headquarters of the railway concerned) or side (on left-running railways, the left side when facing in the up direction). The opposite of down. The up direction is usually associated with even-numbered trains and signals.

V

; Goods van, Van : A type of rolling stock with a flat bottom enclosed on all sides and top, which is loaded and unloaded from sliding doors on each side

W

; Warship : A British Rail Class 41 (Warship Class), D600 or British Rail Class 42, D800 class diesel-hydraulic locomotives, most of which were named after Royal Navy vessels ; Water column (railroad), Water crane : A device used for delivering a large volume of water into the tank or tender of a steam locomotive ; Wessie : A British Rail Class 442 electric multiple unit—from the "Wessex Electric" brand name used at launch ; Western : A British Rail Class 52 diesel-hydraulic type 4 locomotive, 74 of which ran on BR between 1961 and 1977. All were named in a series beginning "''Western...''". Seven of the class have been preserved. ; Whistler : A British Rail Class 40 diesel-electric locomotive, from the turbocharger sound; this nickname is also occasionally applied to British Rail Class 20 locomotives. ; Wizzo : A British Rail Class 52 diesel-hydraulic type 4 locomotive ; Woolworth : A South Eastern and Chatham Railway SECR N class, N class 2-6-0 steam locomotive, built at Royal Arsenal, Woolwich Arsenal ; Worst or WorstGroup : A derogatory nickname for FirstGroup, especially on First Great Western "Worst Late Western" (since re-branded as Great Western Railway (train operating company), Great Western Railway) and First Capital Connect "Worst Crapital Disconnect" (since ceased operations) or Hull Trains, First Hull Trains "Worst Hell Trains"

Y

; Yeoman : An early name for a British Rail Class 59, Class 59 diesel-electric locomotive, the first privately owned (by Foster Yeoman) locomotives to operate on British Rail, owing to their names starting with "''Yeoman''" such as 59 001 ''Yeoman Endeavour''Supplement to April 1990 edition of ''Railway Magazine''

References

{{Reflist, 30em Glossaries of rail transport, United Kingdom Rail transport in the United Kingdom Wikipedia glossaries using description lists