Cutting bar n - a long straight piece of metal installed on a heavy construction machine used for cutting

D

deck n – a floor

demurrage n – the charge a railroad assesses a shipper or consignee (receiver of goods) for holding a car too long for loading or unloading. This is also computed on a daily basis and usually begins after three days, but with Sundays and holidays free

descend v – to go down

deviation n - a noticeable difference from what is expected; a measurable difference from a standard

dispatcher n – one who plans and controls the movement of train

display n – a device that gives information in a visual form

drain v – a pipe or channel that carries away water

dredge v – to clear mud from the bottom using special machine

drop (into, down) v – to slope steeply down

E

embed v – to fix something deeply and firmly in a mass of something

emergency n – an unexpected situation or sudden occurrence of a serious and urgent nature that demands immediate action

erect v – to build; to put in position and make it stand upright

excavated spoil n – ground, rocks, etc. excavated from tunnel

F

facility n – a piece of equipment, a building, a service, etc., that is provided to facilitate an action or process

feasibility study – a piece of research to see if something is commercially viable

flatcar n – a freight car having a flat floor or deck laid on the underframe, with no sides, ends or roof

flood-prone a – likely to suffer from flood

footbridge n - a narrow bridge to be used only by people walking

forwarding n – organization of collection, carriage and delivery of goods

freight n – goods being moved from one place to another by transportation lines

freight car n – a general term used to designate all kinds of cars which carry goods, merchandise, produce and minerals

G

girder n – a long strong iron or steel beam

gondola car n – a freight car with sides

grout n – a substance like mortar for filling gaps

H

handling n – the work of receiving, storing, packing and sending away goods

hinder v - to stop or delay the advance or development; prevent or get in the way of smth.

hopper car n – a freight car designed for handling bulk commodities such as coal or grain. Hopper cars have floor sheets that slope from the car sides and ends to form a series of pockets, or hoppers, which when opened, can discharge the bulk lading by gravity through hopper doors operated from outside the car.

I

innovation n – something new that is introduced

J

jack n,v – a device for raising heavy weights off the ground

joint n – a place, line or surface at which two or more parts are joined

junction n - intersection; a place where two or more railway lines meet

L

land take n – an area occupied for construction site

layer n - strata

light weight (LT. WT.) – the unloaded weight of the car in multiples of 100 pounds. Cars are weighed when new and re-weighed periodically thereafter, or when repairs or modifications change the weight

load n – something that is carried by a vehicle

load limit (LD. LMT.) – the maximum permissible weight of contents, including the lading itself, dunnage (pallets, bracing, packing material), and temporary fixtures (ice, fuel, etc.). The load limit is determined by subtracting the light weight from the total weight.

location n,v – a) the act or process of determining the position of, b) a place where something is located, site

locomotive – a self-propelled vehicle used for hauling railroad cars on tracks

longitudinal a – going downwards not across

luggage n – the bags, parcels, and suitcases in which one carries one’s belongings while traveling

M

main line – a principal section of a railway line

multiple-unit train – an electric (emu) or diesel-powered (dmu or demu) train in which the motive power is distributed over a number of car axles instead of being concentrated in a locomotive or driving car. All motors can be controlled by the driver at the front of the train through a master controller connected to all equipments, irrespective of their location. Since the number of motored units can be varied and placed in any desired position in a train and trains can be driven from either end without reversal, mu formations are very flexible in use.

N

network n – something resembling a net in consisting of a number of lines or routes that cross, branch out, or interconnect

O

open coach n – a passenger coach with a center gangway and seats either side and no compartments

open-top car n – any of a group of cars with or without sides and ends, and with no roof, all being intended for transportation of commodities not requiring protection from the weather, such as steel products, coal or rough forest products. Flat, gondola or hopper car are all classed as open-top cars

ooze n – a soft liquid mud

outer a - outside

overview – a broad, comprehensive view; survey

P

pad n – a layer to protect something

parapet n – a low protective wall along the edge of a bridge

passageway n – a corridor

passenger n – a person who travels in a train, other than the driver or member of the crew

peninsula n – an area of land almost surrounded by water or projecting far into the sea

pier n = pillar

pillar n – a tall upright piece of stone, wood or metal used as support for a structure

platform n – the elevated long site, the reinforced concrete structure at the railway track for carrying out different kinds of freight and passenger operations

portal n – a doorway or gate

post-tensioned concrete n – concrete exposed to a tension

pre-cast a – made into blocks ready for use in building

R

railway n – mode of land transportation in which flange-wheeled vehicles move over two parallel steel rails, or tracks, either by self-propulsion or by the propulsion of a locomotive

railwayman n – one who works on the railway

reinforced concrete – concrete with metal bars or wires inside it to make it stronger

refrigerator car n – a closed car built with insulation in the floor, sides, ends, roofs, and doors, and some form of refrigeration equipment designed for cooling during transit. Some refrigerator cars are also equipped with heaters for protection of perishable commodities during sub-freezing weather

retarder n – rail-mounted brake to slow down and stop wagons moving by gravity into sorting sidings from a marshalling yard hump. Remotely-operated from the control tower or manually-worked

rolling stock n – engines, carriages, or other vehicles used on a railway

S

safety n – the condition of being secure from danger or harm; freedom from danger, risk, or injury

screen n – a phosphorescent surface upon which the image is formed

schedule n – a list of the passing and stopping times of a particular train on one journey. In the US, a timetable

seepage n – filtration, percolation

siding n – any track which is not a running line and on which vehicles may be loaded, unloaded, stabled, shunted or marshaled

slab n – a thick flat often rectangular or square piece of stone

span n – a distance or part between the supports of an arch or a bridge

station n – a place designated in the timetable by name

stratum n – any of a series of layers

switch n – the mechanism which moves the trains from one track to another

T

tank car n – a rail car, the body of which consists of a tank for transporting liquids. Tank cars may be pressure or non-pressure

tenon n – a projecting end of a piece of wood shaped to fit into a mortise to make a joint

thixotropic a – having property of becoming fluid by mechanical agitation

ticket agent (clerk) n – a person/firm selling passenger tickets on behalf of railway companies

track circuit – a valuable safety device invented in 1872. It involves the passing of a low voltage electric current through one of the running rails of a section of the line (the rails have to be bonded and insulated joints made at each end of the section), then via a track relay and back through the other rail, thus completing the circuit. Should a train or part of a train be on the line, however, this signal current will take the shorter path through its wheels and axles, thus demagnetizing (de-energizing) the track relay. Should there be an electrical failure or accidental short circuit, the relay is also de-energised, thus ‘failing safe’. By this means signalmen can be informed on track diagrams of the presence and progress of a train on any section, and if track circuiting is continuous, automatic signalling is made possible, since signals in the rear of a train can be made to remain ‘on’ by the opening of the track relay while a train is on the section in advance. Track circuits also enable points to be secured against movement under or in front of an approaching train and, where manual signalling is in use, permit signals or block instruments to be locked or controlled so that signals cannot be moved to ‘off’ while a train (or part of it) is on the section and closing the circuit in the rear of the relay.

train n – a group of coupled cars hauled by a locomotive

train graph – a graphical representation of train movements over a section of line in terms of time and distance. Used in planning timetables.

V

Vee formed a – in the form of letter V

viaduct n – a long bridge usually with many arches, carrying a road or railway across a river

valley n – a low area of land between two mountains or hills usually with a river flowing through it

W

walkway n – a passage for people

workstation – a place in an office where a person works, especially with a computer