The term rolling stock in the
rail transport
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
industry refers to
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
vehicle
A vehicle () is a machine designed for self-propulsion, usually to transport people, cargo, or both. The term "vehicle" typically refers to land vehicles such as human-powered land vehicle, human-powered vehicles (e.g. bicycles, tricycles, velo ...
s, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example,
locomotive
A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...
s,
freight
In transportation, cargo refers to goods transported by land, water or air, while freight refers to its conveyance. In economics, freight refers to goods transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. The term cargo is also used in ...
and
passenger cars (or coaches), and
non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles can be un-powered, or self-propelled,
single or
multiple units.
In North America, Australia and other countries, the term consist ( ) is used to refer to the rolling stock comprising a train, a list containing specific information for each car of a train, or a group of locomotives.
In the United States, the term ''rolling stock'' has been expanded from the older broadly defined "trains" to include wheeled vehicles used by businesses on roadways.
The word ''stock'' in the term is used in a sense of
inventory
Inventory (British English) or stock (American English) is a quantity of the goods and materials that a business holds for the ultimate goal of resale, production or utilisation.
Inventory management is a discipline primarily about specifying ...
. Rolling stock is considered to be a
liquid asset, or close to it, since the value of the vehicle can be readily estimated and then shipped to the buyer without much cost or delay.
The term contrasts with fixed stock (
infrastructure
Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and pri ...
), which is a collective term for the
track,
signals,
stations, other buildings, electric wires, etc., necessary to operate a railway.
Manufacturers
A large number of companies and government agencies in many countries, past and present, have built rolling stock. The
list of rolling stock manufacturers covers many of the largest ones.
Gallery
Rangierbahnhof Seelze Juni.jpg , Variety of rolling stock in rail yard
Frisco and the Zephyr.jpg, Steam
Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...
and diesel locomotives
A locomotive is a rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for longer and heavier freight train ...
Locomotive40-0442-0sncfr.jpg, Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a Battery (electricity), battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime mover (locomotive), ...
DR1A Vilnius.jpg, Diesel multiple unit (DMU)
SBB RABe 523 FLIRT der Zuger S-Bahn.jpg, Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...
(EMU)
840 010 Tanvald 1.jpg, Articulated diesel railcar
Carrozzaz1.jpg, Passenger cars, also called carriages or coaches
Hopper cars.jpg, Hopper car, one of many types of revenue freight cars
DTTX 724681 20050529 IL Rochelle.jpg, Articulated well cars with intermodal container
An intermodal container, often called a shipping container, or a freight container, (or simply "container") is a large metal crate designed and built for intermodal freight transport, meaning these containers can be used across different Mode ...
s
Hbills310und311-in-Crailsheim.jpg, European covered goods wagons
See also
*
Goods wagon
Goods wagons or freight wagons (North America: freight cars), also known as goods carriages, goods trucks, freight carriages or freight trucks, are unpowered railway vehicles that are used for the transportation of cargo. A variety of wagon types ...
*
List of rolling stock manufacturers
*
List of railway vehicles
*
Railroad car
A railroad car, railcar (American English, American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and International Union of Railways, UIC), also called a tra ...
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Rail transport