In writing about passenger trains serving a small town, I have used the verb "call," as in "#7, The Podunk Limited called at 10 PM." A friend suggests the traditional "arrived at," instead. I used "call" because I think I read it in a Trains or Classic Trains article, and struck me as more authentic, more railroad-esque. Is that true, or is it really affected, instead?
What do you guys think? Any preference? Why?
The whole topic of vocabulary is the sort of thing Andy Sperandeo covers, from time to time, in his Operators column in MR. This might be a worthy topic since so many operating sessions involve radio conversations, even if the era modeled is pre-radio, and most of us would like to get the terminology nailed down, if nothing else than to avoid excessive radio communication.
The fact of stopping may well be termed a "call" although I don't know if I have seen that word in official railroad vocabulary. Ships, of course, have "ports of call" and perhaps the term comes from there. Seems to me a nonspecific word such as "call" is best suited to a discussion of whether a given town has train service, or summarizing what stops a given train makes during its run, than in trying to dispatch or run the trains, where time and a description of time becomes key.
So, one might well say to someone contemplating rail travel that the Podunk Limited calls (meaning, stops) at Chapelle, Villa Rica, Louise Manor, Ellwood Junction and Fillmore. But in actually dispatching the railorad, filling out Form 19s, train sheets and register books, one would want to/need to talk about arrival and departure times at Louise Manor. This is true even at a station (which might not be a depot remember) where they do not stop for passengers.
The vocabulary tends to be the same whether a train arrives at a "station" (not a depot) as in timetable and train order operation -- that at a station where they do not stop for passengers the train might nonetheless be OS'd at that station, presumably departure time, versus a station/depot where they actually stop to pick up or drop off passengers, either as a scheduled stop or flag stop, and have a distinct and different arrival and departure time. Note that many timetables have only one time, because a train cannot leave before its scheduled time but may well arrive before or after that time.
There are rules that refer to time of arrival and time of departure as regards rights of trains, who takes siding, and the like. A term like "call" would not provide enough specifics. If the Podunk Limited "called" at Louise Manor at 7:30 am, would that be telling other trains, or the dispatcher, what to do? is it still there? Departed? Other trains and the dispatcher need to know.
Dave Nelson
Dave, what is the distinction between "station" and "depot"? I've always considered the terms equivalent.
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Paul of Covington Dave, what is the distinction between "station" and "depot"? I've always considered the terms equivalent.
I am uncomfortable even pretending to be authoritative on this -- and welcome any and all other comments -- but a depot is a railraod building or structure for freight or passengers or both. A "station" is a place on the railroad by which time and location can be measured and pronounced, so it has a name not just a mile post number for example. As I understand it a station might be a mere sign, no structures, not even any habitation nearby. A railroad run by timetable rules might well list a time for that station (but of course no stops for freight or passengers) so that other trains, can safely proceed assuming a train does not leave its timetable station before the printed departure time.
A 1967 Chicago & North Western rule book that I happen to have near the computer defines station as "a place designated in the timetable by name."
A practical example, I used to live near "Belton Junction" on the C&NW. If there was ever a depot there, it was long gone. There had been a tower at one time, and that tower was called Belton Jct, and the name lived on -- with a sign -- long after the tower was torn down.
So a timetable could give a time for Belton Junction had there been scheduled trains, and more importantly train orders could direct one train to meet or pass another at Belton Junction, because it was a named place on the railroad.
Not surprisingly a depot structure at a station was commonly called a train station. So the word station does double duty but note that the CNW definition has no reference to a structure at all.
Dave, I have spent the last 24 hours pondering your use of "call" vs "arrived at." and, sorry to say, I'm convinced you're correct. As much as I like "call" you have persuaded me that it works for listing stations, not as a substitute for arrival times.
So after I post this I will turn to my manuscript and get rid of "call." I think you have helped improve my paper and I'm very grateful to you for your kind and thoughtful reply. And I'm grateful to this forum for making it possible to get your clear thinking.
As far as station vs depot, I asked the very same question here just a few months ago and received an education on those words, too!
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