List of US railfan jargon - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

This page contains a list of terms

Technical terminology

Technical terminology is the specialized vocabulary of any field, not just technical fields. The same is true of the synonyms technical terms, terms of art, shop talk and words of art, which do not necessarily refer to technology or art...

, jargon

Jargon

Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...

, and slang

Slang

Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...

used to varying degrees by railroad

Rail transport

Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...

enthusiasts

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm originally meant inspiration or possession by a divine afflatus or by the presence of a god. Johnson's Dictionary, the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language, defines enthusiasm as "a vain belief of private revelation; a vain confidence of divine favour or...

/ railfan

Railfan

A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...

s and railroad employees in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

and Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. 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.

This list does not include nicknames for railroad companies; those can be found at Railroad nicknames
Railroad nicknames
The initials used to identify railroad and railway lines have often been used for humorous, disparaging or slanderous names. In a related category, portmanteaus, such as Amtrak, have also been lampooned....

.

For general rail terminology, see Rail terminology Rail terminology Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term railroad and the international term railway is the most obvious difference in rail terminology... . For terminology specific to the types of lines used for passenger trains, see passenger rail terminology Passenger rail terminology Various terms are used for passenger rail lines and equipment-the usage of these terms differs substantially between areas:-Rapid transit:A rapid transit system is an electric railway characterized by high speed and rapid acceleration. It uses passenger railcars operating singly or in multiple unit... . For terminology specific to the United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... , see Glossary of UK railway terminology. For terminology specific to New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... , see Glossary of New Zealand railway terminology

A

ALCOhaulic: Nickname for the DH643 diesel-hydraulic locomotive built by American Locomotive Company
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...

(ALCO). Also a nickname for railfans who are "addicted" to ALCO locomotives.

Alligator: ALCO RSD-15
ALCO RSD-15
The ALCO RSD-15 was a diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type built by ALCO of Schenectady, New York between August 1956 and June 1960, during which time 75 locomotives were produced...

locomotive, so named for its long, low nose.

Amcan: An Amfleet
Amfleet
Amfleet is a series of intercity railroad passenger cars built for the operator Amtrak by the manufacturer Budd Company in two series during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, Amfleet cars are used extensively throughout the Amtrak system outside the western United States...

passenger car; the car shape is a rounded stainless steel tube.

Amshack: A small shelter that serves as a train station for Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

trains in a small town. There are normally no manned services offered at these small stations.

AAR: The Association of American Railroads
Association of American Railroads
The Association of American Railroads is an industry trade group representing primarily the major freight railroads of North America . Amtrak and some regional commuter railroads are also members...

.

B

B-Boat: GE B23-7
GE B23-7
The GE B23-7 is a diesel locomotive model that was offered first by GE in 1977, featuring a 12 cylinder engine. It is 61 ft 2 in long. It competed with the EMD GP38-2. General Electric also produced a variant, the BQ23-7, for the Seaboard Coast Line.Ten Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México...

, B30-7
GE B30-7
The GE B30-7 diesel locomotive model was offered first by GE in 1977, featuring a 16 cylinder motor. It is 61 ft 2 in long. A change to the original B30-7 was using the 12 cylinder FDL rated at 3000 horsepower, resulting in a B30-7A, B30-7A1 and a cabless B30-7A .B30-7As were built...

or B36-7
GE B36-7
The GE B36-7 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by GE Transportation Systems between 1980 and 1985. 222 examples of this locomotive were built for North American railroads and eight units were built for a Columbian coal mining operation. The units were designed as successors to GE's U36B's...

locomotive. By analogy with U-boat, since with the Dash 7 line, the "B" or "C" moved to the beginning of the designation.

B unit
B unit
A "B" unit, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive unit which does not have a driving cab, or crew compartment, and must therefore be controlled from another, coupled locomotive with a driving cab . The term booster unit is also used. The concept was largely confined to North America...

: A booster locomotive commonly with no cab.

Baby Boat: GE U18B
GE U18B
The GE U18B Diesel-electric locomotive was introduced by GE Transportation as a branch line roadswitcher in 1973.Easy to spot due to its relatively short length — 54 ft 8 in — it was the only North American locomotive powered by the 8-cylinder 7FDL engine.The Seaboard Coast...

locomotive.

