Glossary of North American Railway Terms - A

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• ACe: Nickname for EMD's SD70ACe locomotive.

• ALCOhaulic: Nickname for the DH643 diesel-hydraulic locomotive built by American Locomotive Company (ALCO). Also a nickname for railfans who are "addicted" to ALCO locomotives.

• Alligator: ALCO RSD-15 locomotive, so named for its long, low nose.

• Amcan: An Amfleet passenger car; the car shape is a rounded stainless steel tube.

• Armchair railfan: Someone who only railfans indoors (i.e. sitting in an armchair and listening to the railroad band on a radio scanner).

• Amshack: A small shelter that serves as a train station for Amtrak trains in a small town. There are normally no manned services offered at these small stations.

• AAR: The Association of American Railroads.