APPENDIX

Short Glossary of Railway Terminology

At-grade Articulated train Axle

track which is neither on an embankment or in a cutting. a train in which bogies or wheelsets are shared between adjacent vehicles. shaft connecting two wheels on either side of the vehicle. The wheels are forced to rotate at the same speed. Vehicles with independent wheels have stub axles that do not connect the two wheels on either side of the vehicle. the vertical load applied to the track by a single axle. layer of coarse stones supporting the sleepers. a layer of resilient material placed beneath the ballast to give additional vibration isolation. a track component designed to hold the rail in place, usually with resilience to provide improved vibration isolation. a sleeper constructed from two concrete blocks connected by a metal bar. (see tread brakes) frame holding two wheelsets, which in turn supports the vehicle body. A bogie vehicle is one which has two (or more) bogies (as distinct from a two-axle vehicle). a tunnel which has been constructed by drilling usually with a tunnel boring machine (TBM). a passenger-carrying vehicle. sprung or bolted elements holding the rail to the sleeper or track structure. a place in the track where two tracks cross each other, usually at a shallow angle. the cone angle on the wheel running surfaces used to ensure stable running. This is variously 1:20, 1:30 or 1:40.

Axle load Ballast Ballast mat Baseplate

Bibloc sleeper Block brakes Bogie

Bored tunnel Carriage Clips Crossing Conicity

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Cut-and-cover tunnel Cutting Derailment Disc brakes

a shallow tunnel which has been constructed by digging a cutting and then covering it over after construction. a place where the track is lower than the surrounding land. accident occurring when a train leaves the rails. braking system on trains in which callipers act on a brake disc rather than brake blocks acting on the wheel itself. Brake discs may be mounted on the axle or directly on the web of the wheel. Diesel Multiple Unit: a multiple unit train set powered by diesel engines. a place where the track is raised up above the surrounding land on earthworks. Electric Multiple Unit: a multiple unit train set powered by electric traction. plates held on either side of the rail web used to connect two lengths of rail together. a train which always runs with the same combination of carriages, typically driven by power cars at either end. the horizontal parts at the top and bottom of an I beam. The part of the wheel tread that projects below the rail head and prevents derailment (see Figure 4.1). the at part of the rail at its base. distance between inner face of each rail. Standard gauge is 1435 mm. the inner surface of the rail head. a process for removing a thin layer of metal from the top of the rail head in order to remove roughness and/or to restore the correct prole. Special grinding trains are used for this. the angle of the rails to the vertical used together with conicity on the wheels to ensure stable running. This is variously 1:20, 1:30 or 1:40.

DMU Embankment EMU Fishplates Fixed formation

Flange

Foot Gauge Gauge face Grinding

Inclination of rails

Independent wheels situation in which the wheels on either side of the vehicle can rotate independently. Jakobs bogie Joint a form of bogie which is shared between adjacent vehicles in an articulated train. (or rail joint) a connection between two lengths of rail, often held together by an arrangement of bolts and shplates.

APPENDIX B

Short Glossary of Railway Terminology

491

Light rail Loading gauge

an urban transit or tram system using light railway vehicles and usually lighter track construction. standard maximum envelope within which the vehicle must remain. This varies between railway authorities (see also structure gauge). a powered vehicle used to draw or propel a train of carriages or wagons (as opposed to a multiple unit) a sleeper constructed from a single piece, usually concrete. a self-powered train set with a driving compartment at each end. It comprises several carriages in a xed formation, some or all of which are powered. device on the top of the train used to collect electric current from the overhead electrication wires. track which is not switches or crossings. see switch. a locomotive that is part of a permanently coupled xed formation train. one which is driven by a motor

Locomotive Monobloc sleeper Multiple Unit

Pantograph Plain track Points Power car Powered axle

Primary suspension arrangement of springs and dampers between the wheelsets and the bogie (or vehicle body). Rail Rail head Rail pad Running surface Secondary suspension Slab track the longitudinal steel beams on which the train runs. the bulbous part at the top of the rail. elastomeric mat between the rail and the sleeper (or baseplate). that part of the wheel that is in contact with the rail and vice versa. arrangement of springs and dampers between the bogie and the vehicle body. a form of track construction in which the rails are held on a continuous concrete layer (the slab), which may include sleepers. There is usually no ballast. a transverse beam under the rails (see Figure 3.1) used to maintain track gauge and to distribute loads from the wheels. These may be wooden, concrete or steel. a resilient layer placed directly under the sleepers. standard minimum envelope beyond which all lineside structures (such as bridges, tunnels and platforms) must remain. This varies between railway authorities

Sleeper

Sleeper soft pad Structure gauge

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and may vary from one line to another (see also loading gauge). Subgrade Suspension the ground beneath the ballast and any sub-ballast layer. arrangement of springs and dampers supporting the vehicle and isolating it from the track (see primary and secondary suspensions). an arrangement in the track to allow trains to follow alternative routes. track maintenance in which the vertical prole of the track is restored after a period of trafc. It is usually carried out by machines by squeezing the ballast together under the sleepers. this consists of two rails held by clips onto sleepers (or slab) and where present the ballast beneath it. (or trailer vehicle) one which is not powered. part of the wheel which runs on the track. braking system based on brake blocks acting on the wheel tread. the arch at the top of the tunnel or structure. the inverted arch at the bottom of the tunnel or structure below the track. It is usually thickened by concrete to provide a level surface. a vehicle, usually for freight, that has no bogies but is supported directly by two wheelsets. the region of a wheel near the running surface (see Figure 4.1). Originally this part was shrunk onto the inner part of the wheel, but most wheels are now constructed of a single piece. a freight-carrying vehicle. the thin part of a beam, such as the middle part of the rail, the vertical part of an I beam or the inner annular region of a wheel (see Figure 4.1) the vertical load applied to the track by a single wheel. two wheels connected by an axle.

Switch (or points) Tamping

Track Trailer axle Tread Tread brakes Tunnel crown Tunnel invert

Two-axle vehicle Tyre

Wagon Web

Wheel load Wheelset