Baby Tunnel Motor: EMD GP15-1
EMD GP15-1
The EMD GP15-1 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between June, 1976 and March, 1982. Intended to provide an alternative to the rebuilding programs that many railroads were applying to their early road switchers, it is generally employed as a yard switcher...

or GP15T locomotive, so-called because its low air intakes resemble those of the much larger SD40T-2
EMD SD40T-2
An EMD SD40T-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Power is provided by a 16-cylinder EMD 645E3 diesel engine capable of producing . The Southern Pacific's locomotive features a fuel tank and is long. The Rio Grande's locomotive features a smaller fuel...

and SD45T-2
EMD SD45T-2
The EMD SD45T-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive conceived in early 1972 by EMD at the request of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Like the similar SD40T-2, this locomotive model is nicknamed a "tunnel motor". 247 of this model were built from February 1972 to June 1975. Out of the total, 84 units were...

.

Bandit: Nickname for Milwaukee Road engines after the railroad was sold to the Soo Line Railroad
Soo Line Railroad
The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , controlled through the Soo Line Corporation, and one of seven U.S. Class I railroads. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste...

. The Soo covered up the Milwaukee Road name and logo on the orange locomotives with black paint, causing them to resemble bandits. Also often applied to similarly patched, second-hand locomotives, especially if the patches are crudely applied.

Baretables: Empty flat, spine or well cars.

Big G, the: Nickname for Guilford Rail System, in reference to the large "G" emblem on their locomotives and boxcars. Also refers to Great Northern Railway.

Big hole: Term used by railroaders when their train goes into "mmergency" (suffers a loss of all brake air and stops). Over the radio: "We just went in the big hole."

Big hook: a railroad crane
Crane (railroad)
A railroad crane, is a type of crane used on a railroad for one of three primary uses: freight handling in goods yards, permanent way maintenance, and accident recovery work...

.

Big Mac: Nickname given to EMD's SD70MAC, SD80MAC
EMD SD80MAC
The SD80MAC is a 5000 horsepower C-C diesel-electric locomotive. The SD80MAC uses a 20 cylinder version of EMD's 710G prime mover, and is the first diesel locomotive to utilize a 20 cylinder engine since the SD45/ SD45-2...

and SD90MAC
EMD SD90MAC
The EMD SD90MAC is a C-C diesel-electric hood unit locomotive produced by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. It is, with the SD80MAC, one of the largest single-engined locomotives produced by that company, surpassed only by the dual-engined DD series...

locomotive models.

Billboard: Santa Fe locomotive in the pre-1972 blue and yellow scheme.

Black Widow: Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....

locomotive (all black with some silver).

Bloody Nose: Southern Pacific
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....

locomotive (post-1959 grey and red paint scheme where the nose of the diesel locomotive was painted in scarlet red).

Bluebonnet: one of two Santa Fe paint schemes. The standard freight scheme from 1972 until the BNSF merger was dark blue with yellow on the front, with the same color division as the warbonnet scheme. It is also known as Yellowbonnet. Bluebonnet can also mean a warbonnet unit with only the red painted over, resulting in a silver and blue locomotive; this was used on passenger engines transferred to freight service after the formation of Amtrak.

Booster
Slug (railroad)
A railroad slug is an accessory to a diesel-electric locomotive. It has trucks with traction motors but is unable to move about under its own power, as it does not contain a prime mover to produce electricity...

: (Diesel locomotive) - a cabless B unit
B unit
A "B" unit, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive unit which does not have a driving cab, or crew compartment, and must therefore be controlled from another, coupled locomotive with a driving cab . The term booster unit is also used. The concept was largely confined to North America...

or Slug
Slug (railroad)
A railroad slug is an accessory to a diesel-electric locomotive. It has trucks with traction motors but is unable to move about under its own power, as it does not contain a prime mover to produce electricity...

. Although a Slug
Slug (railroad)
A railroad slug is an accessory to a diesel-electric locomotive. It has trucks with traction motors but is unable to move about under its own power, as it does not contain a prime mover to produce electricity...

and a B unit
B unit
A "B" unit, in railroad terminology, is a locomotive unit which does not have a driving cab, or crew compartment, and must therefore be controlled from another, coupled locomotive with a driving cab . The term booster unit is also used. The concept was largely confined to North America...

differ slightly, (See related articles for details) both serve the same purpose of adding more tractive effort
Tractive effort
As used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force is the pulling or pushing force exerted by a vehicle on another vehicle or object. The term tractive effort is synonymous with tractive force, and is often used in railway engineering to describe the pulling or pushing capability of a...

