brakeman
Railway car linker
A brakeman is a railroad worker responsible for operating brakes on freight and passenger trains.
Before automatic braking systems, brakemen moved along the tops of moving cars to manually set brakes—dangerous work that claimed many lives.
The role has largely disappeared with modern technology, though the term persists in rail industry usage.
In bobsled racing, the brakeman sits at the back and operates the brake at the finish.
One who directs musicians
- engineerTechnical design professional
- porterBaggage carrier or dark brew
- flagmanPerson directing traffic manually
- switchmanRail junction operator
yardmaster · trainmaster · dispatcher · fireman · trackwalker · carman · stationmaster · railroader
Crew shelter, train's end
- boxcarEnclosed rail freight carrier
- freightGoods being transported
- gondolaSuspended transport cabin
- flatcarSideless railroad freight carrier
tanker · hopper · reefer · stockcar · intermodal · handcar · railcar · coupler
Device linking two things
- frictionResistance between touching surfaces
- decelerationDecrease in speed
- slowdownReduction in pace
- emergencySerious sudden danger
wheel · lever · pneumatics · hydraulics · stopping · coupling · uncoupling
Joint between systems
- uncouplingAct of disconnecting
- signalingConveying information nonverbally
- switchingChanging from one to another
- inspectionFormal assessment of condition
watchfulness · alertness · observation · caution · monitoring · flagging · lantern · whistle
Source of potential harm
- precautionPreventive safety measure
- protectionGuarding against harm
- helmetProtective head covering
- glovesHand coverings with fingers
lantern · vigilance · awareness · readiness · caution · barrier · derailment · accident
conductor
One who directs musicians
- engineerTechnical design professional
- porterBaggage carrier or dark brew
- flagmanPerson directing traffic manually
switchman · yardmaster · trainmaster · dispatcher · fireman · trackwalker · carman · stationmaster · railroader · trainman
caboose
Crew shelter, train's end
flatcar · tanker · hopper · reefer · stockcar · intermodal · handcar · railcar · coupler · wheels
coupler
Device linking two things
- frictionResistance between touching surfaces
- decelerationDecrease in speed
- slowdownReduction in pace
emergency · wheel · lever · pneumatics · hydraulics · stopping · coupling · uncoupling
coupling
Joint between systems
- uncouplingAct of disconnecting
- signalingConveying information nonverbally
- switchingChanging from one to another
inspection · watchfulness · alertness · observation · caution · monitoring · flagging · lantern · whistle · hand signals
hazard
Source of potential harm
- precautionPreventive safety measure
- protectionGuarding against harm
- helmetProtective head covering
gloves · lantern · vigilance · awareness · readiness · caution · barrier · derailment · accident · injury
- rail yardsswitchyard, marshalling yards, receiving yard, yard crew, yardmaster
- trainstrains, train, locomotive, locomotives, steam locomotive
- railroadstrains, train, tracks, track, locomotive
- train thingswhistle, uniform, lantern, tracks, ticket
- transit workersbus driver, subway operator, train conductor, train driver, train operator
- Bobsledbobsled, bobsleigh, sled, driver, pusher
brakemanengineer
Technical design professional
locomotive engineer · engine driver · train driver · motorman · accelerator