| Word |
Meaning |
| A |
| Access Agreement |
an agreement between the Rail Access Corporation and an operator that defines the operator's rights for accessing the NSW railway network. |
| Accreditation |
a form of certification granted to an organisation under the Rail Safety Act by the Department of Transport that confers on the organisation the status of an operator. |
| air-brake |
a brake or system of brakes operated by compressed air. |
| air compressor |
any machine, as a pump, in which a gas may be utilised as source of power. In this case the gas is air and it is used to operate the air-brake. |
| automatic coupling |
a device that permits vehicles to be coupled together with minimal operator intervention. The coupler also acts as a buffer between vehicles that are not fitted with standard buffers or buffing diaphragms. |
| B |
| brake |
Any mechanical device for arresting motion of a wheel, a motor, or a vehicle, chiefly by means of friction or pressure. (see brake block) |
| brake block |
The brake shoe which presses against the wheel to cause retardation. (see brake) |
| brake shoe |
(see also brake block). |
| buffer |
an apparatus, such as one of the two at each end of a railway carriage, for absorbing the concussion between a moving body and something against which it strikes. |
| C |
| Cardan Shaft |
A shaft capable of transmitting rotary movement from a different angle than that of the final drive to the wheels of a vehicle. |
| carriage |
A passenger carrying vehicle. (see also trailers, van) |
| compressed air |
air, under a higher than atmospheric pressure, the expansion force of which is used to operate brakes. Compressed air is also utilised to operate other pneumatic actuation systems such as the throttle, torque_converter and final drive.(see also air brakes). |
| couple |
to join two carriages together.
(see also coupled, coupling). |
| coupled |
where two carriages have been joined together.
(see also couple, coupling). |
| coupling or coupler |
a device used in joining railway carriages together.
(see also screw coupling, automatic coupling). |
| cwt |
symbol for hundredweight - imperial unit of weight.
(see also hundredweight) |
| D |
| Department of Transport |
TThe government department charged with administering the safe operation of railways in NSW under the Rail Safety Act. |
| Depot |
The Rail Motor Society's Headquarters. |
| diesel engine |
an compression-ignition type of internal-combustion engine in which fuel is sprayed into the cylinder after the air in it has been compressed to about 550oC, thus causing the ignition of the oil, at substantially constant pressure. |
| E |
| engine |
a machine designed to convert energy into mechanical work such as the internal-combustion engine. The Rail motors used petrol and eventually diesel engines as their power source. (see diesel engine) |
| F |
| Freight Rail Corporation |
The NSW state owned corporation responsible for the operation freight services. |
| FreightCorp |
See Freight Rail Corporation. |
| G |
| gear |
the connection or engagement of toothed wheels with each other. |
| gearbox |
the casing in which gears are enclosed. |
| gross weight |
total weight of the vehicle without any deduction. The gross weight is made up of the tare weight plus the payload. |
| H |
| handbrake |
brake applied to the wheels operated by a hand lever. |
| horsepower |
unit of measurement of power, or rate of doing work, in the imperial system, defined as 550 pounds-force per second (approx 745 watts). |
| h.p. |
abbreviation for horsepower. |
| hundredweight |
a unit of weight in the imperial system equal to 112 lb (approx 50.8 kg). Symbol is cwt. 20 cwt to the ton |
| I |
| imperial system |
of weights and measures conforming to the standards legally established in Britain. |
| internal-combustion engine |
an engine of one or more working cylinders in which the process of combustion takes place within the cylinder. |
| L |
| lb |
symbol for pound - imperial unit of weight.(see pound) |
| N |
| NSWGR |
abbreviation for New South Wales Government Railways. The department responsible for operating the government railways in New South Wales. This was the fore-runner of the P.T.C. |
| P |
| payload |
the weight of the cargo, passengers and parcels that can be carried in the vehicle. The payload plus the tare weight equals the gross weight. |
| pound (weight) |
a unit of weight in the imperial system equal to 16 ounces (approx 0.454 kg). Symbol is lb. Used for weighing ordinary commodities. |
| P.T.C. |
abbreviation for Public Transport Commission of New South Wales. The authority responsible for operating the government railways in New South Wales. This authority came into being after the NSWGR and was the fore-runner of the SRA |
| Q |
| qtr (weight) |
symbol for quarter - imperial unit of weight.(see quarter) |
| quarter (weight) |
a unit of weight in the imperial system equal to one fourth part of a hundredweight. (approx 12.7 kg). Symbol is qtr. |
| R |
| Rail Access Corporation |
The NSW state owned corporation responsible for the management of the railway network infrastructure. |
| Rail Motor |
A self propelled railway carriage of light weight construction. These vehicles are generally powered by diesel engines although petrol engines were sometimes used. |
| Rail Safety Act |
The 1993 legislation for the safe operation of railways in NSW. Administered by the Department of Transport. |
| Rail Services Authority |
The NSW state owned corporation responsible for the maintenance of the railway network infrastructure. Now known as Rail Services Australia. |
| S |
| screw coupling |
This coupling device is two links with an adjustable screw fitted between them. When the vehicles are coupled the screw is tighened and this makes the carriages hold firmly on the buffers to ensure smooth running. |
| S.R.A. |
abbreviation for State Rail Authority of New South Wales. The authority responsible for operating the government railways in New South Wales. This authority came into being after the P.T.C. Following a government decision to open up the NSW rail network to other operators, the SRA was broken up into four separate operating corporations:-
Freight Rail Corporation
Rail Access Corporation
Railway Services Authority
State Rail Authority.
The SRA now comprises the CityRail and CountryLink passenger operations only. |
| T |
| tare weight |
the weight of the vehicle without any passengers or parcels. The tare weight plus the payload equals the gross weight. |
| torque |
that which produces or tends to produce torsion or rotation; the moment of a system of forces which causes rotation. In a machine it is the turning power of a shaft. |
| ton |
unit of mass in the imperial system equal to 2,240 lb (approx 1,016 kg) |
| Torque converter |
device for transmitting torque from one shaft to another. It provides a smooth coupling between the engine and the final drive. It consists of two vaned rotors in a sealed casing filled with fluid (special transmission fluid but more usually diesel fuel). The driven rotor imparts its momentum (or torque) to the converter fluid that in turn causes the second rotor to rotate. The converter may also be fitted with a stator (a freewheeling set of vanes located between the two rotors) that has the effect of amplifying the torque. Torque converter transmissions generally have two positions :-
(1) converter mode that uses the fluid coupling described above and
(2) direct drive that provides a direct connection between the engine and the final drive.
Transition between the two modes (known as "lockup") can be manual or automatic. Also known as a Hydraulic Torque Converter. |
| trailer |
a non-powered carriage specially designed to be towed by a Rail Motor and is used to carry passengers and / or parcels. |
| TRMS |
The Rail Motor Society |
| V |
| van |
a trailer specially designed to be towed by a Rail Motor and is used to carry parcels. |
| W |
| weight |
amount of heaviness; amount a thing weighs.
Imperial system of weights :-
| ton |
= |
20 cwt |
80 qtr |
2240 lb |
| cwt |
= |
|
4 qtr |
112 lb |
| qtr |
= |
|
|
28 lb |
| lb |
= |
|
|
16 ounces |
|