.

Bright Future: The middle CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

tricolor paint scheme (also known as Yellow Nose 2 or YN2).

Buggy: A caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...

on the Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...

.

Bull: A railroad police officer.

C

Cabbage: Former EMD F40PH
EMD F40PH
-Amtrak NPCU Conversions:In later years, as Amtrak's F40PH fleet was being replaced by the newer GE Genesis-series locomotives, Amtrak converted a number of the retired units—generally ones with major mechanical problems limiting their value in the resale or lease marketplace—into "Non-Power...

locomotives with the diesel engine removed, and a roll-up baggage door installed in the center of the carbody; used as cab/baggage cars in Amtrak push-pull service. Portmanteau of 'cab' and 'baggage'.

Cadillac: A nickname for EMD SD9
EMD SD9
An EMD SD9 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1954 and June 1959. Power was provided by an EMD 567C 16-cylinder engine which generated . This model is, externally, similar to its predecessor, the SD7. The principal spotting feature are the...

locomotives, in reference to their smooth ride quality reminiscent of a Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...

automobile. This nickname is said to have originated on the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....

.

Calf
Cow-calf
In North American railroading, a cow-calf locomotive is a set of switcher-type diesel locomotives. The set usually is a pair; some 3-unit sets were built, but this was rare. A cow is equipped with a driving cab; a calf is not...

: A cabless switcher. Not a slug; it has its own diesel engine.

Can Opener: Conrail's herald.

Catfish: Norfolk Southern locomotives with white stripes painted on the nose, which are said to look like catfish whiskers.

Centennials: Name given to Union Pacific's EMD DDA40X
EMD DDA40X
The EMD DDA40X was a D-D diesel-electric locomotive built by the General Motors EMD division of La Grange, Illinois for the Union Pacific Railroad...

locomotives. World's most powerful diesel locomotives, delivered in 1969, the year of Union Pacific's centennial.

Centipede
Baldwin DR-12-8-1500/2
The Baldwin DR-12-8-1500/2 was the Baldwin Locomotive Works' first serious attempt at a production road diesel locomotive. The Baldwin type designation was DR-12-8-1500/2 meaning Diesel Road locomotive, with 12 axles , and two engines of 1,500 horsepower each...

: Nickname given to a 12-axled Baldwin
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...

diesel locomotive.

Ches-C: Chessie System
Chessie System
Chessie System, Inc. was a holding company that owned the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway , the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , the Western Maryland Railway , and several smaller carriers. It was incorporated in Virginia on February 26, 1973, and it acquired the C&O on June 15...

's kitten logo; the profile of the Chesapeake and Ohio's sleeping kitten mascot "Chessie" appears inside the corporate C logo.

Circus loading: Loading trailers on flatcars sequentially from the end; the standard method of loading in early piggyback service.

Coal Drag: A train loaded with coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...

.

Coal jimmies: small, low-capacity hopper car
Hopper car
A hopper car is a type of railroad freight car used to transport loose bulk commodities such as coal, ore, grain, track ballast, and the like. The name originated from the coke manufacturing industry which is part of the steel industry ....

s for carrying coal.

Coffin car: Nickname for a passenger car with an engineer's cab. Also known as a cab car or control car. So named due to the alleged additional danger posed to passengers in such cars (which are pushed by the heavier trailing locomotive) in frontal collisions.

Covered wagon: an EMD E-series
EMD E-unit
EMD E-units were a line of passenger train diesel locomotives built by the General Motors Electro-Motive Division and its predecessor the Electro-Motive Corporation . Final assembly for all E-units was in La Grange, Illinois. Production ran from May, 1937, to December, 1963. The name E-units...

or F-series
EMD F-unit
EMD F-units were a line of Diesel-electric locomotives produced between November 1939 and November 1960 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors-Diesel Division. Final assembly for all F-units was at the GM-EMD plant at La Grange, Illinois and the GMDD plant in London, Ontario...

locomotive.

Cow
Cow-calf
In North American railroading, a cow-calf locomotive is a set of switcher-type diesel locomotives. The set usually is a pair; some 3-unit sets were built, but this was rare. A cow is equipped with a driving cab; a calf is not...

: a switcher locomotive, when paired with a Calf
Cow-calf
In North American railroading, a cow-calf locomotive is a set of switcher-type diesel locomotives. The set usually is a pair; some 3-unit sets were built, but this was rare. A cow is equipped with a driving cab; a calf is not...

