What is a cattle guard on a train?
cowcatcher (plural cowcatchers) (rail transport, principally US) The V-shaped device on the front of a locomotive (or other large vehicle) shaped so as to push objects on the tracks out of the way, to prevent major damage to the train.
What are the bars on train wheels called?
A coupling rod or side rod connects the driving wheels of a locomotive. Steam locomotives in particular usually have them, but some diesel and electric locomotives, especially older ones and shunters, also have them.
Where does the conductor sit on a train?
The conductor is located in the rear end of the first car. When a train enters a station, the conductor opens the doors from a control panel on the appropriate side of the car. There are two separate controls, one set operates just the doors in the conductor’s car, and another set operates the rest of the doors.
What is a locomotive in the middle of a train called?
Distributed Power Units (DPUs), as they are officially referred to, are locomotives that operate in the middle and/or at the end of trains.
How are the grates in a steam engine cleaned?
In a coal-burning locomotive, the grates may be shaken to clean dead ash from the bottom of the fire. They are shaken either manually or (in larger locomotives) by a powered grate shaker. Wood-burning locomotives have fixed grates that can’t be shaken.
What does it mean when a train pulls into a dead end?
A platform and track arrangement where the train pulls into a siding, or dead-end, when serving the platform A one-of-a-kind switcher locomotive (also referred to as the SWBLW) built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in 1970 A widening of an underground rail tunnel, in preparation for future connection or expansion of service.
What is the pilot on a train called?
In railroading, the pilot (also known as a cowcatcher, cattle catcher or cow plow) is the device mounted at the front of a locomotive to deflect obstacles on the track that might otherwise derail the train. In addition to the pilot, small metal bars called life-guards, rail guards or guard irons (UK)…
What was the front coupler on a steam locomotive called?
In the later days of steam locomotives, the front coupler was designed to swing out of the way also, so it could not get caught up; this was called a ‘drop coupler pilot’.