Friday, April 27, 2007

Train Terminology

· Couplers: The knuckle-shaped devices at the ends of locomotives and cars. The "horn-hook" style was developed several decades ago by the National Model Railroad Association to encourage mass-produced HO scale equipment. The "Rapido-style" coupler is the de facto standard for N scale. In recent years, however, more manufacturers have been offering their stock equipment with more-prototypical looking "knuckle"-style couplers, such as those first made popular by Kadee.
· Drivers: The large wheels on a steam locomotive connected by side rods.
· Flywheel: A turned, solid-metal cylinder mounted in line with a model locomotive's motor that smooths out the motor's rotating motion to the drive train.
· Rail joiner: A small metal clip that joins two sections of rail together.
· Rerailer: Section of track that guides wheels onto the rails.
· Scale: The proportion of a model in relation to its real-life counterpart.
HO ("aitch-oh") scale is the most popular model railroading scale, with a proportion of 1:87, or 1/87th of actual size.
The second-most popular scale is N (1:160).
Large scale can range from 1:32 to 1:20.3, with 1:22.5 the most popular. All large scale trains use the same track gauge.
Other common scales in North America are O (1:48), S (1:64), and Z (1:220).
· Tender: The car immediately behind a steam locomotive that carries fuel for the firebox and water for the boiler.
· Throttle: The speed control of the locomotive; in the model world, a potentiometer controlling a voltage regulator.
· Truck: The frame assembly under each end of a car or diesel locomotive that holds the wheelsets.
· Wheelset: The wheel-axle assembly that fits into the truck. Most trucks have two or three wheelsets, depending on the type of car.

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