Glossary of Model Railroad Jargon

After working on this website for a few months, I realized that many of the terms I was using, although familiar to me after many years as a model railroader, might be unknown to new modelers or others who are reading these pages. Therefore, I've put together this glossary of terms with some brief explanations and links to other pages where the subject is explored in more depth.

Airbrush:

A miniature sprayer for model paint. Paint must be thinned. An airbrush provides control. Often used for weathering.

Benchwork:

The framed foundation to support a model railroad. Two common types are open-grid and L-girder. The former is usually butt-jointed and fastened with glue and screws. L-girder often has 1"X3" pine lumber on edge beneath either another 1"X3" piece or a 1"X2" piece of lumber. These act as joists across the basic frame so they are easy to reposition. Plywood is preferred by many modelers both for cost and stability.

Ballast:

The layer of crushed rock railroads tamp between the ties to keep the rails aligned and roadbed drained. Woodland Scenics makes crushed rock ballast in various sizes and colors.

Bogey:

The wheel assembly beneath a railroad car. In North America, also referred to as a truck.

CA or CAA:

An abbreviation for a fast-setting glue called cyanoacrylate adhesive. It's the kind that can glue fingertips together in split seconds! Available in thin, medium and thick. Retarders and accelerators are also available. This glue is especially good for styrene plastic and for metal. Flash is a well-known brand.

Cab control:

A method of separating control of trains by gapped rails in blocks. Usually used with DC (direct current) control where a separate Power Pack controls a train in a selected block. If two trains are in the same block, one Power Pack will be controlling both engines. A common method was to use a DPDT (double-pole, double throw) toggle with a center-off position. This was commonly referred to as the "father and son" method because one train could be controlled in the A or up position and a second train could be controlled in the B or down position. In the center position the track was "dead" because no electricity could reach it. It was also possible to gap only one rail, either positive or negative. The other side of the toggles could then be used to control lamps. Both rails had to be gapped to isolate a "reverse" section where trains doubled back on themselves.

Command Control:

now commonly known as DCC. Trains are controlled when they receive electronic messages addressed to them through the rails. Decoders in the engines react to the messages that are sent solely to them. Other engines will not respond. This type of control can also be applied to stationary decoders to operate switch machines and other equipment.

Consist:

A group of railway cars and engines that make up a train.

Crossing:

Where two track cross each other, also often referred to as a "diamond" due to the configuration of the rails. Crossings usually happen when two railroads need to go in different directions by crossing each other at grade.

Crossover:

A means of getting trains to cross from one track to a parallel track.

Cut lever:

An uncoupling lever that raises the locking device between railroad cars.

Duckunder:

If your railroad is to be run from a central pit, you need to "duck under" the benchwork somewhere in order to reach the operating area. This also occurs if you need to crawl under the benchwork to get to an access hatch to reach some area that is not easily reachable from an aisleway.

Flextrack:

A length of track pre-assembled on ties that can be bent to form a curve. It usually comes in 3-foot or 1-meter length. Flextrack is a common method of laying track quickly in HO scale. It can also be done in G scale with a rail bender tool to curve the rail before slipping it into pre-assembled tie sections.

Freelance:

Building a layout based on an imaginary trackplan and locale that may or may not be based on a prototype. Most often a freelanced layout is one you dream up yourself or adapt from a published plan.

Gauge:

The distance between the rails. Not to be confused with scale.

Hardshell:

A type of scenery base made by dipping pieces of industrial=strength paper towels or brown paper bags in a soupy mixture of plaster, most often hydrocal plaster (see hydrocal).

Frog:

The part of a track turnout (switch) where the two tracks diverge. This area can be live or dead electrically depending on how the turnout is made. Fore example, Peco makes both Electrofrog and Insulfrog turnouts. The track section beyond the turnout can be electrically dead when the route is thrown to the other track. This can be handy to isolate an engine. Often the frog are will be made electrically live by using extra contacts on a switch machine or installing a relay. This can help with short wheelbase locomotives that don't span the dead section.

Gondola:

A flat car with sides used to carry items like scrap, steel, iron and other loose, heavy objects. They can have permanent sides, drop-sides and drop-bottoms depending on their intended use.

