Bahnanlagen

The term "Bahnanlagen" has no direct English language equivalent. Essentially, it is the word used to describe articles in the railway environment. It is easier to list specific examples:

Abfahrtsbahnsteig Departure platform Abgangsbahnhof Departure station Ablaufanlage (Rangierbahnhof mit ~) Gravity hump yard, gravity sorting yard Ablaufberg ('Eselsruecken') Hump, incline, summit in a gravity yard Ablaufbetrieb (Rangierbahnhof mit ~) Gravity classification yard, gravity marshalling yard Abstellbahnhof Holding sidings Abstellgleis Holding siding Abzweigbahnhof Junction station Abzweigstelle, Abzweigung Fork, junction, branching off, branching Abzweigstelle (Gebaeude) Junction signal box Ankunftsbahnsteig Arrival platform Ausbesserungsgleise Maintenance sidings, repair sidings Aussenbahnsteig Side-boarding plarform Ausweichstelle Passing point, turnout Ausziehgleis Turnout track Autoverladerampe Road vehicle loading ramp Bahnbetriebswerk Engine shed, motive power depot, running shed Bahngelaende railway territory Bahnhofshalle Station concourse Bahnlinie, Bahnstrecke Railway line Bahnsteig Platform Bahnsteiggleis Platform line, station track Bahnsteigkante Platform edge Bekohlungsanlage Coaling plant Bekohlungsgleis Coaling track, coaling road Beladeeinrichtung Loading installation Besandungsanlage Sand store Besandungsgleis Sand track Bestimmungsbahnhof Destination station, receiving station Blockstelle (Gebaeude) Block post Bw (Abkuerzung fuer Bahnbetriebswerk) Engine shed, motive power depot, running shed Drehscheibe Turntable Durchgangsbahnhof Through station Eisenbahnknoten(punkt) Railway centre, railway junction Empfangsgebaeude Passenger building Endbahnhof Terminal station, terminus, railhead

Entladeanlage Unloading installation Entladerampe Unloading platform Eselsruecken Hump, incline, summit in a gravity yard Gepaeckbahnsteig Luggage platform Gleisdreieck Y-track, wye-track, reversing triangle Gleiswaage Freight car scales, wagon weighbridge Gueterbahnhof Freight station, goods yard Hauptbahnhof Central station, main station Hauptlinie, Hauptstrecke, Hauptbahn Line of route, main line, trunk line Inselbahnsteig Island platform Kehrschleife Terminal loop, spiral mountain route Kopfbahnhof Terminus Kopfbahnhof (Umfahrungsgleis eines ~s) Direct connection Kopframpe End-loading platform Laderampe Loading platform, loading ramp Leerwagengleis empties siding Lokabstellanlage Traction relay Lokschuppen Engine shed, locomotive depot, roundhouse Mittelbahnsteig Centre platform Privatgleisanschluß Industry track, private siding Rangierbahnhof Classification yard, marshalling yard Reinigungsgleis Train cleaning / washing track / siding Spurwechselbahnhof Change-of-gauge station Ueberdachter ..., ueberdeckter ... Covered ... Ueberholungssleis Siding with direct access and exit Umladebahnhof Transhipment station Umspuranlage Axle-gauge changeover point Umsteigebahnhof Interchange station, connecting station Verbindungsgleis Connecting line / track, junction line / track Verladerampe Loading platform, loading ramp Viehverladerampe Livestock loading platform, cattle-loading ramp, cattle dock Wagenwaschanlage Train washing sidings, train washing tracks Warteraum Waiting room Wechselbahnhof Locomotive changing point Zufahrtgleis Approach track, entry line, arrival line

Terms related to Points (am. Switches):

