This page lists the unsourced entries from Glossary of North American railroad terminology. This page contains a list of terms, Jargon, and Slang used to varying degrees by railroad enthusiasts / Railfans and railroad employees Once adequate citations to reliable sources are added, entries will be moved to the main list.
Contents: Top - 0–9 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
A
B
- Baobab: (PRR only): an oversize load. The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Railroad, founded in 1846 From the telegraph code-word used. A baobab tree is a very large tropical tree. Baobab is the common name of a Genus ( Adansonia) containing eight species of Trees native to Madagascar (having six species mainland
- Basketball: Nickname for the Pan Am Railways logo. Pan Am Railways (PAR known as Guilford Rail System (GRS before March 2006 is a Class 2 railroad covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag
- Blowdryer: Nickname for dynamic brakes. Dynamic braking is the use of the electric Traction motors of a Railroad vehicle as generators when slowing the vehicle
- Brick: GE E44 electric engines used by Pennsylvania, Penn Central and Conrail (called this because the road-switcher style engines were as ugly as a brick compared to the classic PRR GG1s that they worked alongside of)
- Butthead: Switching locomotive with the operating cab located at the rear end of the carbody. The E44 was an electric rectifier-equipped locomotive built by GE for the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR between 1960 and 1963 A switcher or shunter ( Great Britain: shunter; Australia: shunter or yard pilot; USA: switcher (or
C
- Chicken Bone: Amtrak's City of New Orleans
- Crap-9: Another term of derision for Dash-9 engines. For the city itself see New Orleans Louisiana. The City of New Orleans is a nightly Passenger train operated by Amtrak
- Crash 8: A term for CSX's C40-8Ws that are starting to show their age.
D
- Diet Pepsi: An Amtrak GE Dash 8-32BWH wearing the Phase IV paint scheme. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The GE Dash 8-32BWH, also known as the B32-8WH, P32-8WH, or P32BH is a modern diesel-electric Locomotive used by Amtrak to pull passenger (See Pepsi Can)
- Dirt Dauber: Loaded phosphate train.
- Douche-9: Another term of derision for Dash-9 engines.
- Dress Blues: Former Conrail unit, nostalgic. Consolidated Rail Corporation, also known as Conrail, began operations on April 1, 1976 as a federally funded takeover of the major railroad
- Dump Truck: a GE AC6000CW, based at least partially on the fact that these units are almost always covered with dirt and grime. The AC6000CW is a 6000 horsepower diesel electric locomotive that was built by GE Transportation Systems.
E
- Ex-Con: Former Conrail unit or former Conrail employee
F
- Fatheads: Wide-nose (North American Cab) locomotives. Consolidated Rail Corporation, also known as Conrail, began operations on April 1, 1976 as a federally funded takeover of the major railroad
- Firework Show: Nickname for the sparks that shoot out from the electrified third rail when a train passes over it when the rail is damp.
- Ford Edsel: Amtrak GE Genesis locomotives. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 GE Genesis (officially Trademarked GENESIS) is a series of passenger Locomotives produced by GE Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of General
- Furball/Furbie: Locomotive owned by First Union Rail (FURX).
G
- Greenie Weenie: Leased locomotive, typically of Burlington Northern heritage. The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States -based Railroad company operating between 1970 and 1996
H
- Hertz: A locomotive leasing company.
I
J
- Jenny (also Jimmy): A 24 ft or 25 ft long ore car. Also refers to mine gondolas, as well as gondolas and hoppers from the early days of railroading.
- Jet: New Haven EP-5 electric locomotive, named for its loud cooling air blower equipment. The New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1969
- Juice jack: Electric locomotive.
- Junk box: see Rent-a-Wreck.
K
L
M
- Mate: See Mother.
- Monobrow: The second version of Norfolk Southern's "Horsehead" paint scheme
N
- Nuetered Stallion: A term given by Norfolk Southern's employees for the new horsehead logo. This article is about the present railroad formed in 1990 For the former regional railroad in Virginia and North Carolina a small part of the new one see Norfolk Southern
O
- Orange: One of Tropicana Orange Juice Company's Bright Orange boxcars.
P
Q
R
- Racks: Nickname for autorack cars
- Railfan Window: The window in the end door of the lead or last car on a subway train or commuter train without a full-width cab.
- Royal Toaster: Nickname for the Amtrak AEM-7 #946 that led a train carrying Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The AEM-7 is a B-B Electric locomotive that is used in the United States on the Northeast Corridor between Washington DC and
- RV: Winnebago: Nickname for Amtrak or VIA Rail GE Genesis locomotives
S
- Shower Caps: Canvas coverings which protect the mouths of locomotive air horns on most freight units. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 VIA Rail Canada (also referred to as VIA Rail and VIA; ˈviːə 'vee-ah' is an independent Crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail GE Genesis (officially Trademarked GENESIS) is a series of passenger Locomotives produced by GE Transportation Systems, a subsidiary of General Train horns are audible warning devices found on most diesel and electric Locomotives Their primary purpose is to alert persons and animals to the presence of a train Usually blue in color, and easily deteriorated by exposure to the elements.
- Silver Snake: Name given to Norfolk Southern's PPLX hopper trains which have only silver Bethgon hoppers
- Slushbucket: SD26 locomotive. This article is about the present railroad formed in 1990 For the former regional railroad in Virginia and North Carolina a small part of the new one see Norfolk Southern The SD26 was an EMD SD24 diesel locomotive that was specially modified by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in the mid-1970s So named for their muffled-sounding turbochargers. A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine.
- Snow Cones: Stainless steel coverings which protect the mouths of locomotive air horns, particularly on passenger units such as those used on Amtrak. So called due to their shape, which helps to deflect debris while at speed.
- Space Age Noodle: Another name for the current Canadian National logo.
- Speedo: a track speed restriction (slow order). A slow order is a local speed restriction on a rail line which is set below the track's normal speed limit
- Spin Cycle: derogatory name for the compressor noises made by GE D9-40CW locomotives when idling. The GE Dash 9-40CW is a 4000 hp (2980 kW) Diesel locomotive that was built by GE Transportation Systems of Erie Pennsylvania
- Susie-Q: Nickname for the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad. The New York Susquehanna and Western Railway ( NYS&W) also known as the Susie-Q, or simply the Susquehanna is a Class III American Freight
T
- Tomato Can: M2 (railcar) operated by Metro-North Railroad. The M2 is a series of 244 electric multiple unit cars produced for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Connecticut Department of Transportation The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, or MTA Metro-North Railroad, or more commonly Metro-North, is a Suburban commuter rail service
- Top Hats: Nickname given to conventional cab Dash-9s (GE Dash 9-40C) because of the roof-top mounted air conditioning units. The GE Dash 9-40C is a 4000 hp (2980 kW) Diesel locomotive that was built by GE Transportation Systems of Erie Pennsylvania
- Tri-Color: type of signal which features red, yellow, and green in a triangle shape
U
V
W
- Window train: a passenger train.
- Worms In Love: Nickname for Penn Central's herald. The Pennsylvania and New York Central Transportation Company, almost always called Penn Central, was an American Railroad company that operated from 1968 Commonly known as "mating worms. "
X
Y
Z
References
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