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Ah yes, the "lingo" of railfans and RR employees. It takes a while to learn this stuff---don't expect to know everything right away.
I don't know if anyone has told you how people document train numbers, but you might see something like this:
14(28)
That is train #14 that originated on the 28th. The reason they have to put the date is because at any given time there could be at least 2 (sometimes 3) of the same train running at the same time. Let's say the Coast Starlight leaves Los Angeles today (Thursday). Well, tomorrow another Coast Starlight will be leaving Los Angeles since it runs seven days a week. Now we have TWO Coast Starlights on the rails---how do we talk about the right train so that we don't mix up which one we're talking about??? Simple---just use the numbering system above. So for the train that leaves today, that would be 14(29)---because today is the 29th. The one that leaves tomorrow will be 14(30)---because tomorrow is the 30th. Make sense?
Rail people also use a lot of weird terms, such as:
-"Fouling the main" or "fouling the tracks" When I first heard that, I thought to myself "what the heck???". But they use "foul" to mean something is on the tracks or blocking the tracks or SOMETHING up ahead is blocking the train. For example, if a car stalls on the tracks, they might say, "A car is fouling the main" (meaning the mainline). Or it could be, "A mudslide is fouling the main up ahead".
-"Power" is the locomotive
-"Flag" You will hear lots of talk about flags. In most cases, there is no flag. It's usually a metal sign. For example, in the railroad world, the color blue means DO NOT MOVE or DO NOT USE---it's basically a huge no-no to violate something that has a blue sign on it ("blue flag"). As you take your train trips, look out the window in rail yards and you will either see a blue flashing lamp or a blue metal sign hanging from the side of the power (the locomotive). It's usually up near the windshield so that it is clearly in view so that nobody will move the train. They will say "blue flag protected", meaning it is now safe to climb under the train and work on it (or whatever).
I wouldn't try to learn too much though. Just have a relaxing train ride and enjoy the sights out the window.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Mrs. Hale, even though I have been following railroad industry affairs for now some sixty years, first (I'll admit it) as a foaming kid railfan, then employed within the industry for eleven years, and now at what I can call an industry observer (a "chunk" of my portfolio comprises railroad securities, but save a few exceptions, I only ride trains if I have somewhere to go and they are convenient to my travel requirements), I too remain amazed at the assortment of terms. Some of these terms, are simply "fanese", others "forumese", and still others are official "railroadese". Your blog posting notes several "fanese", here at this forum, the most notable "forumese" is that identifying Amtrak named trains with initials such as CONO (58-59 City of New Orleans), and then there is official railroadese. To my surprise, I learned that the term "A-Line" is an official CSX term referring to those lines once belonging to the Atlantic Coast Line and "S-Line" are those (or what's left of them) of the Seaboard Air Line (question: since CSX is comprised of some nine "name brand" roads, do they have other lines so ID'd, i.e. the New York Central as the N-Line, Baltimore & Ohio the B-Line?).
Now, here at the forum, the three letter codes you see bantered about for stations, provided they are correctly reported, are official Amtrakese. However, where I have my problem is that members here do use air travel (some true railfans refuse to fly - period; end of sentence, but I don't think any are here) yet there are postings made here that "intermingle" the noted Amtrak station codes with the airport codes assigned by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This often leaves scratching the head and wondering "is he talking about a station or an airport". This is why in my postings, when I'm addressing air travel, I use the four letter International Civil Avaition Organization (ICAO) codes. Here within the CONUS (whoops, that is military for CONtinental United States; but let's not get into THEIR collection of terms -any of us, active dury or veterans, here know they have 'em), the ICAO code is the IATA with a K preceeding. Overseas, it is not so uniform, but generally basic knowledge of the ICAO codes helps in playing a "where in the world is..." game.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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Over on another forum every time someone uses the term "SCA" for "Sleeping Car Attendant," some jargon nazi pipes up that the proper term is "TA-S" for "Train Attendant, Sleeper." Doesn't matter that Amtrak itself uses "Sleeping Car Attendant" in its public communications.
George Harris Member # 2077
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Yes, and until I understood his game, Mr. Norman had me thoroughly confused with his KNNN four letter airport codes. My default mindset is that a four letter designation beginning with "K" is a radio or TV station somwhere in the western USA. And then if you start playing with anything international you get into the basic truth that the English and the Americans are divided by a common language.
Here are a few common ones: Americanism/Britishism engineer = driver conductor = Guard?? car/coach = wagon, sometimes waggon caboose = brake van
Since I play around on the track, here are a few outstanding examples:
Americanism/Britishism rail = rail - - - WOW! one that is the same rail base = rail foot web = fishing rail head = rail head joint bars = fishplates tie plates = base plates frog = crossing ties = sleepers spikes = dog spikes ballast = ballast subballast = sand blanket, the layer of rock placed under the ballast in new track construction gauge side = four foot, the space between the rails in a track field side = this one is less simple. In American it means anything on or about the track but not between the rails. In British there are two ways of saying it. Field side between tracks of adjaceent tracks = six foot Field side to the outside of all tracks = cess turnout = turnout, or switch and crossing or S&C works Superelevation = cant (the amount the outside rail of a curve is raised to partially balance centrifugal force on a curve The difference between the amount actually put in and the amoun needed to perfectly balance the design speed of the train: unbalanced superelevation = cant deficiency switch = point, or tongue rail. the last more of a continental Europe. The German designation is tongue rail, which is German is Zungen, so the names of the various switch point sections are "Zu-whatever, Zu-1-60 being a common one.
The strangest thing is that the standard european freight car coupling is called the "hook and screw" and is a modernized link and pin that requires a man to go between the cars to put the link over the hook. It is not an easy step in and step out, either, you have to dunk under the buffers to get there.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Thanks for your supportive thoughts, Mr. Harris.
I realize that I was in Air Force communicatioms and was for my tour at Dover AFB, handling AM, Airlift Movement, messages. The Flight Plsn was always in ICAO, as many a military facility does not have an IATA, but does have an ICAO.
Ignoring that both of the following are widely known IATA codes, EGLL and EDDF tells me much more about "where in the world are you" than does LHR and FRA respectively. The same goes, Mr. Harris, for VHHH and HKG.
Train Granny Member # 30118
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You guys are waaaaay over my head! I think I'm just going to take my camera and my maps and route guides and sit back and enjoy the ride! And, talk to people who like riding the train as much as I do!!
irishchieftain Member # 1473
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FWIW, I've never heard "wagon" for "coach" or "car" in either of the British Isles, unless it referred to a freight car ("goods wagon"). First time I heard "wagon" for a passenger car was in French parlance, and of course "wagon-lit" subsequently for a sleeping car.
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