Abzweigender Strang Diverging route Backenschiene Stock rail Dreiwegeweiche mit versetzten Zungenspitzen Tandem turnout Federzungen, Weiche mit ~ Points with flexible tongues Fluegelschiene Wing rail Gelenkzungen, Weiche mit ~ Rigid points Gerader Strang Through route Gleitstuhl Slide chair, slide plate Herzstueck Frog, am. Crossing The frog permits the wheel flanges of cars taking one route to pass through the rail head of the other. Switches are numbered according to the angle of their frogs. A no. 6 switch (used only on slow-speed industrial trackage) has a frog which separates the rails 1 foot for every 6 feet of travel. A no. 20 switch (good for about 40 mph) seperates the rails 1 foot for every 20 feet of travel. The lower the frog number, the sharper the curve, and the less speed at which the diverging route may be taken. Of course, the overall length of the turnout is also governed by the number of the frog. Basically, the above explanation is also valid for model railroading switches. Note that German Railways classification is different: American class >1 to 6< is equivalent to German class >1 to 12< etc. Not to mention the design and shape of the frog and the radius of diverging route. Kreuzungsweiche, doppelte ~ mit innenliegenden Zungen, DKW Diamond crossing with double slips on straight tracks, am. double slips. This switch type is the Standardbauart. Kreuzungsweiche (einfache / doppelte ~) mit aussenliegenden Zungen Diamond crossing with (single / double) outside slip roads. This switch type is called Bauart Baeseler. Kreuzungsweiche, einfache ~ mit innenliegenden Zungen, EKW Diamond crossing with single slip on straight tracks, am. single slip Leitschiene Guard rail, check rail

Linksweiche Left-hand turnout Radlenker Guard rail, check rail Radlenker, Abstand des ~s, Rillenweite Flangeway Rechtsweiche Right-hand turnout Rillenweite zwischen Zungen- und Backenschiene switch flangeway Schutzweiche Catch points, derailing points Umstellhebel, Weichenhebel Switch reversing lever Weiche Points, am. Switch turnout: the total assembly of trackwork involved in 'turning out' one line from another by means of a pair of switches, a crossing and a reverse curve running in the direction of the second line, with or without an intermediate section of straight line. Strictly not synonymous with points, but often so used. Weichenlaterne Switchpoint lamp, switchpoint light Weichenneigung, Weichenwinkel Switch number, no. of turnout Weichenstellung Switch stand Weichenverbindung, doppelt gekreuzte ~ Double cross-over, scissors crossing Weichenzunge Tongue rail, blade Zugstange Stretcher Zunge Point Zungenwurzel Heel (of blade) Zwischenschiene Closure rail

Terms related to Rail or Track:

Ausziehstoß Chamfered joint, feathered joint Bahndamm Embankment Betonschwelle Concrete sleeper Bettung Ballast Bettungsquerschnitt Ballast profile Dehnungsfuge Expansion gap, joint clearance Doppelschwelle Twin sleeper Dreischienengleis Mixed-gauge track with three rails Gleisoberbau Superstructure, track bed structure Gleissperre (Movable) scotch block Wood blocks, fixed in frames and pivoted at one end, the other end, when in use projecting across a rail to prevent vehicle running down an incline, or on to another track. Gleisunterbau Substructure, track infrastructure Hemmschuh Drag shoe, stop block Hoehe ueber SO (Schienenoberkante) Height above rail level Holzschwelle Timber sleeper Kapspur (1067 mm) Cape gauge (3' 6'') Klemmplatte Rail clip

Kurvenueberhoehung, Gleis mit ~ Canted track, superelevated track Lasche Fish-plate, joint bar, rail splice Leitschiene Check rail, guard rail Rillenschiene Channel rail, grooved rail Schienen, durchgehend geschweisste ~ Continuous welded rails, CWR Schienenkopf Rail head Schienenschleifzug Rail grinder Schienensteg Rail web Schienenstoss Rail joint - Gleichstoss - Opposite rail joints, square rail joints - Wechselstoss - Staggered rail joints Schienenstrom-Verbinder Rail bond Schienenwanderung Rail creep The tendency of rails to move very slowly out of position in the traffic direction Schotter Ballast Schwellenabstand Sleeper spacing Spann-Nagel Rail spike, track spike

Terms related to Signalling:

