British vs North American railroad terminology?

Question

I am curious and wish to learn other differences between American and British railroad terminology. Not slang so much as interchangeable terms. Some British counterparts to US terminology I'm already familiar with includes the following:

bogey = trucks

guard = conductor

shunting track = siding

points = switch

sleeper = cross tie

goods train = freight train

carriage = passenger car or freight car

Does anyone have more examples or corrections / clarification on these?

Thanks all.

Answer 1

All your words are correct, apart from one which is normally spelt, 'bogie'.

Others you might come across (in no particular order):

British = American

sleeping compartment = roomette

chimney = smokestack

top speed, full speed = highball

signaller = dispatcher

signal box = interlocking tower

branch line = short line

forestry branch = logging line

regulator = throttle

breakdown crane = wrecking crane

banking engine = helper

cowcatcher = pilot

taper boiler = wagon top boiler

shunting engine = switcher, yard goat

This is a short selection, there is a whole long list of technical terms to do with locos and rolling stock which I left out here for reasons of time, space, etc.

NB. some terms are interchangeable, e.g. UK rail operators are increasingly calling their guards 'conductors' although 'train manager' is also in vogue. Certain passenger vehicles are called cars, e.g. dining car, sleeping car, because the first examples to run in the UK came from America.

Answer 2

brake van = caboose

van = boxcar

Answer 3

I do know that we Brits may say travelling by "coach", as in National Express, etc. In USA they often refer to this when flying in economy class.

Answer 4

I have some corrections of what you've said already if that helps. Although im not sure which side you mean to be the british term, because we use most of them, i asume it to be the left side of the "=".

1. Bogey is spelt bogie and it means the framework of where the wheels are set. A truck is a freight car.

2. Both guard and conductor are used and they are different things. A guard is usualy by the ticket barriers off the train. A conductor is an on train assistant to the driver that also cheaks the tickets and informs passengers.

3. We don't really call it a goods train much, it is always a frieght train.

4. A carriage is a passenger car for a steam locomotive, although lot of people still call the passenger cars that but it is not the propper term. passenger car = train coach. freight car = goods wagon or the same: freight car.

Answer 5

Carriage = Passengers

Wagon = Goods Rail Vehicles ( RV for short )

Bogey is spelt  bogIe ( big " I "  )

Crossing Keeper= Person assigned to keep Pedestrian walkway clear and safe for all

Gate Keeper= Person whom opens / shuts Rail Crossings Gates as needed

Level Crossing=  Grade Crossing

Signalman= Controller of all Signals and coloured Lights, thus indicating when safe to proceed.

Green Up = Proceed

Orange ( or Amber ) = Slow down  ...... there are also these:  

1) Be prepared to stop at the next Red Signal

2) Prepare to go to Medium Speed

Regulator= Throttle