.

CPLs: Color Position Lights, a type of signal used most prominently by the Baltimore & Ohio and the Norfolk & Western railroads.

Critter: A small industrial locomotive.

Crummy: A caboose.

D

Dark Future: The current CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

paint scheme, also known as Yellow Nose 3 (YN3) or Gold Nose 1 (GN1).

Darth Vader: Term used to describe the lens hood
Lens hood
In photography, a lens hood or lens shade is a device used on the end of a lens to block the sun or other light source in order to prevent glare and lens flare....

on a modern style of railroad signals, due to its visual resemblance to the helmet of Darth Vader
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....

from Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...

.

Deadhead: A term used to describe a passenger train that is travelling along a line but is not hauling passengers.

Deathstar: Term used to describe the logo of the Illinois Central
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...

, which has the letter "i" inside a circle — based on a resemblance to the Death Star
Death Star
The Death Star is a fictional moon-sized space station and superweapon appearing in the Star Wars movies and expanded universe. It is capable of destroying a planet with a single destructive super charged energy beam.-Origin and design:...

battle station in Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...

.

Diamond/Diamonds
Level junction
In U.S. railroad practice, a level junction is a railway junction that has a track configuration in which merging or crossing railroad lines provide track connections with each other that require trains to cross over in front of opposing traffic at grade In U.S. railroad practice, a level junction...

: Level crossing of two railroad tracks, at any angle from 15° to 90°.

Dinky: Nickname given to small locomotives, particularly one running in industrial service
Industrial railway
An industrial railway is a type of railway that is not available for public transportation and is used exclusively to serve a particular industrial, logistics or military site...

and/or on narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...

tracks. Also, a small old-fashioned trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

.

Draper-Taper: Nickname for certain Canadian locomotives that feature a full-width carbody with improved rear visibility, designed by William L. Draper, an employee of Canadian National Railway.

Dynamics/dynamic braking
Dynamic braking
Dynamic braking is the use of the electric traction motors of a railroad vehicle as generators when slowing the Locomotive. It is termed rheostatic if the generated electrical power is dissipated as heat in brake grid resistors, and regenerative if the power is returned to the supply line...

: Regenerative braking in which the motors on the locomotive wheels generate electric power off of the momentum of the moving train, and this power is dissipated through resistor grids as heat.

E

Elephant-style: A lashup of multiple locomotives with all units facing forward; resembling the nose-to-tail train of elephants in a circus parade.

Emergency, in: When a train has made a full brake application due to adverse event, or has lost its train air due to a defective valve (a "kicker"), or a broken air line or train separation. The train crew will normally declare that they are "in emergency" over the train radio, thus warning other trains and the dispatcher that there is a problem.

Ex-Con: A former Conrail locomotive or former Conrail employee.

F

Fallen flag
Fallen flag
A fallen flag is a North American railroader and railfan term referring to railroad company no longer in existence due to bankruptcy or merger.-Background:...

: a railroad company that no longer operates, or has been merged with (or acquired by) another railroad company.

FELA: the Federal Employers Liability Act
Federal Employers Liability Act
The Federal Employers Liability Act , 45 U.S.C. § 51 et seq. , is a United States federal law that protects and compensates railroaders injured on the job.-Background:...

, a U.S. federal law that protects and compensates railroaders injured on the job.

Flares: Refers to the EMD SD45
EMD SD45
The EMD SD45 is a six-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December, 1965, and December, 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 twenty-cylinder engine which generated 3,600 HP. This locomotive shared the same common frame with the EMD SD38, EMD SD39, EMD...

, with its dynamic brake blisters and radiators that distinctively flare from the top of the unit. Also Flare 45. Both forms distinguish the SD45 from the SD45-2
EMD SD45-2
An EMD SD45-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division beginning in 1972. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 20-cylinder engine which generated . Part of the EMD Dash 2 line, the SD45-2 was an upgraded SD45.The main spotting difference between an SD45 and an...

and SD45T-2
EMD SD45T-2
The EMD SD45T-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive conceived in early 1972 by EMD at the request of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Like the similar SD40T-2, this locomotive model is nicknamed a "tunnel motor". 247 of this model were built from February 1972 to June 1975. Out of the total, 84 units were...

, which lack flared radiators.

Wings/Flags/Flares (W/F/F): Characteristics used to designate Union Pacific
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....

