page_title: Glossary of rail transport terms
section_title: P
hierarchical_section_title: Glossary of rail transport terms / P
caption_attribution_description: English: Push pole about 12 feet long and having a diamter of 5 inches. They were placed in receptacles called push pole pockets. The pole was placed between the locomotive and the freight car, and used to push the car on or off a siding or to another track. Used between 1870 and the mid 1960s Saskatchewan Railway Museum They were the cause of several accidents. Saskatchewan Railway Museum 1 KILLED, 20 HURT IN JERSEY WRECK; Freight Car Jumps Rails and Rips Sides of Passenger Cars at Stevens. FIRE FOLLOWS COLLISION Edward Lawrence of Bordentown, Brakeman, Crushed Between Freight Car and Coach. special to The New York Times. June 26, 1920, Saturday Page 4, 306 words The push pole is in front of an 1880s box car station with a wooden base, as compared to modern steel base frames
context_page_description: Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term railroad and the international term railway is the most significant difference in rail terminology. There are also others, due to the parallel development of rail transport systems in different parts of the world.
  Various global terms are presented here; where a term has multiple names, this is indicated. The abbreviation "UIC" refers to standard terms adopted by the International Union of Railways in its official publications and thesaurus.
context_section_description: Pacific type
  A steam locomotive with a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement
  Pannier tank
  A tank locomotive where the water tanks are mounted on the boiler in pannier-like fashion
  Pantograph
  An apparatus mounted on the roof of a rail vehicle to allow the collection of electric current from overhead lines
  Paperwork
  As a reason for delays, written instructions conveyed to a train's engineer in which the train must proceed slower than its normal speed. These instructions are either handed to the crew or recited and read back over radio.
  Pennsy
  Abbreviation for the former Pennsylvania Railroad
  Per diem (pronounced by some U.S. railroaders per die-um, not per dee-um)
  A fee paid by a rail company to the owner of a car (or wagon) for the time it spends on the company's property
  An authorized living expense payment for some workers forced away from their home terminal
  Permissive signal
  A block signal whose most restrictive indication is stop and proceed. A permissive signal is identified by the presence of a number plate affixed to the mast or supporting structure. Proceeding beyond a permissive signal at stop is allowed at restricted speed if operating conditions enable a train operator to stop before reaching any train or obstruction.
  Pilot
  A deflective shield affixed to the front of a locomotive to protect its wheels from on-track debris; archaically called a "cowcatcher" See also: Pilot (locomotive)
  An employee qualified on the operating rules and physical characteristics of a certain section of the railroad, assisting a crew member who is not so qualified See also: Railroad engineer
  Pilot engine
  The leading locomotive during a double-heading operation
  An unattached locomotive driven a specified distance in front of a special train
  Pilot man
  Where it is necessary to temporarily work a section of line as single track (for instance if the other track of a double-track line is out of use), a person (the pilot man) acts as the single track token.
  Piston
  The moving component in the cylinder of a steam engine or internal combustion engine that translates into motion the force exerted by pressurised steam or quickly-burning fuel
  Piston travel
  A specified distance that a brake piston may move from its cylinder to the brake rigging. If the travel exceeds or falls short of this distance, the equipment must be set out for repair.
  Pony truck
  A two-wheel truck or bogie at the front of a locomotive
  Porch
  The extended walkway at either end of a U.S. locomotive
  Porter
  An employee who performs or performed (the role has now largely become obsolete) various physical duties, chiefly but not exclusively involving lifting. Various types of porter include:
  A baggage porter assisting with luggage
  An operating porter assisting with safeworking duties
  A station porter assisting with general station duties
  A lad porter being a junior station porter
  Portion working
  The practice of coupling two or more passenger trains together over common sections of their respective routes, but otherwise operating the trains separately
  Position light signal
  A block signal in which the relative position of the lights determines the meaning
  Positive train control (PTC)
  A system of functional requirements for monitoring and controlling train movements with the aim of increasing operational safety
  Possession
  A period of time when one or more tracks are closed for maintenance. For the duration of the work, a person in charge of possession (PICOP) has control of the line. When work is complete the possession is relinquished and control of the line handed back to the signaller.
  Pound
  The weight (and thus the cross section) of a length of rail. A heavier rail can carry heavier loads with less distortion and less damage to the rails themselves and the roadbed.
  Power
  A locomotive or group of connected (MU'd) locomotives serving as the motive power for a train
  Power braking
  Pulling against the train brakes at the higher end of the locomotive's power output (e.g. notches five through eight on a conventional throttle). This is considered wasteful of fuel and brake shoes, and is therefore disco
caption: A push pole
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