Railway Terminology
Block
A block is a section of line where a signalling block system is operative. Signalling block systems enable the safe and efficient operation of railways by preventing collisions between trains. The basic principle is that a track is broken up into a series of sections or "blocks". Only one train may occupy a block at a time, and the blocks are sized to allow a train to stop within them. That ensures that a train always has time to stop before getting dangerously close to another train on the same line.
In most situations, a system of signals is used to control the passage of trains between the blocks. When a train enters a block, signals at both ends change to indicate that the block is occupied, typically using red lamps or indicator flags. When a train first enters a block, the rear of the same train has not yet left the previous block, so both blocks are marked as occupied.
Wallangarra, Qld, a break of gauge town
Break of Gauge
In Australian Railway's formative years, the colonies (now states) failed to agree on a uniform gauge for Australia's railways. This resulted in three different gauges being adopted. To travel by train from one state to another, goods and passengers had to change trains at locations where lines of different gauges met up with each other, usually at border towns. Here trains would offload their goods and passengers onto side of a platform, they would then cross over to the other side and board another train of a different gauge to complete their journey. The term "break of gauge" refers to a location where this occurred.
Catch points
Catch points and trap points are types of turnout which act as railway safety devices. Both work by guiding railway carriages and trucks from a dangerous route onto a separate, safer track. Catch points are used to derail vehicles which are out of control (known as runaways) on steep slopes. Trap points are used to protect main railway lines from unauthorised vehicles moving onto them from sidings or branch lines. Either of these track arrangements may lead the vehicles into a sand drag or safety siding, track arrangements which are used to safely stop them after they have left the main tracks. A derail is another device used for the same purposes as catch and trap points.
Culvert
A culvert is a structure that channels water past an obstacle or to channel a subterranean waterway. Typically embedded so as to be surrounded by soil, a culvert may be made from a pipe, reinforced concrete or other material. Culverts come in many sizes and shapes including round, elliptical, flat-bottomed, open-bottomed, pear-shaped, and box-like constructions. The culvert type and shape selection is based on a number of factors including requirements for hydraulic performance, limitations on upstream water surface elevation, and roadway embankment height.
Building the railway tunnel under Hyde Park, Sydney, 1923, using the cut and cover method
Cut and Cover
Where a tunnel is required but the tunnel required is not very deep underground, rather than tunnelling, it is often easier and cheaper to build the tunnel by the cut and cover method. Rather than bore through the hill or rise, a trench is dug, the walls of the tunnel are built and a roof is added. Spoil from the trench is then placed over the top of the roof and levelled.
Sydney’s city circle railway was built by the cut and cover method. The lines between Town Hall and Wynyard stations were built by following the line of George and York Streets. Town Hall station is directly under George Street in front of Sydney Town Hall, Wynyard Station is under Wynyard Park.
The return line which passes through St James and Museum Stations was built under Macquarie Street and Hyde Park, also using the cut and cover method. Both stations are under Hyde Park.
Embankment
An embankment is a wall or bank of stone that allows railway lines to avoid a change in level required by the terrain. A cutting is used for the same purpose where the land is originally higher than required. A named embankment which references its location is often referred to as a bank, ie. Cowan Bank.
Katoomba Scenic Railway
Funicular
A funicular is a type of cable railway or tramway system that travels on a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ends of a haulage cable, which is looped over a pulley at the upper end of the track. The two carriages move synchronously: as one ascends, the other descends at an equal speed, which reduces the amount of external energy needed to operate it. This distinguishes funiculars from inclined elevators, which have a single car that is hauled uphill. The term funicular derives from the Latin word funiculus, the diminutive of funis, meaning 'rope'.
The world famous Katoomba Scenic Railway is a funicular railway now used for tourism. It was originally part of a network of tramlines built to bring coal and kerosene shale from mines up to the main railway. The steepest section of track is on an incline of 52 degrees (128% gradient) contained within a total distance of 310 metres. It was originally constructed for a coal and oil shale mining operation in the Jamison Valley in the 1880s, in order to haul the coal and shale from the valley floor up to the escarpment above. From 1928 to 1945, it carried coal during the week and passengers at weekends. The coal mine was closed in 1945 after which it remained as a tourist attraction.