's paint scheme and engine type. Wings = "Wing" Decal on the engine nose, Flags = "American Flag" Decal on engine body, Flares = "Flared Radiators" of certain SD70Ms on the long hood. Some UP engines have one or more of these characteristics.

Flatback: Industry slang for trailer-on-flatcar service in the 1970s, especially in the trade journal Railway Age.

Foamer: a railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...

, particularly one whose enthusiasm appears excessive. They figuratively "foam at the mouth" while railfanning.

FRED: "Flashing Rear End Device
Flashing rear-end device
The flashing rear-end device, or "FRED," is an electronic device mounted on the end of freight trains in lieu of a caboose...

" located on the rear of trains, measures train air line pressure and train speed.

FRN: an acronym for "fucking rail nut", a derogatory term used by some railroaders to describe railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...

s.

G

Gandy dancer
Gandy dancer
Gandy dancer is a slang term used for early railroad workers who laid and maintained railroad tracks in the years before the work was done by machines....

: Nickname for a track maintenance worker.

Geep: Nickname for EMD's GP series of locomotives.

Gennie: A MetroNorth or Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

GE P32AC-DM locomotive.

Genset: A locomotive that uses multiple high-speed diesel engines and generators (generator sets), rather than a single medium-speed diesel engine and a single generator. Sometimes confused with Green Goat locomotives; the only similarities between the two types are their outward appearance and that both are designed to reduce air pollution and fuel consumption.

GEVO: Nickname for GE Evolution Series
GE Evolution Series
The Evolution Series is a line of diesel locomotives built by GE Transportation Systems, designed to meet the U.S. EPA's Tier 2 locomotive emissions standards that took effect in 2005. The first pre-production units were built in 2003. Evolution Series locomotives are equipped with either AC or DC...

locomotives, in reference to the GEVO-12 engine used in those units.

GN1: Gold Nose 1, the current CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

paint scheme. Another term for YN3.

Goat: a locomotive used in yard switching service.

Green Goat: A type of "hybrid" switching locomotive utilizing a small diesel engine and a large bank of rechargeable batteries.

H

Hammerhead: A GE locomotive with "winged" radiators, when running long hood forward. Also a nickname given to certain early ALCO roadswitchers with a high nose.

High Ball: Another term for a clear signal, derived from the days of steam where a station operator would hoist a ball up the scaffold, signalling the engineer he was authorized to proceed.

Hog Law: The federal hours-of-service law that forbids certain classes of railroad employees, including those operating trains, from working longer than a certain time after reporting for duty. Currently 12 hours.

Hogger: locomotive engineer.

Honorary Steam Engine: Common term for Alco diesel locomotives, due to their tendency to blow clouds of black smoke when throttling up, due to turbo lag.

Horsehead: Norfolk Southern's current locomotive livery with a horse's head embedded in the NS Logo (sometimes also called 'Mr. Ed'
Mister Ed
Originally produced in late 1960, Mister Ed is an American television situation comedy produced by Filmways that first aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966....

).

Hot box
Hot box
A hot box is the term used when an axle bearing overheats on a piece of railway rolling stock. The term is derived from the journal-bearing trucks used before the mid 20th century. The axle bearings were housed in a box that used oil-soaked rags or cotton to reduce the friction of the axle...

: Overheated wheel bearing. This comes from the era before the widespread use of roller bearings where the ends of an axle rested in solid copper bearings housed in a journal box filled with oil soaked cotton waste. An overheated axle led to a hot journal box that often ignited the oiled waste. The term is used to refer to a railway wheel bearing that has over-heated due to internal friction caused by some fault in the bearing.

I

Iron Triangle (The): An area near downtown Fostoria
Fostoria, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,931 people, 5,565 households, and 3,628 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,917.6 people per square mile . There were 6,024 housing units at an average density of 829.2 per square mile...

in northwest Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

where two main lines of CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

(the former Baltimore and Ohio line between Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...

and Chicago and the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...

line between Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

and Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...

) and one main line of Norfolk Southern (the former Nickel Plate Road line between Bellevue
Bellevue, Ohio
Bellevue is a city in Erie, Huron, Sandusky and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 8,193 at the 2000 census. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Bellevue as a Tree City USA....

and Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...

) cross each other in close proximity.

J

Juice Train
Juice Train
"Juice Train" is the popular name for famous unit trains of Tropicana fresh orange juice operated by railroads in the United States....

