Lakeside & Haverthwaite
Railway
A standard gauge preserved railway in Cumbria.
Lamp iron
A metal bracket on the front or back of a railway vehicle, onto which a
lamp or destination disc can be connected.
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway
This line, opened in 1847, provided an outstanding example of a local
railway developing into a revenue earner. Its earnings were almost as much
as those of the Great Eastern and Great Northern railways; both of which
had more than double the Lancashire and Yorkshire's 600 miles of route.
It was merged with the London & North-Western Railway in 1921, and
although the greatly enlarged company kept the London & North-Western
Railway title, many of the key positions were filled with L&YR men.
Lavender Line
A standard gauge preserved railway in East Sussex.
Leading wheels
Locomotive carrying-wheels which are forward of the driven wheels.
Leaf spring
A vehicle suspension-spring consisting of a number of plates bolted
together.
Leighton Buzzard Railway
A 2ft gauge preserved railway in Bedfordshire.
Level crossing
A place where a road or railway route crosses another railway route on the
same level.
Lever frame
A framework in which levers are pivoted for controlling the movement of
points and signals.
Lifting link
A link between the reversing crank and the valve gear of a
steam locomotive. Also commonly referred to as the reversing link.
Light
Railway term for a carriage window.
Light engine
A locomotive traveling without any attached rolling stock, or with just a
brake van in tow.
Light Railway
Railway operating under the terms of a Light Railway Order. Axle loads were
restricted to 8 tons which made such railways much cheaper to construct and
maintain. This also allowed for a relaxation of certain safety rules which
applied to main-line railways, such as lack of fencing provision and
simplified signaling systems, in exchange for a very much lower (often 25
mph) speed limit.
Many heritage railways operate under such orders, although much of the
regulatory framework is now replaced by the recent Railway Safety Case
provisions and Transport and Works Act legislation.
Limit of shunt
A position on a railway track, usually marked by a notice of such, which
represents the limit for any shunting movements.
Little-end
The bearing, on the cylinder end of a connecting rod.
Live Steam Valve
Controls the supply of steam to the live steam injector.
See Injector for a diagram and more details.
Llanberis Lake Railway
A 1ft 11.5in gauge preserved railway in Wales.
Llangollen Railway
A standard gauge preserved railway in Wales.
Loading bank
A platform in a goods yard for loading and unloading wagons.
Loading dock
see dock.
Loading-gauge (1)
The loading-gauge is a specification of the maximum widths and heights to
which all railway vehicles traversing a given route must comply.
Loading gauge (2)
A device, often seen at the exit to a goods yard, which consists of a
curved bar which overhangs the track. The height of the bar above the rails
represents a portion of the loading-gauge so that loaded wagons may be
easily checked to ensure they are within the loading gauge.
Locking frame
A lever frame which is constructed in such a way that a lever cannot
be reversed if it would result in conflicting signals being
displayed, or conflicting routes to be set.
Locomotive
A self-propelled railway vehicle in which no accommodation for a pay load
is provided, and which is capable of providing the motive power for other
vehicles coupled to it.
Locomotive shed
A building used to house locomotives.
Locomotive testing plant
A building where a locomotive can be set up to run on rollers and
then, under controlled conditions, driven without actually moving.
Locomotive works
A factory or depot where locomotives are built and overhauled.
London & North Western Railway
This railway was formed by the merger of the London and
Birmingham, Grand Junction, and Manchester and Birmingham Railways.
This was one of the leading railways of Great Britain in the pre-grouping
days, known for its revenue and efficiency of operation and management, and
in the density of its main line traffic. Its mileage was 1970 and it also
worked over 1000 miles on other lines. Its locomotive stock immediately
prior to World War I was 3100, all built by the world famous Crewe Works.
main lines extended from London to Carisle and from Crewe to Holyhead,
while subsidiary lines ran to Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, and from Crewe,
via Shrewsbury to Swansea. It was absorbed into London, Midland & Scottish
railway at the 1923 grouping.
London & South Western Railway
This railway originated in 1834 as the London and Southampton and was
renamed as the London & South Western Railway in 1839. The LSWR became the
natural champion for the `narrow' gauge when the case for Brunel's broad
gauge was being so vigorously made by the Great Western Railway.
The LSWR extended from Southampton and Salisbury, to Bournemouth and
Weymouth, and Exeter. By absorbing some western lines it eventually reached
Barnstable and Ilfracombe and the Atlantic coast at Bude and Padstow.
An important project was the acquisition and development of Southampton
Docks.
The LSWR's inauguration of electric trains in the London area in 1915 laid
the foundation for the great development of electric traction in southern
England. The LSWR eventually owned 866 miles of track, but its 750
locomotives worked over 1000 miles of line in total.
It was absorbed into the Southern Railway at the 1923
grouping.
London Brighton & South Coast Railway
This railway was formed in 1846 by the merger of the London and Croydon
Railway (which opened in 1839), and the London and Brighton Railway.
The LBSCR eventually operated along the south coast from Hastings to
Portsmouth, with many rural branch lines, and the important cross-Channel
packet station at Newhaven. The total mileage reached 487 miles, operated
by 540 locomotives, 3100 carriages and 10,000 good wagons.
It became part of the Southern Railway at the 1923
grouping.
London Midland & Scottish (LMS)
Formed in January 1923 from a number of smaller companies as a result of
the 1921 Railways Act.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER)
Formed in January 1923 from a number of smaller companies as a result of
the 1921 Railways Act.
London Transport Museum
Museum featuring all of London's transport systems, including trains, buses
and trams.
London, Tilbury & Southend Railway
Absorbed into Midland Railway in 1912.
Loop (1)
A line parallel to a running line, which by virtue of crossovers
between the two lines, enables one train to pass or overtake another.
Loop (2)
A length of track which turns back and crosses itself at a higher
elevation.
Loop line
A secondary railway route which diverges from a main route, and then joins
the main route again at another location.
Loose coupled
Railway vehicles which have no continuous brakes and are coupled by
loose links of a chain or Instanter couplings. (see also fitted
goods).
Loose-coupled train
A train consisting of loose-coupled vehicles.
Loose shunting
A process of shunting in which a vehicle, which is not coupled to
the shunting locomotive, is propelled forward and then allowed to continue
moving under its own momentum. Also known as fly shunting.
Lower-quadrant signal
A semaphore signal in which the signal arm is lowered from the
horizontal to give a clear indication.
Lynton & Barnstaple Railway
This narrow gauge (1ft 11.5in) railway was opened in May 1898. It was
absorbed into the Southern Railway in July 1923 and continued to operate
until Autumn 1935. Now reopened as a heritage railway.