switchmen
Rail junction operators
Switchmen is the plural of switchman, a railroad worker who operates track switches to route trains onto different lines.
Before automation, switchmen manually threw heavy levers in rail yards to direct locomotives and cars: The switchmen worked through the night sorting freight cars.
The term appears in labor history and old railroad contexts.
Rail worker controlling deceleration
- conductorOne who directs musicians
- yardmasterTrain depot manager
- trainmasterRailroad operations supervisor
- dispatcherOne who allocates resources
engineer · fireman · flagman · carman · gandy dancer · railroader · shunter · pointsman
Flag-based signaling system
- leverPivoting bar for lifting
- interlockingEngaging by overlap
- aspectFeature or dimension
- approachWay of handling something
clearance · stop · proceed · route · target · lantern · hand signals · flag
Train staging facility
- sidingExterior wall covering
- shuntingMoving vehicles between tracks
- sortingArranging into sequence
- couplingJoint between systems
uncoupling · coupler · handbrake · marshalling · consist · cut · kick · lead track
brakeman
Rail worker controlling deceleration
- conductorOne who directs musicians
- yardmasterTrain depot manager
- trainmasterRailroad operations supervisor
dispatcher · engineer · fireman · flagman · carman · gandy dancer · railroader · shunter · pointsman · signalman
semaphore
Flag-based signaling system
- leverPivoting bar for lifting
- interlockingEngaging by overlap
- aspectFeature or dimension
approach · clearance · stop · proceed · route · target · lantern · hand signals · flag · fusee
railyard
Train staging facility
coupling · uncoupling · coupler · handbrake · marshalling · consist · cut · kick · lead track · manifest
switch
Circuit-breaking toggle device
rail · ties · ballast · gauge · spike · fishplate · crossover · wye · junction · diverge
- Railroad Historyrailroad barons, railroad workers, rail workers, conductors, firemen
- railroad jobsconductors, engineers, brakemen, firemen, yardmasters
- rail yardsswitchyard, marshalling yards, receiving yard, yard crew, yardmaster
switchmenstation masters
Railway platform supervisors
train conductors · superintendents · dispatchers · general managers · trainmasters
switchmentrain conductors
Rail staff managing passengers
train crews · conductors · engineers · brakemen · firemen