Glossary of United Kingdom railway terms


This page contains a list of jargon used to varying degrees by railfans, trainspotters, and railway employees in the United Kingdom, including nicknames for various locomotives and multiple units. Although not exhaustive, many of the entries in this list appear from time to time in specialist, rail-related publications. There may be significant regional variation in usage.

A

; Absolute block signalling
; Annett's key
; Aspect
; Autocoach
; Automatic warning system

B

; Baby Deltic
; Baby Warship
; Bagpipes
; Basils
; Bed pan
; Black Five
; Blood and Custard
; Bobby
; Bodysnatcher
; Bogie
; Booking clerk
; Bone
; Bone Shaker
; Brake van
; Brush
; Bubble car
; Bullhead rail

C

; Cant
; Cape
; Car transporter wagon or car transporter van
;Cat
; Cattle
;
; Chair
; Check rail
; Chimney, funnel, or stack
; Chopper
; Chord
; Clag
; Coach
; Coffee pot
; Composite
; Connecting rod
; Coupling
; Crompton

D

; Darth Vaders
; Deltics
; Detonator
; Doodlebug
; Down
; Drain
; Driver
; Driving trailer
; Driving Van Trailer
; Dusty Bin
; Dutch
; Dyson

E

; Egg Timer

F

; Fag packet livery
; Ferret and Dartboard
; Fishplate
; Flat junction
; Flat wagon
; Fly shunting
; Flying Banana
; Formation
; Four foot

G

; Goods
; Goods van, goods wagon, or goods truck, railway wagon, or wagon
; Goyle
; Gricer
; Grid or grid iron
Gronk
; Gronk
; Growler
; Guard
; Gurgler

H

; Headshunt
; Hoover
; Hymek
; Happy Train

J

; Javelin
; Joint station

K

; Kestrel
; Key

L

; Lamp
; Large-logo livery
; Lightsaber
; Location case
; Loop

M

; Main line
; Merry-go-round train
; Metrovick
; Mickey Mouse
;Milk Float
; Motion
; Motor train
; MTVal
;Multiple working

N

; Networker Clubman
; Normal

O

; Open wagon
; Overbridge
; Overlap

P

; Peak
; Person in charge of possession
; Plastic pig
; Point machine
; Points
;Possession
; Predator
; Pump trolley

R

; Rake
; Rat
; Rebel Alliance
; Roarer
; Rule Book
; Running powers

S

; Shed
; Shunter
; Signal passed at danger
; Signal-post telephone
; Silver bullet
; Six foot
; Skipper
; Slack
; Slack action
; Slam-door train
; Sleeper
; Slim Jim
; Slip coach
;Spinner
;Splut
;Station pilot
;Stop and examine
;Subway
; Super 60
;Superelevation

T

; Tadpole
; Tank engine
; Teddy Bear
; Ten foot
; Terminus
; Terrier
; Theatre indicator
; Thousands
; Thumper
; Thunderbird
; Toothpaste
; Top and tail
; Tractor
; Train driver
; Train engine
; Train register
; Train shed
; Triangle
; Tug

U

; U-Boat
; Underbridge
; Up

V

; Van

W

; Warship
; Water crane
; Wessie
; Western
; Whistler
; Wizzo
; Woolworth
; Worst or WorstGroup

Y

; Yeoman