Glossary

Absolute Block — A length of track in which no train or engine is permitted to enter while it is occupied by another train or engine.

Automatic Block Signal System (ABS) — A series of consecutive blocks governed by block signals, cab signals, or both, actuated by a train, engine, or certain conditions affecting the use of a block.

Bad Order — Any rolling stock that needs repair per FRA or AAR requirement. These cars must not be moved until repairs are complete or are moved as directed in special instructions listed in the timetable.

Block — A length of track between consecutive block signals or from a block signal to the end of block system limits, governed by block signals, cab signals, or both.

Boxcar — An enclosed car used for general service and especially for lading which must be protected from weather.

Bulk transfer — The transfer of bulk products, such as plastic pellets or liquid sweeteners, from one mode of transportation to another. Bulk transfer permits off-rail shippers and receivers of varied commodities to combine rail's long-haul efficiencies with truck's convenient door-to-door delivery.

Branch Line — A secondary line of a railroad, not the main line.

Capacity

• General Capacity — Rail demand or volume. Factors affecting capacity for a railroad are numerous, but include, for example, the availability of train crews, locomotives, equipment, and track.
• Line or Track Capacity — Maximum number of trains that can operate safely and reliably in each direction over a given segment of track during a given period of time.

Carload — Shipment of no less than 5 tons of one commodity.

Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) — A traffic control system where train movements are directed through the remote control of switches and signals from a central control point. This system enables trains to pass each other at sidings or interlockings without the need for train crews to stop and manually throw switches. The train operates on the authority of signal indications instead of the authority via timetable or train orders.

Class 1 Railroad — Until 1955 a railroad with annual gross operating revenue of $1 million or more. In 1955 the threshold became $3 million. By 1992, it had risen to $250 million. Currently the threshold is at $256.4 million.

Class 2 Railroad — A railroad with average annual gross revenue between $20.5 and $256.4 million.

Class 3 Railroad — A railroad with average annual gross revenue under $20.5 million.

Classification — Grouping of railcars in a yard in accordance with train movement requirements, usually by destination.

Classification Yard — A rail yard in which rail cars are classified and grouped in accordance with their movement requirement such as kind, contents, or destination to the end user.

Container — A large, weatherproof box designed for shipping freight in bulk by rail, truck or steamship. Typically the box resembles a truck trailer, which is lifted onto a flatcar. Most containers are 20, 45, 48, or 53 feet in length.

COFC — Containers on Flat Cars. Intermodal shipments where containers are moved on a railroad flat car. The movement is made without the container being mounted on a chassis.

Consist — The make-up of a freight train by types of cars and their contents.

Controlled Point (CP) — A location where switches or signals are remotely controlled by a control operator (dispatcher).

Cross-overs — Track hardware that joins two main tracks. When a train moves from one main track to another it "crosses over."

Cut, to — Separate car(s) from a train.

Diamond — The at-grade intersection of normally perpendicular tracks where only one track can be used at a time.

Division — A geographical unit of a railroad, the boundaries of which are designated by railroad timetables.

Double Track (DT) — Two main tracks, on one of which the current of traffic is typically in a specified direction, and on the other typically in the opposite direction.

Drill Track — A track connecting with the ladder track, over which locomotives and cars move back and forth in switching.

Flat Car — A freight car that has a floor without any housing or body above. Frequently used to carry containers, trailers, or oversized and odd-shaped commodities.

Grade Crossing — The at-grade crossing of highways, roadways, pedestrian walks or combinations of these, with railroad tracks.

Grade Separation — The separation of a Railroad Grade Crossing by either an underpass or overpass.

Haulage rights — Rights obtained by one railroad to have its trains operated by another railroad over that railroad's tracks.

Hopper — A rail car with pockets, or hoppers, opening on the underside of the car for unloading bulk commodities.

House Track — A track entering, or along side a freight house. Cars are spotted here for loading or unloading.

Hump — The part of a gravity classification yard (hump yard) in which rail cars that have been pushed up a summit (hill) are cut off while in motion at the top of the hill. Gravity then pulls the rail cars down the hill switching it onto a predetermined track. The weight of the rail car, distance it must travel to the designated track, and its location within the train that is being made-up, are all taken into consideration so the speed of the car can be adjusted through a series of retarders, or brakes, as the car moves down the hill toward the intended track.

Hump yard — A yard in which rail cars are classified and forwarded to final destinations. The three components are a receiving yard, a classification yard in which railcars are pushed over a hump to various classification tracks and a forwarding or departure yard.

Intermodal — Transportation that covers multiple modes of transport of trailers or containers by ship, rail, and truck.

Interchange — A track in which various cars are delivered or received from one railroad to another.

Interchange Point — The point at which two or more railroads join. Traffic is passed from one road to another at interchange points.

Interlocking — A segment of track between signals such that the signals and switches within this track segment are interconnected in such a manner that their movement or indication must be done in a predetermined successive manner to ensure that signals indicating permissible movement cannot be displayed simultaneously on conflicting routes.

Junction — The convergence of two or more railroad lines. Typically a Junction is a Controlled Point as well.

