level junction
nounRail equipment
An at-grade junction between two crossing railroad tracks.
Rail equipment
498 entries in this trade.
lever frame
nounRail equipment
A frame in a signal box in which levers that operate signals and points are mounted.
lifeguard
nounRail equipment
A sturdy metal bracket fixed in front of each of the leading wheels of a train to deflect small objects away from the wheels to prevent derailment.
lifting shop
nounRail equipment
A workshop where vehicles are lifted off their bogies for maintenance work to be carried out.
light
adjectiveRail equipment
Without any piece of equipment attached or attached only to a caboose.
light engine
nounRail equipment
A locomotive running on its own, or with other powered locomotives, with no wagons or carriages attached.
light rail
nounRail equipment
A kind of passenger railway in urban and suburban settings typically characterized by a mixture of tram (or in North America streetcar) and metro features, crossing streets at grade crossings and normally powered by electricity.
light railway
nounRail equipment
A railway built at a lower cost, with a lighter track and to a lower standard than a main-line railway.
limited
nounRail equipment
An express train that only halts at a limited number of stops.
line speed
nounRail equipment
The maximum speed at which trains can run on a given railway line, or section of line.
line up
verbRail equipment
To have switches set so the train is capable of moving along its correct route.
LMC
nameRail equipment
The station code of Lok Ma Chau in Hong Kong.
loading bank
A platform, often with a ramp at one or both ends, provided in a railway goods yard for the purpose of loading and unloading goods wagons.
locking frame
nounRail equipment
A frame for interlocking in a signal box, normally located in the locking room, which is operated by a lever frame in the operating room above it.
locking room
nounRail equipment
A room in a signal box, usually at ground level beneath the operating room, containing the interlocking mechanism for signals and points (track switches) below the lever frame in the operating room.
locomotive
nounRail equipment
The power unit of a train that pulls the coaches or wagons.
logging railroad
nounRail equipment
A railroad built for the purpose of transporting logs out of a forest.
long-welded
adjectiveRail equipment
Of rails for railway track, welded into longer lengths, usually before they are laid, to help eliminate jointed track.
longitudinal
nounRail equipment
A railway sleeper lying parallel with the rail.
loop
nounRail equipment
A place at a terminus where trains or trams can turn round and go back the other way without having to reverse; a balloon loop, turning loop, or reversing loop.
LU
nameRail equipment
Initialism of London Underground.
lye
nounRail equipment
A short side line, connected with the main line; a turn-out; a siding.
maglev
adjectiveRail equipment
Describing a train, system, etc, that operates by magnetic levitation.
mail car
nounRail equipment
A railroad car in which mail is carried and sorted.
mail train
nounRail equipment
A train used by the postal service to transport mail, and in some cases, to sort mail en route.
mailcatcher
nounRail equipment
A device on a train for picking up mailbags while the train is in motion.
marshalling
nounRail equipment
The sorting of rolling stock in a marshalling yard.
match wagon
nounRail equipment
A wagon attached to a rail-mounted crane to support the jib when the crane is being hauled in a train.
mean distance between failure
nounRail equipment
A measure of reliability that expresses the average distance travelled by a type of lorry, bus, rolling stock, etc, before preventative or reparative maintenance is required.
meet
nounRail equipment
A meeting of two trains in opposite directions on a single track, when one is put into a siding to let the other cross.
MEF
nameRail equipment
The station code of Mei Foo in Hong Kong.
merry-go-round
nounRail equipment
A freight train of hopper wagons which loads and unloads its cargo while moving continuously on a circular track, often incorporating a balloon loop.
Met
nameRail equipment
The London Underground Metropolitan line.
metals
nounRail equipment
The rail tracks owned by a company or organisation; a rail network.
Metroliner
nounRail equipment
A kind of high-speed train that operated between Washington, D.C., and New York City from 1969 to 2006.
Mexican standoff
nounRail equipment
A near-collision between two trains; an averted cornfield meet.
MGM
nameRail equipment
The station code for the Metheringham railway station in England.
MGN
nameRail equipment
Initialism of Midland and Great Northern.
mineral wagon
nounRail equipment
An open goods wagon with relatively high sides for the transport of minerals such as coal or iron ore.
mini-shinkansen
nounRail equipment
A conventional Japanese rail line which has been upgraded to allow use by shinkansen; generally to allow the continuation of shinkansen services beyond the end of a purpose-built, high-speed line.
mixed train
nounRail equipment
A train consisting of both passenger coaches and freight vehicles.
Mogul
nounRail equipment
A steam locomotive of the 2-6-0 wheel arrangement.
mother
nounRail equipment
A locomotive which provides electrical power for a slug.
motive power
nounRail equipment
The locomotives or other powered units that operate on a railway.
motive power depot
nounRail equipment
A place where locomotives are housed, maintained and repaired.
motorcar
nounRail equipment
A self-propelled railway vehicle.
MP
nameRail equipment
Initialism of Missouri Pacific.
MR
nameRail equipment
Initialism of Midland Railway.
Muley axle
nounRail equipment
A car axle without collars at the outer ends of the journals.
multiple unit
nounRail equipment
A train consisting of one or more self-propelled cars capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one cab.
multitrack
adjectiveRail equipment
Of a railway line: having multiple, parallel tracks.
NEC
nameRail equipment
Initialism of Northeast Corridor.
neutral section
nounRail equipment
A dead section of overhead line for supplying power to trains between two live sections, used to separate two power supplies, different phases and supply voltages.
normal
adjectiveRail equipment
In the default position, set for the most frequently used route.
Norwegian coupling
nounRail equipment
A manually operated coupling at each end of some narrow-gauge railway rolling stock, consisting of a central buffer incorporating a hook that drops into a slot in the opposing central buffer.
NR
nameRail equipment
Initialism of Network Rail, a rail infrastructure manager in Great Britain.
NS
nameRail equipment
Initialism of Norfolk Southern (Railroad).
observation car
nounRail equipment
A railway passenger car made so as to facilitate seeing the scenery en route, sometimes with glass sides or with a kind of open balcony at the rear.
one under
A person under a train; a person hit by a train after jumping or falling in front of it.
open wagon
nounRail equipment
An uncovered vehicle used for goods that do not need protection from the weather, although tarpaulins can be used to cover the load.