# What Does That Term Mean? Definitions



## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

Yesterday, someone asked what radius meant. Yesterday, I also ran across a term ("ghost car") that I'd never heard. Both made me think we could use a go-to list to post definitions. The definitions can be be basics to help beginners understand the terminology, or obscure terms like Bob's "Gandy Dancers". Sooo....post 'em! I'd like to suggest posting your term at the beginning of your entry so a new person can scan down the list and find the item you thoughtfully provided. Thank you!

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*Ghost Car*: Definition: A ghost car is a model railroad freight or passenger car that's equipped with a motor and driving trucks. This motorized car helps power very long model trains. When needed, a ghost car is placed somewhere near the middle of the train. If multiple ghost cars are used, they are distributed evenly throughout the train.


*Radius*: A radius in geometry is the distance from the center of a circle to any point on the circle. For model train track, radius is a measure of how tight a curve is. Let's suppose you have a circular layout: no straight pieces. If you put a pin in the exact center of the circle and then measure out to the center of any piece of track, you have a measurement of the circle's radius and therefore the measure of the track's radius.


*Gauge*: Gauge is the distance between the tracks. Normal track gauge (on a real train) is 4' 8 1/2" between the rails. The model train you are looking at has wheels that are (side to side) a specific distance apart; that distance matches how far apart your rails are. Gauge is not the same thing as scale, but it's an indicator of the size of a model train.


*Scale*: Scale implies that is it a scaled down version of the real thing. It starts with the car or engine's relationship to itself (1:1, or "one-to-one"). If it were half the size of the original car, the relationship would be "one inch on the real thing = 1/2" on the scaled-down version". This is written as 1:2. Scale is always based on a mathmatical relationship between the real thing and the model. O scale (not gauge) is 1:48, so the O scale car is 1/48th the size of the original. Scale refers to size of the car or engine compared to the original; gauge refers to the distance between rails on a length of track.


*Turnout*: A section of track with movable rails to divert a train from one track to another. Also "switch," although technically the switch is only the moving parts of a turnout. "Turnout" also avoids confusion with electrical devices.


*Switch*: The word "switch" is often used in place of "turnout" (defined above). It also refers to the mechanical part of a turnout, both on layouts and in real life. Finally, it also refers to electric switches. For clarity in conversation, most model railroaders try to use "turnout" to identify the track section described above. "Switch" is reserved for the electrical or mechanical device that controls the turnout.


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## Mit (Feb 12, 2010)

*GRADE:* The measured amount of incline or decline in a track base. Generally speaking most modeled trains use a maximum of 4% gradiants to go up or down (4% being very steep).hwell:


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Ghost cars are also great ways to twist the gourd of a new operator on your layout as he throws the block for his assigned train in the yard and watches it walk away without its locomotive...:laugh::thumbsup:


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

*lol!!!!*


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Did you ever know this?

*BIG E*
A railroad engineer (for Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers)


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

You all heard the term he was High balling down the rail?
Did you know how it came to be though?


*HIGHBALL*
A train signal consisting of a ball that is run up a pole to inform the engineer that the track ahead is clear. 
A ball at the high position (high ball) indicates track is clear.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

For those who think what the heck are they talking about when they say no humping the cars. 


*Hump*
In a hump yard (also called Marshaling Yard or Classification Yard), the highest point in the yard where
cars are released to coast toward the correct track.

*Marshaling Yard*
Yard (classification yard) where trains are disconnected and reassembled based on their destination.

Here is a huge humping yard.










An aerial view of Brosnan Yard with the city of Macon, Ga., in the background. Forwarding tracks run the length of the yard to the right. The hump and main tower are in the approximate canter of the picture with receiving tracks In the foreground and the 50-track classification yard toward the top of the picture. 

A total of 89 miles of track surround the six-story main tower built on the hump at the approximate center of the yard. To the south of the tower are eight receiving tracks for incoming trains. The classification yard, consisting of 50 tracks with a capacity of 38 to 60 cars each, is north of the main tower. To the east and running almost the entire four and one-half mile length of the yard are eight forwarding tracks where outbound trains are built. Freight cars coming in for local industries are sorted at a separate ten-track industrial yard.

Two thoroughfare tracks provide north-south access through Brosnan Yard. One of these passes under the hump through what is believed to be the largest steel pipe culvert in the world. The giant pipe is 205 feet long and 26 feet in diameter. 

A link for those who want to read more. 
http://southern.railfan.net/ties/1967/67-11/bros.html


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## Stillakid (Jan 12, 2010)

What a Great Article!!!!
Thanks Ed!


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

big ed said:


> For those who think what the heck are they talking about when they say no humping the cars.


Yea, I had to research that one when I got into model railroading, LOL :laugh:


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Boston&Maine said:


> Yea, I had to research that one when I got into model railroading, LOL :laugh:


I think when I do my HO I am going to model this Hump yard. 
I think I got enough cars to fill it.

I think one of these would be nice worked into the layout too.:thumbsup:
This is a working model of a McMyler Coal Dumper which by the way, could go into my Jersey firsts.:thumbsup: 
I got some pictures of the one that is rotting away in Port Reading, NJ 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLbqnw2bKeI


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