RAILROAD TERMS AND SLANG - All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide - page 334

spur: Unlike a siding, which is relatively short and is usually par-
allel to a main track, a spur can be of any length and runs off in
another direction. Often spurs are what freight trains use to pro-
vide irregular service to small towns or manufacturing businesses
in the vicinity.
stock car: Railcars used for carrying livestock. They are usually the
same size and shape as standard boxcars, but they have slats on
the sides for much-needed ventilation.
stopping distance: How far the train travels from the time brakes are
applied until it comes to a stop. A 100-car freight train traveling
30 miles per hour could require over a mile to come to a stop.
An Amtrak passenger train traveling at 80 miles per hour has a
stopping distance of about 4,000 feet, or just over three-quarters
of a mile.
Superliners: The bi-level railcars—sleepers, coaches, diners, and
lounge cars—used by Amtrak on its long-distance western trains
and a few eastern ones too.
switch: A moving section of track usually operated by remote con-
trol and used to transfer a train from one track to another.
switching locomotive (also called a switcher): A locomotive used for
moving individual railcars or sections of a train from one track
to another in a station or rail yard.
tank car: A railroad car used for transporting liquids.
terminal (also terminus): More than just a station, this is by definition
an important rail facility where both passengers and freight are