: Unit train of Tropicana
Tropicana Products
Tropicana Products is an American based company, and was founded in 1947 by Anthony T. Rossi in Bradenton, Florida, U.S.A. Since 1998, it has been owned by PepsiCo, Inc. Tropicana's headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois.-Anthony T. Rossi:...

cars.

Joint: Term used by brakemen when flat switching a yard. Talking on the radio, they will tell the engineer how many car lengths to back up in order to couple to another car, i.e., "Five cars to a joint."

K

Kodachrome: Southern Pacific Santa Fe Railroad
Southern Pacific Santa Fe Railroad
In the 1980s, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Southern Pacific Transportation Company attempted a merger. It began with the merger of holding companies Santa Fe Industries and Southern Pacific Company on December 23, 1983 to form the Santa Fe Southern Pacific Corporation , which...

's red, yellow and black paint scheme, which resembled the packaging of Kodachrome
Kodachrome
Kodachrome is the trademarked brand name of a type of color reversal film that was manufactured by Eastman Kodak from 1935 to 2009.-Background:...

color transparency film. This was the scheme instituted when the merger between Southern Pacific and Santa Fe was assumed to be approved. Hundreds of locomotives were painted in Kodachrome colors before the merger was denied.

M

Manifest: A freight train with a mixture of car types and cargoes. Also known as a Mixed Freight Train.

Mating Worms: The intertwined P and C letters of the Penn Central logo.

Meatball/Swedish Meatball: Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

EMD AEM-7
EMD AEM-7
The AEM-7 is a B-B electric locomotive that is used in the United States on the Northeast Corridor between Washington DC and Boston and the Keystone Corridor between Philadelphia and Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. They were built by Electro-Motive Division from 1978 to 1988...

/ ABB ALP-44
ALP-44
The ABB ALP-44 is an electric locomotive which was built by Asea Brown Boveri between 1990 and 1996 and are in operation on the New Jersey Transit and SEPTA railway lines.-New Jersey Transit:...

electric locomotives; so named for their design being based on the Swedish Rc4.

Miniquad: Four ore cars (jennies) permanently coupled.

Minuteman: The name given to the maroon and gold paint scheme applied to Boston & Maine Railroad diesel-electric locomotives from the 1940s to early 1950s, bearing the famous Revolutionary-inspired Minute Man statue.

Mother: The locomotive that is paired with a slug.

Mud Missile: Derogatory nickname given to GE Genesis
GE Genesis
GE Genesis is a series of passenger locomotives produced by GE Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of General Electric...

locomotives, in reference to one's involvement in the 1993 Big Bayou Canot train disaster
Big Bayou Canot train disaster
The 1993 Big Bayou Canot train wreck was the derailing of an Amtrak train on the CSXT Big Bayou Canot bridge in northeast Mobile, Alabama, USA, killing 47 and injuring 103, on September 22, 1993. It is the deadliest train wreck in Amtrak's history...

.

P

Pac-Man: A nickname for Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

's 1968-1996 logo featuring a black triangle within a white half-circle, which resembles the main character of the video arcade game Pac-Man. It was CP's corporate logo for all business aspects - railway (CP Rail), shipping (CP Ships
CP Ships
CP Ships was a large Canadian container shipping company, prior to being taken over by Hapag Lloyd in late 2005. CP Ships had its head office in the City of Westminster in London and later in the City Place Gatwick development on the property of London Gatwick Airport in Crawley, West Sussex.The...

), telecommunications (CNCP), trucking (CP Express) and airline (CP Air). It was officially known as the Multimark.

Patch: (also patch job) A locomotive or car wearing a new reporting mark and/or number on a "patch" over existing paint, usually of the former owner's.

Pennsy Style: Nickname for old Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

position light signals.

Pepsi Can: An Amtrak GE Dash 8-32BWH
GE Dash 8-32BWH
The GE Dash 8-32BWH, also known as the P32-8WH or B32-8WH, is a modern diesel-electric passenger train locomotive used by Amtrak. It is based on GE's Dash 8 series of freight train locomotives....

, in reference to the units' original paint scheme with large red and blue stripes. Also referred to as "Cutters" for the striping's supposed similarity to striping on Coast Guard vessels.

Pig train: a train devoted exclusively to intermodal
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...

(piggyback) traffic, generally trailers on flatcars (TOFC) or containers on flatcars (COFC).

Private varnish/PV: privately owned passenger cars.

