Rack and pinion
A system of railway traction in which a toothed wheel which is part of a
locomotive's transmission, engages with a rack laid between or
alongside the running rails (see also fell system and
funicular railway).
Radial truck
A single-axle truck in which axle side-play is imparted by curved
guides in such a way that the axle is always normal to the curve which
the vehicle is traversing.
Radius link
An oscillating link in the Walschaerts valve-gear.
Radius rod
A rod in the Walschaerts, Gooch and Allan straight-link
valve-gears.
Rail car
A self-propelled railway coach. This term is sometimes used to
refer to an auto-train.
Rail motor
Another name for a rail car.
Rail spikes
Long flat-headed nails which are driven into sleepers each side of
a flat-bottomed rail to secure the rail to the sleeper.
Rainstrip
A longitudinal or transverse strip attached to a railway-vehicle roof for
deflecting the flow of rain water away from doors or windows.
Ramp
The sloping end of a station platform.
Ramsbottom safety-valve
A boiler safety-valve characterized by two vertical outlet tubes,
which are capped by inverted cones. A single coil spring between the two
outlet tubes loads down a bar onto which the cones are attached.
Reach rod Another term for a reversing rod.
Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway (1)
Opened in 1875, this 3ft gauge line conveyed minerals over 7 miles from
the mines to the port of Ravenglass for shipment or transfer to the
Furness Railway. The line ceased operation in 1908.
In 1915 its remains were leased by Narrow Gauge Railways Ltd and the line
was gauged to 15in. The railway has passed through various hands since
then and is now owned by the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Preservation
Society (See below)
Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway
(2)
A 15 inch gauge preserved railway in Cumbria operated by the Ravenglass &
Eskdale Railway Preservation Society.
Rear direction (or in-rear)
Backwards from the location, with respect to the normal direction of
travel for the line in question.
Receiver
A steam reservoir in between the high- and low-pressure cylinders
of a compound engine.
Reception road
Reception siding
A siding into which a goods train is routed while waiting for its
train to be taken into a marshalling yard for sorting.
Refuge (1)
A siding or loop which is used to store a train for
a short period so that it can be overtaken by a more important train.
Refuge (2)
A small recess in a wall inside a railway tunnel into which a person can
stand when a train is passing.
Regenerative braking
A system of braking used on electrically-powered vehicles where the
control system is such that the traction motors can also act as
generators. Thus, when decelerating, the motors feed current back into
the electrical system; or, in the case of diesel-electric trains,
dissipate the generated power in resistors.
Registration
The lateral displacement of the contact wire in railway overhead
electrification.
Registration arm
A horizontal rod which is used to fix a contact wire at the
required registration.
Regulator
Regulates the flow of steam to the cylinders from the
boiler of a steam locomotive. In other words it is the
accelerator.
Release road
Another term for an escape road.
Relief track (or Relief road)
The tracks used by the slowest moving or least important trains of
a railway route where more than one set of tracks is provided for each
direction of travel.
Relief train
An unscheduled train, which is arranged, at short notice, to
precede or follow on the same route as a scheduled train when the latter
has been booked beyond its capacity.
Repeater signal
A railway signal which duplicates a signal indication at another
location.
Retarder
A device which is laid close to the running rails of certain
tracks in a hump yard, and when operated applies a retarding force
to slow the speed of passing wagons.
Return crank
A subsidiary crank secured at one end to the crank pin of a main
crank, and then returns back approximately along the axis of the main
crank.
Return-crank rod
Another term for the eccentric rod in the Walschaerts
valve-gear.
Reverse curve
A piece of track which curves in one direction and then changes
direction without any appreciable length of straight track between the
two curves.
Reversed (referring to signal and points levers)
The position of signal or points levers when they are
pulled backwards in the frame. The reversed position indicates
that the signal is off or that the points are set for the less
commonly used route (see also normal).
Reverser
Device for changing a locomotives direction of travel.
Also known as the reversing lever on steam locomotives, smaller
adjustments could be used control the usage of steam in the
cylinders. See cut-off for details.
On diesel electric or electric locomotives the reverser is a large
multiway electro-pneumatic or electro-mechanical switch which changes
over the direction of the field current in the traction motors. This
reverses the direction of rotation of the motors and hence the
locomotive.
Reversible rail
An early-type of bull-head rail in which the head and base had the
same cross-sectional shape.
Reversible road
A running line which is signaled for trains to run in either
direction according to requirements.
Reversing crank
A bell crank which transfers movement from a reversing rod
to a reversing link on a valve-gear.
