| 412 [E] |
An 'in joke' of disputed origin amongst railway enthusiasts. Anything involving the number 412 is highlighted whenever possible. |
| Amex |
To cancel a train, e.g. "the train was Amexed". From the telegraph code AMEX, meaning train cancelled. |
| Banjo |
Fireman's shovel on a steam locomotive. Also "bat". |
| Bat Phone |
{Victoria} Train to base radio. |
| Beer test [E] |
Determining the quality of the track and ride by watching a plastic cup of beer. Rough riding or excessive cant deficiency will cause the beer to spill. May be performed at your seat (if it has a fold down table or a suitable window sill) or in a dining/buffet/club car. Can also be performed with a cup of coffee or, as an absolute last resort, with a glass of water. |
| Big wheel |
Express passenger train driver. Also "Big wheel roster". |
| Blinky Bill |
See Bog Lights. |
| Blister |
"Please explain" message from head office. |
| Blocko |
(Victoria) Safeworking inspector. |
| Bobo |
(Queensland) Batteries on, batteries off. Generic term for resetting faults on diesel electric locomotives. |
| BOG |
Battery Operated Guard. One of the alternative names for an End of Train Marker (ETM), a portable transponder fitted to the rear of a freight train. |
| Bog Lights |
Flashing light(s) on a BOG. |
| Bona |
Train consisting of just an engine and a guard's van. From the telegraph code BONA. |
| Booze Cruise [E] |
Special train on which large amounts of alcohol are consumed. |
| Bottle opener |
Lock pin out of a steel brake shoe. Can be used for removing screw plugs from axle boxes, and for opening beer bottles. |
| Bug |
See Bumblebee, Millennium Bug. |
| Bumblebee |
CityRail Millennium train or "M set". See also Millennium Bug. |
| Bun Ticket |
Meal allowance. An extra payment for your shift if you can stretch it out. |
| Bung |
See "blister". |
| Bustitute [E] |
A bus substituting for a train, such as during trackwork. Also bustitution. |
| Cockie's Breakfast |
Meal cooked on the fireman's shovel. |
| Crib |
Train crew meal break. |
| Death Warrant [E] |
Form signed by a railway enthusiast waiving any injury claim against the railway, thus allowing the railfan to travel in the van of a goods train. |
| Diseasel [E] |
Diesel. Used by steam fans, and occasionally by spark types (q.v.) |
| Doggie [E] |
Carriage without a corridor. From "Dog box". |
| Ferrochronology [E] |
Estimating the power of a steam locomotive using only a stopwatch. The calculations are relatively simple if the weight and speed of the train and the elevation/gradient of the track is known. |
| Flea gauge [E] |
Narrow gauge. Usually referring to 3'6" gauge in Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia or New Zealand, but applied to anything narrower than standard gauge. |
Galah
Galahs |
(Queensland) Railway staff wearing the unusual official uniform of pink shirts and grey shorts. After the Australian native bird with plumage of the same colour as the uniform. This term has been used by the general public. |
| Gasher |
(Commonwealth Railways) The Indian Pacific. Although the original meaning of this term is not in common usage, the explaination is not fit for human comsumption. |
Gumby
Gumbies |
(Victoria) Railway staff during the 1980s and early 90s when they had green uniforms. After the cartoon character. This term was used by the general public, notably graffiti artists. See also: Kermit. |
| Gunzel [E] |
(1) n. Railway enthusiast. Originally derogatory, refering to overly enthusiastic or foolish railfans (c.f. US "foamer"). Now refers to railfans in general, and the term is often used with pride. Usage originally confined to south eastern states, it has since spread to the whole of Australia and parts of New Zealand. See for example www.gunzel.net. May be used to refer to a specific interest, e.g. "freight gunzel", "tram gunzel".
(2) v. Engage in railway enthusiast activities, e.g. "to gunzel around". |
| Gunzelgram [E] |
Email or newsgroup posting detailing train movements and sightings. Coined by Craig Haber for his regular postings to aus.rail. Sample guznzelgram. |
| Gunzeling [E] |
Any sort of railway-related activity, such motorcading and taking photos. E.g. "I was gunzeling around near Bethungra." |
| Hairyleg |
Fettler (track maintenance worker) |
| Hand held dynamometer [E] |
Stopwatch, when used by ferrochronologists (q.v.) |
| Hogaphone [E] |
(Victoria) Megaphone used by the late Eldon Hogan, long time tour organiser with Steamrail Victoria and the Association of Railway Enthusiasts. Originally applied to any megaphone he was holding, but a at one time megaphone was painted gold with the word HOGAPHONE on the side. |
| Hole in the road |
Catch points used to derail runaway vehicles. Also the only thing on the railway that works 100% of the time. |
| Hosebag |
Flexible brake hose between vehicles. Originally applied to vacuum brake hoses buit later spread to air brakes. |
| Jiffy |
(1) Loose shunting one or more wagons towards a set of facing points and switching the points to allow the locomotive to run up a parallel road.