Pumpkin: BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...

's current bright orange paint scheme, CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

's maintenance-of-way paint scheme. Formerly also ICG's all-orange scheme.

R

Racetrack: Nickname for a stretch of Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...

Commuter Rail line and BNSF freight line between Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

and Aurora
Aurora, Illinois
Aurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...

where commuter trains and freight trains commonly attain high speeds. Also used to refer to the parallel tracks of the O&W
New York, Ontario and Western Railway
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway, more commonly known as the O&W or NYO&W, was a regional railroad with origins in 1868, lasting until March 29, 1957 when it was ordered liquidated by a US bankruptcy judge. The O&W holds the distinction of being the first major U.S...

and DL&W north of Norwich
Norwich (city), New York
Norwich is a city in Chenango County, New York, United States. Surrounded on all sides by the Town of Norwich, the city is the county seat of Chenango County. The name is taken from Norwich, Connecticut. Its population was 7,355 at the 2000 census.Lt...

.

Raccoon: Norfolk Southern locomotives that have the entire area around the cab windows painted white, resembling the face of a raccoon.

Racks: 1. Multiple autoracks 2. The portion of an autorack which is attached to a flat car in order to protect the vehicles inside and may contain 1, 2, or 3 levels depending on the height of the vehicles being shipped.

Rare Mileage: A passenger train traveling over track that does not have regular passenger service.

Red Barns: Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

's SD40-2F locomotives.

Reefer: A refrigerated boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...

.

Rent-a-Wreck: Locomotive owned by a leasing company.

Reporting mark
Reporting mark
A reporting mark is a two-, three-, or four-letter alphabetic code used to identify owners or lessees of rolling stock and other equipment used on the North American railroad network. The marks are stenciled on each piece of equipment, along with a one-to-six-digit number, which together uniquely...

: A code assigned by the Association of American Railroads
Association of American Railroads
The Association of American Railroads is an industry trade group representing primarily the major freight railroads of North America . Amtrak and some regional commuter railroads are also members...

to identify the owners of rolling stock in North America.

Right Way: A "high nose" locomotive running with the long hood facing forward. Reminiscent of the Southern Railway and the Norfolk & Western Railway style of running locomotives.

Rhino(s): Nickname for HHP-8
HHP-8
The Acela HHP-8 is a double-ended electric locomotive manufactured by a consortium of Bombardier and Alstom. HHP-8 stands for High HorsePower 8000...

electric locomotives used by Amtrak for Northeast Regional service.

Roster Shooter: Someone interested in photographing every locomotive road number they can.

Running Board(s): Description of the walkboards found on the tops and ends of rail cars. Also called grating.

S

Screamer or Screaming thunderbox: EMD F40PH
EMD F40PH
-Amtrak NPCU Conversions:In later years, as Amtrak's F40PH fleet was being replaced by the newer GE Genesis-series locomotives, Amtrak converted a number of the retired units—generally ones with major mechanical problems limiting their value in the resale or lease marketplace—into "Non-Power...

locomotive, in reference to it operating in a constant state of full throttle (in order to provide head-end power to passenger cars). Coined by MBTA railfans.

Sergeant Stripes: a Canadian National locomotive in the 1970s-1980s paint scheme featuring light grey stripes on the locomotive's long hood.

Slug: A locomotive, with or without an operator's cab, which lacks a diesel engine, and draws power for its traction motors from a normal locomotive, known as a "mate" or "mother."

Speeder
Speeder
A speeder is a maintenance of way motorized vehicle formerly used on railroads around the world by track inspectors and work crews to move quickly to and...

: a small, motorized track inspection vehicle. Also called motorcar, trackcar, putt-putt, or golf cart.

Stacks: Nickname for double-stack cars or trains.

Stealth Unit: The early CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

grey & blue paint scheme. So named for their virtual invisibility in poor light. Also used to describe NS
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...

D9-40CWs in light gray primer paint, and a scheme used on some Metro-North locomotives.

T

T-Hog: Nickname for a Reading Railroad T-1 4-8-4 steam locomotive.

Taco Belle: Nickname for the new Southern Belle-inspired paint scheme on Kansas City Southern Railway
Kansas City Southern Railway
The Kansas City Southern Railway , owned by Kansas City Southern Industries, is the smallest and second-oldest Class I railroad company still in operation. KCS was founded in 1887 and is currently operating in a region consisting of ten central U.S. states...

locomotives assigned to subsidiary KCS de Mexico.

