railcar

See also: rail car

English

Etymology

From rail +‎ car.

Noun

railcar (plural railcars)

1. (rail transport) A self-propelled railway vehicle for passengers, similar to a bus.

   Synonym: railbus

   • 1941 October, “Notes and News: Great Western Parcels Railcar”, in Railway Magazine, page 474:

     The semi-streamlined contour of the earlier G.W.R. railcars has been given up in favour of a more utilitarian blunt-nose end, and effective floor space gained thereby.

   • 1953 April, “Reviving U.S.A. Passenger Traffic”, in Railway Magazine, page 218:

     Profitable operation is being made possible by the widespread introduction of capacious diesel railcars, which for their comfort and speed are very popular with the travelling public.

2. (rail transport) A powered single railway vehicle designed for passenger transport, with a driver's cab in both ends; Not to be confused with motor coach/motorcar, which is a powered railway vehicle capable to haul a train.
3. (Only in Canada and US) Any unpowered railway vehicle

   Synonym: railroad car

Hypernyms

• rolling stock

Translations

self-propelled railway vehicle similar to a bus

• Danish: skinnebus
• Dutch: railbus
• Finnish: kiskobussi (fi)
• French: autobus sur rails f
• German: Schienenbus
• Italian: autobus su rotaia f
• Macedonian: ши́нобус m (šínobus)
• Norwegian: skinnebuss (bokmål), skjenebuss (nynorsk)
• Polish: szynobus (pl), autobus szynowy m
• Spanish: ferrobús, buscarril
• Swedish: rälsbuss (sv)

powered single railway vehicle with driver's cab at both ends

• Bulgarian: автодрези́на f (avtodrezína)
• Chinese (Mandarin): 自動道車／自动道车, 自动道车 (zìdòng dàochē)
• Danish: motorvogn
• Dutch: motorrijtuig (nl) n
• Estonian: mootorvagun (et)
• Finnish: moottorijuna, moottorivaunu (fi)
• French: automotrice (fr) f
• German: Triebwagen (de)
• Icelandic: dráttarvagn
• Italian: automotrice (it) f
• Norwegian: motorvogn
• Polish: drezyna spalinowa f, wagon silnikowy
• Portuguese: automotriz (pt) f (Brazil), automotora (pt), litorina f
• Romanian: automotor (ro) n
• Russian: автодрези́на (ru) f (avtodrezína), автомотри́са (ru) f (avtomotrísa)
• Spanish: automotor (es) m, coche motor m
• Swedish: motorvagn (sv)
• Ukrainian: автодрези́на (uk) f (avtodrezýna)

railroad car — see railroad car