The various parts of the trains on your railway are divided into running and rolling stock and further broken down by their actual use. With almost two hundred years of development and differing needs and customs around the world, the following list is by no means meant to be complete, but it is intended to give the novice railway tycoon a brief introduction to their new profession.

One of the most noticeable differences between the British 'railway' and an American 'railroad' is the designation of the rolling stock. In the UK they are divided into Coaches, Carriages, Wagons, Trucks and vans, in the US they are all merely classified as 'Cars'.

Although this entry may seem to focus on full size railways, each of the items mentioned is available as models in at least one scale, or existing models can be easily converted by the dedicated hobbyist.

Running Stock

The running stock include all the components of your railway that are capable of self-propulsion, all of the rest that have to be pulled or pushed from place to place are the rolling stock. This is a brief summary of most the common types running stock, sorted by their source of power.

• 
  Hand Cart
  

  
  A light platform mounted on railway wheels, in the early days they were powered by two men pushing a large, horizontal lever, they were light enough that they could be carried away from the rails when a train approached. They were primarily used by the track crews to look for potential problems. Today they have been replaced by small motorised vehicles.
  

• 
  Wood Burning Steam Locomotive
  

  
  The earliest style of locomotive, these were common in the first half of the 19th century. One of the most striking features of these engines is the large funnel shaped smoke stack required to give the fire a proper draft. In Britain and much of Europe, even the earliest locomotives were coal-fired.
  

• 
  Coal Burning Steam Locomotive
  

  
  Coal provided more heat and reduced the likelihood of a stray fires caused by burning embers escaping with the exhaust smoke.
  

• Oil Burning Steam Locomotives
  

  
  Some steam locomotives were converted by replacing the fire-box with an oil ring that greatly simplified the firing process. Most of these were created just as diesel powered locomotives were coming into prominence.
  

• Mains Electric Locomotives
  

  
  Although the most modern choice for power, the electric powered train dates back to the early part of the 20th century. They started out as street cars with a single overhead wire and the second part of the circuit supplied by the track. Most underground (tube or subway) trains are powered by a 'third rail' mounted next to the main track. Conventional above ground lines use a large 'pantograph' and an array of overhead wires, although the area surrounding some large cities, such as London and Washington, DC, the third rail system extends well beyond the Underground portion of the railway.
  

• Diesel Powered Locomotives
  

  
  Some diesel locomotives use their engine to directly transfer the power to the wheels through a system of transmissions and gears, similar to a common lorry – but much larger. These are usually found in light passenger service.
  

• Diesel-Electric Locomotives
  

  
  These locomotives also use a large diesel engines, but instead of linking to the wheels themselves, they are mounted to dynamos that produce electricity that then powers electrical motors that are linked to the drive wheels.
  

• Dummy Power Units
  

  
  In the 'Real World' of the railway two or more locomotives are often linked together to provide power for a single train. The joint operation requires great skill, or the use of computers today. Many model suppliers offer 'dummy locomotives' that are really only rolling stock with a 'locomotive' body mounted on it, so your train can reflect this practice without expensive electronics.
  

Rolling Stock - Freight Service

The freight service remains the most profitable area of railway operations. Huge loads of heavy items can be transported by a railway more efficiently they any other form of transportation, except possibly by ship. As the two operate in totally different environments, they have a symbiotic relationship.

The early Freight units had only a single axle at each end with a single pair of wheels, today almost all have a 'bogie¹. It is a common prctice for model companies to add the term 'bogie' to the label on the box to clarify the exact product offered.

• Flat Wagon
  

  
  This is probably the most basic piece of stock on any railway. It is just a flat platform mounted on a railway wheels with a coupler at each end. They carry any solid object that can be lashed down, like machinery and lumber.
  

• Open Wagon
  

  
  If you add short sides to a flat wagon it will be transformed to an open wagon. They can carry bulk goods that can't easily be tied down, such as scrap metal. They have to be loaded and unloaded from the open top. In the US they are referred to as 'Gondola Cars'
  

• Bulk Carriers or Hopper Wagons
  

  
  Similar to the open wagon, these units have doors on the bottom that can be opened to quickly unload them. Open top wagons are used for durable items such as coal and iron ore. Closed top versions are available for products that could be damaged by the elements (rain and snow) such as chemicals and pharmaceutical products. They are called Hopper Cars in the US
  

• Tanker Wagon
  

  
  Designed to carry either bulk liquid or gas these large 'tankers on rails' are often the cause of most concern if there is an incident such as a derailment. Explosive or hazardous material may be released, causing an evacuation of the area.
  

• Goods Van, also known as a Goods Wagon, or sometimes Box Wagon
  

  
  These are fully enclosed and are accessed by a door in the centre of each side. They can carry a variety of boxed items, not unlike a moving van. During the Great Depression in the US these were the preferred accommodation for people 'riding the rails' without a ticket, commonly known as hobos. In the United States they are simply known as 'Box Cars'
  

• Refrigerator Wagon
  

  
  Similar to goods van they carry their own refrigeration units and are used to carry perishable items like milk and meat. They are known in the US as a 'Reefer Car'
  

• Livestock Wagons
  

  
  These are also similar to a goods van, but the sides are constructed from boards with a large gap between them to allow fresh air to the animals. Horse boxes and cattle wagons (for prized animals) are normally carried as part of the regular passenger service, or formed their own special train.
  

  
  It is an unfortunate chapter of history that many people were transported in Livestock Wagons to the detention camps in Nazi Germany, and Poland, during the Second World War.
  

