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Sounds of the Railroad Library Photos, Desktops, Screensavers
and Wallpapers Glossary of Railroad Terms and Vocabulary
2008 Railroading
in California Calendar |
Glossary of
Railroad Terms
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z G-HGandy Dancer A
railroad track worker. Name came from the Gandy Mfg Co. in the 19th century
that made many track tools. Gauge
Gladhand The
metal attachments to which train line air hoses connect Goat A yard
engine. Grade Resistance Resistance
that results from the energy you must put into a train to lift it vertically.
The energy is returned without loss when the train comes back down again. Green Eye A slang
term for a clear signal. HHBD Hot box detector. Device that scans passing cars looking for hot
boxes. When it finds one, it broadcasts a radio message to the head end. Head end The front end of the train, the locomotive. Head end cars (often
baggage or express freight) follow immediately behind the locomotive of a
passenger train. HEP Head end power. Modern passenger cars are heated and powered by electricity
produced by the locomotive, i.e. at the head end. Older cars were heated by
steam. High rail car Conventional motor vehicle, often a truck, which has retractable
railway wheels so that it can travel either on normal roads and highways, or
on a railway track. Hogger Locomotive engineer- controls the locomotive from the right hand
seat in the cab. Hood That part of the locomotive behind and/or in front of the cab.
Most freight locomotives have a long hood behind the cab and a short hood in
front of the cab. Modern freight locomotives run short hood forward. Some
railways ran their early diesel locomotives long hood forward. Hostler Person who operates locomotives around a shop area, taking them
in and out of the shop for repair. Hot box Journal bearing on rail car that has dried out and heated up to
the point of producing smoke or actually catching on fire Hump Small hill in a rail yard. A train is pushed very slowly up the
hill. As each car goes over the top, it is uncoupled and allowed to
accellerate down away from the rest of the train and onto one of many tracks
selected by a controller (often in a tower) by the means of
remotely-controlled track switches. Often the controller also slows the
descending car to the correct speed so it doesn't slam very hard into other
cars on the same track. This decelleration is accomplished by a
remotely-controlled device on a section of track on the downslope of the hump
that grips the wheels of the car as it passes over. Hump can be used a a
verb. Highball A signal
given to proceed at maximum permissible speed. Hog A
locomotive Hoghead, Hogger A
railroad locomotive engineer Horsepower per Trailing Ton. The
total horsepower of all working locomotives divided by the total trailing
weight of the train in tons. Hostler A person
who operates engines in engine house territory and works under the direction
of the engine house foreman Hostler's Controls A simple
throttle to allow independent movement of locomotives not equipped with
engineers controls. Hot Box On wheel
bearings, an overheated journal bearing. House Track A track
entering, or along side a freight house. Cars are spotted here for loading or
unloading. |
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