I interpret Caped as functioning as a sort of past participle of CAPE. Technically it would be correct to say either "1S25 is CAPE" or "1S25 was CAPE" if the sleepers got cancelled, but it feels more natural to say CAPE'd if you are talking about an event that's already happened, as in "1S25 has been CAPE'd." I suppose it's similar to the way the word "cancelled" is used - saying a train "is CAPE" looks better written down (where it's more obviously used as a code word in capital letters) but can sound weird out loud because it feels similar to saying the train "is cancel."
CAPE is still used by rail staff (for example on a loco allocation sheet it might show CAPE instead of the loco number if the train is cancelled) but when spoken I hear it more often as "CAPE'd" - although it's probably just as common for staff to say or write "cancelled." I think the main reason it survives as a commonly spoken term (both by railway staff and enthusiasts) is that it conveniently replaces a frequently-used two-syllable word with a short and snappy one-syllable version. Alternatively, if you prefer to go down the route of cockney rhyming slang, you could say that a train has been "
Nigel Manselled" - although you might get funny looks.
PINE is not a term I hear being used, although perhaps it's more common for passenger trains. For a cancellation part way through a journey on a freight train, it would be more common to hear something like "6Z66 is dying at Wembley" to indicate the train is being cancelled part-way through its journey. Although this is effectively slang (and would look odd in a written document) "dying at X" is quite useful as an expression which won't get confused with a cancellation throughout.
In addition to expressions like "diesel vice electric" or "5 car vice 10 car" to indicate the planned stock or formation has been replaced by something else, on the railway I associate the word "vice" in particular with expressions like "horn vice bell" to indicate types of AWS defect.
Another more obscure term from regular English that I encountered (albeit only once) on the railway was "
stet" to indicate that the crossing-out (in pen) of a line in a document was to be ignored. Stet was written above it, used "
to indicate that matter previously marked for deletion or revision is to remain unchanged."
With the telegraph code words, there's a temptation to treat them as acronyms, but most of them either seem to be
1) seemingly random code words (like CAPE, along with long-forgotten terms in the
link in post #6 such as GIRAFFE, OLIVE or OPIUM).
2) words with some vague relation to the thing they are talking about (like COTTON being related to explosives and RACOON being related to the movement of animals) .
3) a contraction of two words, such as BYRAG to mean "by arrangement" (as in "traffic may be accepted by arrangement only" - still used in cases where a yard is congested and cannot accept traffic other than previously planned services).
Many code words seem to have died out over time. It's been a few years since I've seen WALNUT REDE appended to the bottom of a document - perhaps he's retired.
However, one place that these telegraph code words survive in formal use is on the paperwork for exceptional load traffic, such as EXLO for "Exceptional load with speed or route restrictions only. To be signalled by the special is line clear 2-1-6."
A good example is the paperwork for pipe traffic from Hartlepool to Georgemas, which had a bumper crop of them (the first six apply generally and the rest to specific locations listed on the form). The continued reference to bell codes is interesting:
(1) AJAX: No train signalled 2-6-2 or 2-6-3 must be allowed on the running lines or sidings on both sides of the load. Train to be signalled by the special is line clear 2-6-2.
(2) BLOCSID: The adjoining lines to be blocked when working from running line to sidings and vice versa.
(3) BLOX: All adjoining lines to be blocked when using crossovers, junctions and running connections.
(4) CAWCROS: Extreme caution must be exercised when passing from main line to loops and sidings and vice versa and when in loops and sidings.
(5) CAWSTAB: Extreme care must be exercised when the load is recessed to ensure that it will clear structures and vehicles on adjacent tracks.
(6) GOBI: The above routes must be observed.
FABRIC Must not exceed speed of …………mph at or between…………
HAZARD Running lines or sidings on both sides of the load to be clear. To be signalled by the special is line clear 2-6-3
JOAN Running lines or sidings mentioned on the left hand side of the load looking in the direction of travel must be clear and no train signalled 2-6-2 or 2-6-3 must be allowed on the running lines or sidings on the right hand side of the load. To be signalled by the special is line clear 2-6-3
SAVO Crossovers at the following places must not be used …………
SULTAN Train conveying out-of gauge load must travel on ………. line as follows