• Car Transport Carrier
  

  
  These railway units are designed to transport automobiles. either new or belonging to passengers. The American equivalent of 'Car Carrier Car' sounds a bit redundant.
  

• Piggy Back Wagon.
  

  
  Similar to flat cars, they are designed to carry self contained boxes that can be transferred from train to lorry, or an ocean going ship without ever disturbing its contents. You can load a container in almost any part of the world and ship it, with its contents, to almost any other part of the world. The container will arrive without having ever having been opened, except possibly by a customs inspector. In the US they are known as 'Container Cars' which carry only the freight box and not the lorry wheels.
  

• The Caboose
  

  
  Traditionally the last car in an American Freight train, the caboose offers not only easy access to an additional braking position, but sleeping quarters for the off-duty crew and a small office space for the conductors paperwork. The caboose is sometime carried in the centre of a long train so an observer can watch for problems such as smoke from an over-heated wheel bearing.
  

• The Brake Van
  

  
  Similar to the American Caboose, the primary function of the British brake van is to provide additional control of the train.
  

Passenger Service

Railway passenger service was the most popular form of long distance travel prior to the Second World War. After the war commercial aviation took control of much of this market. Commuter rail service near large cities, Metropolitan light rail and discount service, such as the Euro-Rail Pass remain popular.

Passenger coaches are available in a wide array of styles. From the early 19th century wooden coaches, the 'Art Deco – Stream-Line Modern' trains of the 1930's to the modern 'Bullet Train', the choices are almost endless. We shall only attempt to identify a few here.

Running Stock that Also Serves the Function of Rolling Stock

Many passenger coaches in commuter service are self contained units with the controls and drive engines mounted in the coach itself.

• 
  The 'Budd' Car
  

  
  Probably one of the first self contained units . the American 'Bud Car'² is a direct drive diesel unit containing both the engines and passenger seating space in a single unit.
  

• 
  Diesel Multiple Units
  

  
  These units have a conventional Diesel engine cab, attached to a passenger coach area in a single unit. A variety of conventional carriages are often added, with another power unit, facing in the opposite direction, at the far end. When it becomes necessary for the train to change direction the control is simply switched from one end to the other.
  

• 
  Electric Multiple Units
  

  
  This is the universal type of unit used on the Tube and other underground railways. a series of carriages, each with self contained power are formed into a train. When the train reaches to last station on a run the engine driver simply moves from one end of the train to the other and transfers control to their new position.
  

Passenger Rolling Stock

Here are a selection of the most common Passenger Coaches, there are many other types that are available.

• Compartment Passenger Coaches
  

  
  These coaches have small compartments for about six passengers each. They are accessed by individual doors, the passengers must remain inside their compartment until the station platform is reached. The design of these coaches was based on the horse drawn coaches that they replaced.
  

• Open Passenger Coaches
  

  
  These are the basic coaches that offer only seating for the passengers. They have been in use, in one form or another, from the earliest days of the railway. They have a vestibule at each end and a central corridor to access the rows of bench seats.
  

• Corridor Passenger Coaches
  

  
  These coaches have small compartments along one side of the train with a corridor on the the opposite side. most compartments are intended for ten passengers, five on each side. The common 'One Hundred Passenger Carriage' in Britain has ten compartments.
  

  
  Some 'Corridor Coaches' also have doors along their full length allowing passengers to enter their compartment directly from the platform, while others must be accessed by the vestibule at each end of the coach. The corridor allows access to each compartment while the train is in motion.
  

• Baggage Coaches
  

  
  While similar to Goods Vans, these coaches carry the excess baggage of the passengers that will not be needed until they reach their destination.
  

• Combination Coaches
  

  
  These coaches are divided into a section for the passengers, and a separate area for their excess baggage.
  

  
  In the United Kingdom they are known as 'Brake Coaches' and are fitted with a manual brake and a guard to operate it. Each section of the train that may be separated from the others will have its own Brake Coach. The Manual brake will be set to keep the section secure until it has been attached to another train.
  

• Diner Coaches
  

  
  This is a special class of carriage that contains not only a dining room, but a full kitchen and wait staff. Meals are usually prepared and served to the passengers, for a fee, several times a day.
  

• Sleeper Coaches
  

  
  These usually supply a pair of passengers a private compartment in the daytime that can be converted by a steward for the night into a pair of bunk beds. The most common Sleeper coaches in the US are the 'Pullman Cars' created in the 1860's by George Pullman. It used to be a custom to call all stewards 'George' in his honour (this was probably a bit racist in the southern US).
  

  
  Other more basic sleeper carriages have a row of bunk beds along each side of the corridor, each with its own privacy curtain.
  

• The Mail Coach
  

  
  A specialized coach, not normally available to the regular passenger, these coaches were a 'Post Office on Wheels'. While the train travelled from station to station, mail clerks sorted the mail into bags that would be left for delivery at the up coming stations.
  

  
  One the features offered by 'Hornby'(a large UK model manufacturer) was a mail coach that could 'automatically' pick up and drop of bags of mail.
  

• Vista Dome Coaches
  

  
  These coaches offer an upper deck with a large glass enclosure. They offer an excellent viewing position especially when travailing through mountains where much of the scenery is above track level.
  

• Observation Coaches
  

  
  Intended to be the last unit of a passenger train, the rear vestibule is replaced by wrap-around windows, allowing an excellent view of the landscape behind the train.
  

Special Trains

There are also several special classes of trains that have earned their own world wide reputation. As with any international discussion there are bound to be those who disagree with these selections.

Conclusion

We hope this has given you a few ideas for the theme of your model railway and a better understanding of the various types and variety of products available.