Local Train — A train with an assigned crew that works between pre-designated points normally providing picking up or dropping off railcars to the railroad customer base within the area.

Locomotive — Locomotives are units propelled by any form of energy, or a combination of such units operated from a single control station, used in train or yard service.

Main line — Primary rail line over which trains operate between terminals. It excludes sidings, and yard and industry tracks.

Manifest — The cars and commodities that make up a train.

Mile Post — A post or sign on pole each mile along the track that shows the distance from a predefined location such as a major rail terminal.

Multiple Main Tracks — Two or more main tracks, the use of which is designated in the timetable.

Piggyback — Slang term for the transportation of a highway trailer on a railroad flat car.

Ramp — Slang term for an intermodal terminal where trailers and containers are lifted onto or off of railcars.

Restricted Speed — A speed that will permit stopping within one half the range of vision; short of train, engine, railroad car, stop signal, derail or switch not properly lined, looking out for broken rail, not exceeding 20 MPH. Train movement through many yards is done at restricted speed.

Right-of-way — The property owned by a railroad over which tracks have been laid.

Rip Track — A small car repair facility, often a single track in a small yard. Origination of name is derived from "Repair, Inspect and Paint," however today “Repair in Place” is more applicable.

Siding — A track auxiliary to a main or secondary track for meeting or passing trains. The timetable will indicate stations at which sidings are located.

Single Track — A main track upon which trains are operated in both directions.

Spur Track — A track extending out from the main track that is usually used to serve rail customers.

Storage-in-Transit (SIT) — Bulk commodities, such as plastic pellets and polyvinylchloride powder, are made in such vast quantities to minimize the expenses associated with the manufacturing of these commodities. Because of the equally vastness of material need and distribution, these commodities are customarily loaded into empty railcars known as covered hoppers, and stored at a point (SIT Yard) located between the point of origin and the point of destination to be shipped at a later date.

Stub Track — A form of side track connected to a running track at one end only and protected at the other end by a bumping post or other obstruction.

Subdivision — A portion of a division designated by timetable. Normally the name given to a main track between two locations as specified in the timetable.

Surface Transportation Board (STB) — An independent governmental adjudicatory body administratively housed within the Federal Department of Transportation responsible for the economic regulation of interstate surface transportation, primarily for the railroad industry, within the United States. The STB ensures that competitive, efficient, and safe transportation services are provided to meet the needs of shippers, receivers, and consumers.

Switching — The movement of freight cars between two nearby locations or trains. This typically involves moving cars within a yard or from specific industry locations to a yard for placement of railcars in a train, or vice versa.

Through freight train — an express freight train between major terminals.

Timetable — A written document which establishes the authority for the movement of trains over designated lines of track, subject to the rules established for that track. Typically it describes maximum authorized train speeds for the entire rail line or a portion thereof. The timetable will also include the names and locations of control points for the rail line.

Terminal — Railroad facilities established for the handling of passengers or freight, and for the breaking up, making up, forwarding and servicing of trains, and interchanging with other carriers.

TOFC — Trailer on a flat car. Refers to intermodal shipments.

Tower — Prior to the centralization and computerization of switching operations, physical structures, called towers, were erected in locations where the tower operator could observe and control the movement of trains within a localized area. The towers were complete with manual switching equipment, where the operator would physically move levers back and forth controlling the direction of train travel, selection of track the train would occupy, and the signal indication. Today this function is typically done by a dispatcher at a remote location, although the tower designation of that control point, or junction, still remains, even though the physical building no longer exists.

Trackage Rights — An agreement between railroads where one railroad is authorized to operate its trains between specific locations, over the tracks owned by another railroad. There typically is a surcharge for this privilege, and the associated rights are filed with the Surface Transportation Board (STB).

Train — An engine or more than one engine coupled, with or without cars, displaying a marker and authorized to operate on a main track.

Trim Lead — Track used to move cars from the sorting tracks (bowl) to the departure yard, where sorted cars are coupled into an outbound train.

Trains Spacing — The time spacing in which a terminal/subdivision can effectively handle trains. This could be predicated on the type of method of dispatching authorized for the particular line segment.

Trains Staging — Trains holding at a location awaiting authorization or release to move into a terminal.

Unit Train — A train composed entirely of one commodity, usually coal or mineral, and usually composed of cars of a single owner and similar design, and usually destined for a single destination.

Universal Cross-overs — A pair of cross-overs, spaced at a predetermined distance, allowing for the movement of a train from one main track to another, and then return to the original track.

Wye— A track shaped like the letter "Y," but with a connector between the two arms of the "Y." A wye is used to reverse the direction of trains or cars. A train pulls completely through one leg of wye, the switch is thrown and reverses the direction, allowing the movement across the semi-loop track of the wye, and the train is then headed in the opposite direction.

Yard — A system of tracks, other than main tracks and sidings, that branch out from a common track. Yards are typically used for switching, making up trains, or storing of railcars.

Yard Limits — The location on a main track in which the main track begins to enter a rail yard. This location is typically designated by a yard limit sign placed along the main track, and is also noted in the timetable.