New Ulm, MN on the C&NW in H0

[Alcanman]

Vans?????

 

You mean one of these?

 

 

 

ps. apologies for hi-jacking the thread.

 

 

 

 

 

[Andrew P]

BTW, What the heck is a Team Track? I've seen it on several Track Plans in this section.

 

I need to learn some American terminology and also what Trains and Company's go where. When I do start I think I'll just do a small yard then depending what Loco I'm using I CAN'T BE THAT WRONG.               

[Zomboid]

It's a general use spur, not serving a specific industry, but usually a few local ones who don't have enough traffic/ the right location for a dedicated spur of their own.

At least that's what I'm going to use mine for. You can basically spot anything at it, within reason...

[Robatron86]

Hi John, 

 

I have just bagged myself a CNW gondola with you in mind. Brings my CNW rolling stock up to 4 cars!

[F-UnitMad]

I will be picking up a couple of Locos next week (Santa Fe and a CP Railroad) and a few Vans, I have the Track and Points and some timber.

"Vans" ... "points"...???!!

 

You need an education in US Railroad Terminology, young Sir

Cars and Switches are what you mean.

 

Edit: and Lumber.

Edited April 28, 2016 by F-UnitMad

[Andrew P]

"Vans" ... "points"...???!!

 

You need an education in US Railroad Terminology, young Sir

Cars and Switches are what you mean.

 

Edit: and Lumber.

 

BTW, What the heck is a Team Track? I've seen it on several Track Plans in this section.

 

I need to learn some American terminology and also what Trains and Company's go where. When I do start I think I'll just do a small yard then depending what Loco I'm using I CAN'T BE THAT WRONG.              

Your NOT WRONG, hahhaha

[Allegheny1600]

Hi all,

I don't mind a bit of thread drift, why not encourage it?

Don't worry Andy, I've been into U.S. Outline for some 25 or more years and I'm still learning!

How about a quick "primer" for you,

A tie is a sleeper,

A joint bar is a fishplate,

Sidewalks are pavements,

Blacktop can be a road,

A prime mover is the engine in a loco but if it's under the hood of a car, it's still an engine!

A truck is a bogie but a rig is a truck! Or an 18 wheeler, a big rig etc.

A car can be a wagon or a coach, if it is a coach then it would usually be called a passenger car. If a freight car, it will often be preceded by car type, hopper car, flat car, tank car and so on. A gondola is an open wagon. A reefer is a refrigerator car.

Almost all US cars have been bogie vehicles for almost ever.

A switch is a point or turnout but a switcher is a shunter and switching is shunting.

Best of all, they still use miles, gallons, pounds and other "imperial " measurements so that part is easy, except that they're different sizes to the British measures!

Oh! The main thing in British that's bigger than American? A billion!

 

Please note, this is just an observation and for a smile. I think these rather confusing terms are correct but please, don't nobody get upset if I'm slightly wrong. I'm happy to be corrected of course!

Cheers y'all,

John

 

Ps, I love the fact that U.S. Outline doesn't need buffers and the couplers are so very realistic!

[Northroader]

Then there's boxcabs, covered wagons, hoods, doodlebugs, bobbers, varnish, riding the rods, setting the retainers, and suchlike goings on.

[roundhouse]

Dont forget the engineer driving the train!

 

The Trainmaster who is responsible for managing the train make up etc.

 

The dispatcher - signalman

Edited April 29, 2016 by roundhouse

[Zomboid]

I believe an interlocking tower is what we quaintly refer to as a signal box.

The fact that knuckle couplers scale down to 1:87 and still work is a great bonus, none of that loop and hook nonsense...

[Andrew P]

Cheers John and Your ''A'' Team for all the info.

[Allegheny1600]

Then there's boxcabs, covered wagons, hoods, doodlebugs, bobbers, varnish, riding the rods, setting the retainers, and suchlike goings on.

Thanks Northroader!

I think a "bobber" is a caboose (Brake van!) that is one of very, very few 2 axle vehicles, is that right?

And, what is "riding the rods" please?

That's a new one on me!

If I may "translate" the rest of your post for Andys benefit, please?

 

Boxcabs - very early diesels from the 1920s/30's, a big box on wheels!

Covered wagons - 1940's/50's diesels, fully enclosed cabs at one end, full width body (kind of like our Deltic, Peak etc) often ran as a complete 4 unit set to make a "locomotive" (the only way these diesels could compete with a steam loco, power wise).

Hoods - later 40's and onwards diesels, narrow hood with walkways, like our class 20s etc.

Doodlebugs - petrol/diesel (passenger) railcars.

Varnish - passenger coaches, I suppose originally made from varnished wood, like Gresley's teak coaches?

 

Setting the retainers - something to do with the brakes? One I'm not sure how to describe, sorry!

 

Two points to note from this;

The Americans were very early pioneers of Diesel traction, arguably more succesful in applying this technology to the rails than the Germans? (I say this seeing as Rudolph was German!).

The Americans were early adopters of the air brake - I'm sure this went hand in hand with the development of their long, heavy trains. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_air_brake

Invented in 1869! Geez, I didn't realise it was so long ago!

Cheers Y'all

[Glorious NSE]

It's a general use spur, not serving a specific industry, but usually a few local ones who don't have enough traffic/ the right location for a dedicated spur of their own.

 

Yep.

 

Just to expand - the word "Team" would be as in "A Team of horses".

 

If you like, it's a track with enough empty space to draw your horse/mule/oxen drawn wagon alongside a freightcar to load/unload.