(2) Partially releasing and reapplying the train brakes before stopping. Usually refers to a passenger train approaching a station. |
| Kangaroo points |
(Queensland) Manually operated, weighted trailing points. So named because they jump back into place. |
Kermit
Kermits |
(Victoria) Railway staff during the 1980s and early 90s when they had green uniforms. After the muppet of the same name. This term was also used by the general public. See also: Gumby. |
| Millennium Bug |
(New South Wales) CityRail Millennium train (or "M set"), so called because it was to enter service in 1999 but was delayed over 3 years by production problems. (And as of mid-2003 is still having problems.) |
| Motorcade [E] |
(1) v. Following/chasing a train by car for the purpose of taking photos or video.
(2) n. Several/many cars following/chasing a train in convoy. |
| Number nicker |
Number taker (also "number shark") |
| Peg |
(1) Distance post beside the track, e.g. "derailed near the 176km peg."
(2) Staff, as in Train Staff & Ticket or Electric Staff. A metal rod which was the physical authority to enter a section of single line. |
| Pin |
Alternative but rarer form of peg (2). |
| Pinhead |
Signalman |
| Putt Putt |
(Queensland) Ganger's trolley, used to convey track repair crews or to follow trains to check for fires. From the sound of their small two-stroke engine. |
| Rat Hole |
Confined tunnel. |
| Real brakes [E] |
Westighouse air brakes. Used by enthusiasts who loathe vacuum brakes. (c.f. Suck system) |
| Regulation 412 [E] |
A fictional rule under which anything can be justified. |
| Silly Circular [E] |
(Victoria) S Circular, the Victorian equivalent of a Special Train Notice. |
| Scone Ticket |
See "Bun Ticket" |
| Scrounger |
Locomotive driver who volunteers for the relieving roster. Relieving drivers could be sent anywhere in the state to relieve others who were sick or on leave. Some drivers used the relieving roster as an opportunity for sightseeing. |
| Six Volt Guard |
See BOG |
| Skinny Guard |
See BOG |
| Snake Charmer |
(Commonwealth Railways) Fettler employed on the Nullabor Plain. |
| Spark |
(1) Electric train or locomotive.
(2) Electric traction enthusiast (also "Sparky" or "Spark type"). |
| Sprag |
(1) Braking device. A wood or metal chock placed between the spokes of a carriage or wagon without a hand brake (or wihtout any brakes).
(2) The bottom shunter of a gang in a gravitating shuning yard. (Possible origin: the person who put the sprag in unbraked wagons.) |
| Sputnik |
Sydney single deck suburban trains built by Commonwealth Engineering between 1957 and 1960. So called because their entry into service coincided with the launch of the Sputnik spacecraft, and they carried the letter S on their target (identification) plates. |
| Squirt |
Injector on a steam locomotive |
| Stick |
(1) Orig. a Victorian Railways 2 position home signal cleared by an Armstrong lever, and latched clear with an electric latch. A train entering the track circuit would release the latch, causing the signal to reset to stop.
(2) Any signal. E.g. "got the stick" means the signal is clear.
(3) Narrow gauge sleeper (South Australia). |
| Stalerail [E] |
(Victoria) Newsrail, a railfan magazine notorious for publishing news several months after the event. |
| Suck System |
Vacuum brake. Also "Suck and Hope" |
| U Boat |
New South Wales stainless steel single deck interurban trains ("U set"). So called because they carried the letter U on their target plates. |
| Wally [E] |
(Victoria) Idiot. In use in the general population, but in railway slang has similar connotations to the original meaning of gunzel. From a television commercial featuring a foolish person who wastes water. |
| Zoly |
Relief train crew travelling on a passenger train. Used in spoken form by train crews, e.g. "Pick up the Zoly and we'll be off." From the telegraph code ZOLY. |