Helix:

A method of gaining separation between lower level benchwork and an upper deck. The track is laid in a rising circle with each level directly above the one below while maintaining the same clearance between tracks. A helix is usually built with one or two tracks side-by-side. Track can exit the helix at intermediate levels through turnouts (switches). To accomplish this a short length of straight track is often inserted at the point where track will diverge.

Homasote:

A type of insulation board that is made from recycled newsprint. It is sold in 4 X 8-foot sheets that are 1/2-inch thick. Homasote can be difficult to find. It is available from a limited number of lumber yards. Homasote is often used as a subroadbed under track. I have used it for many years. It is messy to cut with a sabre saw because cutting creates a lot of fluffy dust. It can be cut more cleanly with a blade. You can also cut notches every few inches to make it bendable. The notches can then be filled with plaster. Some modelers paint the homasote to seal it to prevent warping due to humidity changes. I've never had the problem. I guess it depends where you live.

Hopper:

A type of open-top freight car used to carry loose material like coal and rock that don't need protection from the elements. The material is removed through funnel-like bins underneath the car. Another type is the covered hopper where material needs to be kept from the elements such as grain or even plastic pellets.

Intermodal:

Transportation of material by different forms of transport vehicles such as train to truck or ship to train to truck. This can be in the form of piggyback trailers or stackable containers.

Kitbash:

Building structures by mingling parts from various kits in a manner that departs from the manufacturers' instructions in order to make a distinctive structure that fits a particular location and doesn't look like everyone else's layout.

.

Module:

A stand-alone layout unit that can be connected to other units. A module may be built to standard dimensions and configurations for interchangeability or it may be built to your own specifications for ease of assembly in your own location. For more information see my modular page.

MOW:

Railroad maintenance-of-way equipment such as snowplows, old flat cars for wheels and ties, cranes, and even sleeping cars, kitchens and payroll cars.

Operations:

Running your railroad more like the prototype in that you must follow a set of rules to run your trains and pick up and set out freight and passenger cars. For more detailed suggestions see my operations page.

Reefer:

Refrigerated freight cars used to transport perishable products.

Riser:

An upright support to raise the subroadbed. It is preferable to make the riser L-shaped so that screws can be inserted from underneath the subroadbed. This makes it easier to change the grade or move the subroadbed should that become necessary (instead of digging through scenery and cork roadbed to locate the screw heads).

Roadbed:

Foundation to support track.

Rolling stock:

Freight and passenger cars including cabooses.

Scale:

The size relationship between your models and the real thing, the prototype. For more detailed suggestions see my Scale and Track page.

Scratchbuild:

To build a model from plans or your own imagination using raw materials like brass, styrene, paper, plaster and wood and few commercially-available parts. This may involve casting your own metal or plaster parts. The idea is not to use a prepackaged kit.

Styrene:

A type of plastic (polystyrene) that is easy to use for building models. Much of the fabrication can be done with a "score and snap" technique. One of the best known manufacturers of styrene shapes is Evergreen Scale Models.

Traction:

The term for streetcars and equipment run by electricity. Diesels have traction motors where energy is converted from diesel engines to electricity to power the locomotive.

Truck:

The wheel assembly beneath a railroad car. Also referred to as a bogey.

Turnout:

A track switch to allow trains to take a diverging route. The term came into use to avoid confusion between a track switch and an electrical switch.

Van:

The term used in Canada for a caboose.

Weathering:

Showing the effects of time by "dirtying" buildings and rolling stock by applying rust, dirt, dust and other effects, either through washes of paint, inks, or powders and chalk. Weathering takes away the unrealistic shine from buildings and railroad equipment.

Webcam:

Cameras on the Internet take motion picture videos of passing trains. You may be familiar with the crossing at Rochelle, Illinois accessible from the Trains.com website where you can view BNSF and Union Pacific trains. They also have another webcam of the Norfolk Southern Railway at Roanoke, Virginia. You may not be familiar with this one that was referenced in Model Railroader magazine in December, 1977. I checked the site in December, 2008 and it is still operating. Try it for yourself (I have nothing to do with this Trainorders website.

---

Return to my Home Page from "glossary".

Return to top