Railway Slang and Terminology

[GM228]

Interesting article showing railway terminology and slang, some I've heard before but a lot are new to me!

by Bill Prieger (Railroad Engineer)
http://www.vnerr.com/news/slang.htm

 

[Gordon]

As the author actually intimates, not all the words in the list are slang, but 'normal' railway terms.

 

[GM228]

As the author actually intimates, not all the words in the list are slang, but 'normal' railway terms.

My apologies, have asked for the title to be amended, but I used "railway slang" as per the article title, interesting read though!

 

[Groningen]

This is called in the Netherlands a bra.

 

[Glenmutchkin]

There are some interesting variations on these two lists of Indian Railway terms. Most Indian terminology appears to be of British origin with a few US imports.

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-jargon.html

http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-acronym2.html

My favourite is Galloping Local although an Indian friend of mine with a keen interest in railways said that he had never heard the term.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

This is called in the Netherlands a bra.

The French for "buffers" never fails to raise a giggle amongst those who are not used to it.

 

[Groningen]

The French for "buffers" never fails to raise a giggle amongst those who are not used to it.

Ha, ha, ha, ha! Although i had to use Google Translate as my understanding of the french language is limited to about 10 words.

 

[GM228]

The French for "buffers" never fails to raise a giggle amongst those who are not used to it.

This is called in the Netherlands a bra.

Bras and tampons, perhaps there should be a few warnings put on this thread and an age limit! What next?

 

[Groningen]

That is the problem of different languages. The same word can have different meanings. For example: pain in english and french are totally different. Or vent in dutch and french also. And so i could go on and on.

 

[Pinza-C55]

That is the problem of different languages. The same word can have different meanings. For example: pain in english and french are totally different. Or vent in dutch and french also. And so i could go on and on.

In the UK a Catch Point is a spring loaded set of points facing against the direction of traffic on a rising gradient designed to derail runaway trains.

In Canada and I think the USA a Catch Point is a lever or motor worked set of points at the end of a loop to prevent trains overrunning signals.

 

[GM228]

In the UK a Catch Point is a spring loaded set of points facing against the direction of traffic on a rising gradient designed to derail runaway trains.

In Canada and I think the USA a Catch Point is a lever or motor worked set of points at the end of a loop to prevent trains overrunning signals.

So the Canadian catch point is essentially the UK trap point!