 

(Another linked term, "Teamster" is still used as a term for truck drivers in the US, so the term's survival post internal-combustion vehicle is maybe not as illogical as it might sound.)

 

 

 

 

 

[Andrew P]

Thanks Northroader!

I think a "bobber" is a caboose (Brake van!) that is one of very, very few 2 axle vehicles, is that right?

And, what is "riding the rods" please?

That's a new one on me!

If I may "translate" the rest of your post for Andys benefit, please?

 

Boxcabs - very early diesels from the 1920s/30's, a big box on wheels!

Covered wagons - 1940's/50's diesels, fully enclosed cabs at one end, full width body (kind of like our Deltic, Peak etc) often ran as a complete 4 unit set to make a "locomotive" (the only way these diesels could compete with a steam loco, power wise).

Hoods - later 40's and onwards diesels, narrow hood with walkways, like our class 20s etc.

Doodlebugs - petrol/diesel (passenger) railcars.

Varnish - passenger coaches, I suppose originally made from varnished wood, like Gresley's teak coaches?

 

Setting the retainers - something to do with the brakes? One I'm not sure how to describe, sorry!

 

Two points to note from this;

The Americans were very early pioneers of Diesel traction, arguably more succesful in applying this technology to the rails than the Germans? (I say this seeing as Rudolph was German!).

The Americans were early adopters of the air brake - I'm sure this went hand in hand with the development of their long, heavy trains. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_air_brake

Invented in 1869! Geez, I didn't realise it was so long ago!

Cheers Y'all

 

Yep.

 

Just to expand - the word "Team" would be as in "A Team of horses".

 

If you like, it's a track with enough empty space to draw your horse/mule/oxen drawn wagon alongside a freightcar to load/unload.

 

(Another linked term, "Teamster" is still used as a term for truck drivers in the US, so the term's survival post internal-combustion vehicle is maybe not as illogical as it might sound.)

 

 

 

 

 

TOTALLY CONFUSED of Swad, so going back to Lego Bricks.     :laugh:      

Edited April 29, 2016 by Andrew P

[Northroader]

Bobber is a 4wheel caboose. Some of the early anthracite roads, ie roads in coal areas of the northeast, also ng lines such as drgw, had them. They couldn't have been any use for acting as a brake van, just crew riding in them and spread out on to the rest of the train screwing down hand brakes on all the wagons

The oldest box cars were built with bracing bars underneath to strengthen the wooden longitudinals, later patterns had a metal box girders the full length. Hoboes, bums, etc., who were unemployed itinerants travelling the length of the country seeking work, found they could conveniently perch under a boxcar "riding the rods". This is best seen in the film "Emperor of the North" required viewing for all train nuts.

Setting the retainers. On the end of freight cars, alongside the obvious handbrake wheel, was a small retainer valve which could hold the car brake system with some air pressure applied in it. At the top of a long grade the retainers were set, rather like us pinning the handbrakes, and the train could descend with brakes lightly applied, and still allow some pressure charging to happen. Remember this wasn't a two pipe system. Once diesels could run with regenerative braking, they could hold a heavier train without burning out their shoes, and retainers fell out of use.

On we go, more occurred to me today, head end, express, call in the flag, train order board.

[Talltim]

TOTALLY CONFUSED of Swad, so going back to Lego Bricks. :laugh:

Lego has its own confusing terminology http://www.brothers-brick.com/lego-glossary/

[Talltim]

The terminology for passenger cars always confuses me, for example coach is a passenger car, but one with a specific type of interior layout

[Talltim]

American layout building terms are different too, it's all drywall, spackling and homasote, LDEs, peninsulas and givens and druthers

Edited April 29, 2016 by Talltim

[Allegheny1600]

Oh Eck!

I do hope we've not put Andy off. I'm getting a little confused myself now!

Cheers,

John

[roundhouse]

Awesome!

[Andrew P]

I am still hear, hahhaha

[Zomboid]

Depots are stations of course. Not sure what the thing that we'd call a depot is in America.

And "Alco" means "the only traction you need" (MLW if you're modelling a Canadian road).

[bok]

Yep, we Yankees do cause a bit of confusion but we like to keep things simple and easy.

 

A few more terms:

 

Bad Order refers to an egine or car which needs repair.

RIP means repair in place usually at a Rip track where carmaen make the repairs.

Beans means go to eat!

On the Hogs means a crew member has exceeded the limit the federal hours of service allows.

Dead Head means to get paid to travel to another location where he will work a train.

Run can either refer to the process of moving a train or the trip of an engineer operating a locomotive. Similar to your driver driving a train.

Spur a single ended track track usually and industry spur.

Siding not a runaround track but one, usually double ended and used only for the meeting and passing of trains.

Yard Limits refers to a portion of the main track (not yard tracks) which provides for authority for any number of trains and engines to freely operate on the main track at Restricted speed not excedding 20 MPH.

Station a place designated in the timetable.

 

These are just a sampling from the many operating and safety rules I can recall after teaching, training and coaching railroaders over the years which was combination of being an officer and also engineer/conductor/carman/agent/operator, clerk/ piggback manager/ DSLE (Road foreman of Engines)/consultant etc..

 

Barry            

Edited April 29, 2016 by bok

[doctor quinn]

Don't forget that a caboose is called a van in Canada

 

Nick

[Talltim]

One of my favourite differences is the use of 'the' as a prefix for loco numbers, e.g. "The 612 and the 516 on EDNA tied up at MP 84 when the crew outlawed"