My thanks to the University of East London for allowing these pages to be made available on their server. Railway Glossary Railways in general and the UK in particular, with its rich and varied railway history, contains many confusing terms, names and abbreviations, this glossary will hopefully clarify some of them for you. The glossary currently has 967 entries. This section is intended to explain some of the basics of heritage railways and associated matters. Anatomy of a Steam Locomotive A diagram of some of the basic components of a steam locomotive and their functions.
Clickable links call up detailed explanations for most parts.
Steam Locomotive Controls A photograph of a typical GWR locomotive footplate. Clicking on various parts of the picture will display information about the relevant control. How a live steam injector works. Boiler Diagram A diagram of a typical GWR steam locomotive boiler and its associated components. Clickable links call up detailed explanations for most parts.