The Scenic Railway makes many claims to be the steepest passenger railway, the steepest funicular, and the steepest incline in the world. However the railway uses a winch system and no counterbalancing carriage, therefore it is an inclined lift rather than a funicular. As of 2017 the steepest true funicular is the Stoosbahn in Switzerland.
Gunzel
A person who has an interest in trains or trams - sometimes to the exclusion of all else. Such people are often said to lack basic social skills. The term originated in Victoria in the mid 1970s, and was then highly derogatory (equivalent of USA foamite/foamer or UK anorak). It is bit by bit gaining acceptance however. The original breakthrough was with tram lovers: a positive term with them while still negative with train lovers. The word came from a second grade USA film, as a contraction of gunslinger, and should really be spelt gunsel; however the z spelling has taken root: Look at that gunzel over there taking a photo of a train getting in the way of everone else.
According to a contributer to TramsDownUnder (a tram enthusiast user group - www.myweb.net.au/tdu/) "It appears that 'Gunzel' originated at Sydney Tramway Museum when referring to Mexican (i.e. Victorian) railfans who were taking their hobby a little to seriously." Can anyone confirm this?
Navvy
The word ‘navvy’ came from the ‘navigators’ who built the first navigation canals in the 18th century, at the very dawn of the Industrial Revolution. By the standards of the day they were well paid, but their work was hard and often very dangerous.
Railway navvies soon came to form a distinct group of their own, set apart by the special nature of their work.
They were assembled in huge armies of workers, men and women from all parts of the British Isles and even continental Europe. Many were fleeing famine in Ireland, and some were the ancestors of the 15,000 travellers who live in Britain today.
Tin Hare
A Tin Hare is the small metallic decoy used at Greyhound Racing tracks. When the race starts, the "Tin Hare" sets off like a shot and rattles and bumps it's way around the inside fence, being chased by the Greyhounds. It wasn't long before someone associated the speedy, rattling trip on a Rail Motor with the decoy, and the name stuck in most states of Australia. It is not associated with any one class of Rail Motor, but all types in use from the 1930's.
Tram
A tram is a self-propelled passenger vehicle that travels on tracks on a public urban street or a segregated right of way. A train differs from a tram in that it is a series of connected vehicles that generally run along a stand-alone railway track and transport people or freight. The word train comes from the Old French trahiner, derived from the Latin trahere meaning "to pull, to draw". Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often known simply as "engines"), though some are self-propelled, such as multiple units.
Today, most trams use electrical power, usually fed by a pantograph sliding on an overhead line; older systems may use a trolley pole or a bow collector. In some cases, a contact shoe on a third rail is used. Many recently built tramways use the contemporary term light rail.
Monorails operate on a single rail, usually elevated above ground level, while funiculars and rack railways are uniquely designed to traverse steep slopes.
James Street viaduct, Lithgow, NSW
Viaduct
A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide valley, road, river, or other low-lying terrain features and obstacles.The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via meaning "road", and ducere meaning "to lead". It is a 19th-century derivation from an analogy with ancient Roman aqueducts. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early viaducts comprised a series of arches of roughly equal length.
Redfern dive, NSW
Dive
A dive, also referred to as a dive-under, is a railway junction where one (or more) tracks passes under other lines instead of crossing them on the same level, in order to avoid conflicting movements or slowing down traffic on a upper line. In most instances the crossing line enters a cutting before passing under the higher line which continues at ground level, hence the the use of the term "dive".
The concept can be reversed, as with the railway junction at Glenfield, NSW (above), where the crossing line (to Leppington) was built over the main line rather than under it.
Australian Towns and Their Railway Stations
Incorporating a beginners guideto how railways work