Abdruecksignal Humping signal, back-up signal, backing signal Abfahrauftrag Departure light signal Achtungssignal Warning signal Ausfahrsignal Exit signal Blinklichtsignal Flashing-light signal Blocksignal Block signal Bremsprobesignal Brake test signal Deckungssignal Protective signal Einfahrsignal Entry signal, home signal Ersatzsignal Subsidiary signal Fahrtrichtungsanzeiger Route-indicating signal Fahrtstellung, Signal in ~ Line-clear signal Fluegelsignal Semaphore signal Formsignal Semaphore signal Fuehrerstandssignal Cab signal Geschwindigkeitsanzeiger Speed-restriction board Geschwindigkeitsbeschraenkung auf ... Speed-restriction down to ... Gleiswechselanzeiger Wrong-line signal Grenzzeichen Shunting limit signal, stabling limit signal Grundstellung Normal position Gruppen(ausfahr)signal Junction signal Haltstellung, Signal in ~ Signal at danger, stop signal, closed position Hauptsignal Mandatory signal

Kennlicht Marker light Langsamfahrsignal Slow flag, working-site signal Lichtsignal Light signal Pfeiftafel Wistle board Rangierhaltsignal Calling-on signal Rangierhalttafel Limit-of-shunt signal Rangiersignal Shunting signal Selbstblocksignal Automatic block signal Signalkennzeichen Signal type plate Signalbegriff Signal aspect Signalbild Signal aspect, indication or position of a signal Signalbruecke Signal bridge, signal gantry Signalbuch Signal code, signal regulations Signalmast Signal post Signalwiederholer Signal repeater Vorankündigungstafel Outer distant board Vorsignal Caution signal, distant signal Warnstellung (Signal in ~) Signal at/on danger Weichensignal Points signal, signal point indicator Zugdeckungssignal Train-protecting signal Zugschlusssignal Tail light, rear light Zugspitzensignal Head light Zwergsignal Dwarf signal, ground signal

How Germany (and most European countries) describe locomotive axle layouts

This system will appear unusual to people from America and England (amongst others), because essentially, it counts axles, rather than wheels. This is best shown by example.

Let's take: 2'C1'h4v, which could be used to describe a Bavarian S³/₆

All numbers and letters describe the locomotive's layout starting from the front and working towards the rear. Wheels first, then whether superheated or not, number of cylinders, then whether compound expansion or not:...

2'

Indicates 2 un-powered axles, not wheels. The addition of the ' indicates the wheels are free to move. i.e. in a bogie/truck, not rigidly mounted to the locomotive's frame

C

Indicates 3 powered axles, rigidly mounted - there's no ' after the letter

1'

A single axle trailing bogie/truck

h

h = Heißdampf - superheated steam locomotive. n would be for Naßdampf - non-superheated

4

4 cylinders

v

Verbund - compound rather than simple expansion

t

Tenderlok - a tank loco. A locomotive with a towed tender is a Schlepptenderlok.
It's easier to think of the t as standing for tank loco, even though it doesn't.

o

Individual drive to each axle. See Notes below.

Some more examples:...

2'D2'h3

3-cylinder, superheated, 4-8-4

2'Bn2v

2-cylinder compound, Naßdampf (non-superheated), 4-4-0.
As no mention is made of any axles after the B, there aren't any, but it doesn't specifically say so.

B'Bn4vt

4-cylinder compound, non-superheated Mallet, 0-4-4-0 tank loco. The front B (with the ' ) is articulated, the rear B (without the ' ) is rigid - a Mallet

Notes:

• The system does not indicate the origins or intended use of the locomotive, merely it's mechanical design.
• The same system is used to identify diesel and electric locomotives, this is the main use of the o.
  i.e. Co'Co' is used to identify a locomotive with two 3-axle (6-wheel) bogies/trucks, each axle being powered individually.
  This was also how the unique 19 1001 V-drive steam locomotive was classified - 1'Do1'. The indication for the number of cylinders, superheating etc. was ignored.

[ last updated 31st Dec 2003 ]