Reversing lever
A lever inside the cab of a steam locomotive which actuates
the reversing of the valve-gear. See reverser.
Reversing link
A link between the reversing crank and the valve gear of a
steam locomotive.
Reversing loop
A length of track which turns back to join itself again at a set
of points.
Reversing rod
A rod which couples the reverse actuating-mechanism of a steam
locomotive with the valve-gear.
Reversing triangle
Three lengths of track which join each other in a triangular
configuration in such a way that a train can be turned around by
traveling round the triangle.
Rhondda & Swansea Bay Railway
Incorporated in August 1882, this line connected the coalfields of the
Rhondda Valley to the Swansea Bay ports. It connected with the Taff
Valley Railway at Treherbet and had branches to Aberavon and Porth
Talbot docks. It was later extended to Swansea and a branch to Neath was
added, bringing the total length to 31 miles. It was absorbed by the
Great Western Railway in 1907, but independently worked until 1
Jan 1922.
Rhymney Railway
This line was originally only 9 miles long, built in 1854 to connect
Rhymney to a junction with the Great Western Railway at Hengoed. A
prosperous railway, its main income was coal traffic and it had its own
line to Cardiff Docks as well as several connections to other railways.
It eventually had 51 miles of track. It was absorbed into the Great
Western Railway 1 Jan 1922.
Riddles, Robert Arthur
Chief Mechanical Engineer for British Railways (1948-1953).
Originally trained Crewe under the London North Western Railway,
he then worked on the London Midland Scottish Railway before being
put in charge of locomotives at the Ministry of Supply during WW2. He
introduced most of the British Railways standard locomotives, many of
which have been preserved.
Right away
A term used in most English-speaking countries for the signal given by a
guard to a driver that he is permitted to depart.
Robert Stephenson & Co. Ltd
Locomotive builders in Darlington. Bought by English Electric Co.
Now part of GEC Alsthom although this companies workshops are closed.
Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn
Locomotive builders in Newcastle & Darlington.
Robinson, J.G
Chief Mechanical Engineer for Great Central Railway (1900-1922). Born
1856. Died 1943.
Rocking Grate
A grate consisting of small sections which can be rocked to shake the
remains of the fire through into the ash pan after the finish of a
days work. Most steam locomotives have a flat grate which has to be raked
out by hand via the firehole. Rocking grates require much less
effort.
Rocking levers
A set of levers which transfer the oscillating movement of one rod to
that of another rod moving in the opposite direction.
Rolling stock
Railway vehicles which are not self-propelled.
Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway
A 15 inch gauge railway in Kent.
Rope-worked incline
Where part of a railway route is so steep that a normal locomotive
is unable to pull a train up the incline, a system is sometimes
used where a continuous loop of rope or steel cable, running from the top
to the bottom of the incline, is driven by a stationary engine. At the
bottom of the incline, a connection is made between the rope and the
front of the train which is thus helped up the incline (see also
funicular railway).
Round house
A railway locomotive shed covering tracks which are grouped
radially from a turntable.
Round-top firebox
A locomotive firebox, the upper part of which is round in section
(see also Belpaire firebox).
Route indicator
A board, positioned close to a signal arm, on which is indicated
by numbers or letters, the route set for the approaching train.
Route Mile
Unit of measure between two places regardless of the number of
tracks.
eg. Ten route miles of single track would be the same as 10 route miles
of quadruple (4 lines) track, although one would be 10 miles of track and
the quadruple track would be 40 miles of track).
Run-round loop
Another term for an escape road.
Running board
A foot step which runs the length of a railway vehicle. The locomotive
equivalent is generally referred to as the running plate.
Running gear
Another term for brake gear.
Running line
A railway track which is part of a continuous route, as opposed to
sidings, loops, etc.
Running plate
A foot ledge running the length of a locomotive at the approximate
height of the footplate.
Running rail
Rails upon which wheels roll, as opposed to check rails which are
for guiding only, or conductor rails which are used for electrical pick-
up only.
Running shed
A motive-power depot with only limited repair and maintenance
facilities. A locomotive requiring major repairs would be sent off to a
larger motive-power depot.
Ruston & Hornsby Ltd
Locomotive builders in Lincoln.
Rutland Railway Museum
A standard gauge railway museum in Leicestershire.
Rye & Camber Tramway
A 3ft narrow gauge railway built primarily to link the town to the
golf course in 1895, which was later used by the Admiralty in World War
2, after which it was abandoned.