Toaster: Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

AEM-7
EMD AEM-7
The AEM-7 is a B-B electric locomotive that is used in the United States on the Northeast Corridor between Washington DC and Boston and the Keystone Corridor between Philadelphia and Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. They were built by Electro-Motive Division from 1978 to 1988...

, New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...

ABB ALP-44, or GE P42DC locomotives. Also used to refer to any GE locomotive, due both to their tendency to shoot flames out of the exhaust stack during Turbo Lag and to General Electric's historic involvement in the manufacture of household appliances.

Tunnel Motor: Southern Pacific EMD SD40T-2
EMD SD40T-2
An EMD SD40T-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Power is provided by a 16-cylinder EMD 645E3 diesel engine capable of producing . The Southern Pacific's locomotive features a fuel tank and is long. The Rio Grande's locomotive features a smaller fuel...

/ EMD SD45T-2
EMD SD45T-2
The EMD SD45T-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive conceived in early 1972 by EMD at the request of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Like the similar SD40T-2, this locomotive model is nicknamed a "tunnel motor". 247 of this model were built from February 1972 to June 1975. Out of the total, 84 units were...

. Named for the lower-located air intakes to prevent the locomotive from pulling diesel exhaust in with the clean air while traveling through a tunnel.

Turbo Lag: Characteristic of Alco and GE diesel locomotives, where the turbocharger lags behind the throttle-up of the engine, shooting dense clouds of black smoke and/or flames from the exhaust stack when initially throttling up.

U

U-Boat: GE Universal Series locomotive.

V

Vomit Bonnet: Derogatory name for BNSF
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...

's first attempt at a paint scheme, which used olive and beige as its principal colors but in the configuration of the traditional AT&SF "Warbonnet" scheme.

W

Warbonnet: Santa Fe
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...

's red and silver paint scheme (less common since the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...

merger in 1995).

Warpumpkin: Name given to the BNSF orange and black update of the classic Sante Fe Warbonnet scheme.

Washboards: name given to M.U. cars, subway cars, and other equipment made with corrugated side panels that resembled washboards.

Wet Noodle: Canadian National's stylized CN logo, in use since 1961.

Whiteface: first version of Norfolk Southern's "Horsehead" paint scheme. High visibility paint scheme used on various Burlington Northern locomotives, primarily SD60M
EMD SD60
The EMD SD60 is a 3,800 horsepower 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Intended for heavy-duty drag freight or medium-speed freight service, it was introduced in 1984, and production of SD60 variants ran until 1995.- History and development...

s, SD40-2
EMD SD40-2
The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C locomotive produced by EMD from 1972 to 1989.The SD40-2 was first introduced in January 1972 as the mid-range offering in EMD's six-axle "Dash-2" series, competing against the GE U30C and the MLW M630...

s, GP50
EMD GP50
* Sarberenyi, Robert. ...

s, GP39 rebuilds, and GP28 rebuilds.

Winnebago: Nickname for Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...

's fleet of EMD F40PHM-2 locomotives, in reference to that model's resemblance to the popular recreational vehicle
Winnebago Industries
Winnebago Industries Inc., , is a manufacturer of motor homes, a type of recreational vehicle or RV, in the United States. It is based in Forest City, Iowa.-Corporate history:...

.

Y

Yellowbonnet: one of two Santa Fe paint schemes. The standard freight scheme from 1972 until the BNSF merger was dark blue with yellow on the front, with the same color division as the warbonnet scheme. It is also known as Bluebonnet. Yellowbonnet can also mean a warbonnet unit with only the red painted over, resulting in a silver and yellow locomotive; this was used on passenger engines transferred to freight service after the formation of Amtrak.

YN1: CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

's first yellow-nose paint scheme; gray overall with dark blue on the top half of the cab and yellow on the front of the nose; blue "CSX" lettering.

YN2: CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

's second yellow-nose paint scheme; more yellow on the nose; the whole cab is dark blue, along with a stripe on the side; blue or yellow "CSX" lettering.

YN3: CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...

's third yellow-nose paint scheme; dark blue overall with a yellow nose; yellow "CSX" lettering.

Z

Zebra Stripes: A Santa Fe locomotive in the early black scheme with white warning stripes.

Z-Train: A general term for an intermodal train (such as the ZBRLC or ZLTLC). Such trains are commonly operated by BNSF and Union Pacific.

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See also