Thanks.
I can’t seem to find a glossary page that includes this for some reason.
LION is not sure what you mean.
A Scheduled train appears in the timetable.
An Extra train does not appear in the timetable. Most freight trains today run as Extras, As far as I know, only Amtrak runs on a schedule out here. Naturally all commuter and transit trains run on schedules.
A SPECIAL train would of course be running extra, these may occur on the day prior to holidays, especially Jewish holidays where people need to be home before sunset. A Special train might be the Santa Claus Special, it might be the Autum Leaves Special. Special trains run between New Haven and the Meadowlands for football games. LIRR used to run special trains for tours on a fairly regular basis. If you charter a train for your group it would be a special, there are still many railfan specials. New York Transit Muesum runs specials once in a while.
The ARMY might run a special train with nuclear weapons on it. Or the department of Energy might run a train with nuclear waste on it. Special moves of this sort require special attention above and beyond just scheduling. There may be route and speed restricitions, They may require special accommodations for load crews supervising the movement. Many overside loads have a minder supplied by the shipper whose only business is the care of the lading.
MOW trains are not considered to be special trains, though many do receive special handling.
On the LIRR the “Cannonball” runs east every summer friday at 4 PM. There is no reciprical service heading west. Passengers returning to the city on Monday just ride regular scheduled trains. I do not know what they do with all of those extra Cannonballs once they get to Montauk. Maybe that is why the island is sinking.
ROAR
Aha…I see what you mean. I think I meant “extra” and that is why I could not see the term come up in glossary or lists of train categories. Neverthless, there are those like The Orange Blossom Special which were, as you say, extras with the word added.
The “Orange Blossom Special” is probably just a regularly scheduled train, the word special there probably refers to a prefered level of passenger service. The fact that a train is a passenger train usually give it priority service over other trains. Used to be called Class 1 Trains.
If on the other hand it ran only for the Orange Bowl, then it would be a special in this context.
A special might also be a train that is not running on a regular track. Rail Fans might charter a trip, (that would make it a special anyway) and request that they visit routes no longer served by passenger trains. Not only is it an extra, but it is also a special movement.
ROAR
Orange Blossom Special only ran in the winter, which is probably enough to have got it a “special” tag. Or they just wanted to call it “special.” The Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited aren’t exactly “limited” trains, but Amtrak still uses the name.
A real specific answer depends on the era.
A general answer is an extra is a train that is not part of the normal plan of trains.
There are two types of schedules, a timetable schedulae and a trainsportation plan schedule. The two are different and have different purposes. The timetable addresses how trains are authorized to operate and the trainsportation plan addresses the service the railroad provides.
Any train that is in addition to either of those plans is an extra. If you are operating in a TT&TO era operation (pre-1985) then any train that does not have a schedule in the employee timetable would be operated as an extra train with regard to the main track authority, regardless of the transportation plan.
Within the transportation plan, any train that was operated in addition to the plan would be an extra, regardless of its main track authority.
It is possible to run a “regular” train on a service schedule and it be an extra from an operating rules standpoint. Every day the MP operated the HL/HONL/MHONL (different names at different times). It ran at the same time every day and operated every day. From a service standpoint it was a regular train. Its performance was measured and the railroad tried to operate it on time. However it was not listed in the timetable so it was always operated as an extra.
Since about 1985-1990, timetable schedule operation has not been used on American freight roads. The only schedules are service or transportation plan schedules. Since there are no regular trains there are no “extras” from an operationg standpoint. Trains today are addressed as an engine number and direction on authorities (as in UP 1234 West instead of Extra UP 1234 West).
Normally a “special” is a train that has some unique operating characteristics. When part of a passenger train name, its basically a marketing strategy to make
“Special” is a fancy term for extra movements.Most if not all railroad business trains has a number like NS 951.All trains has a assigned number series even a lowly work train or a high and wide move.
Back in the day “Special” was attached to some passenger trains as a sales gimmick while the ETT would call it (say) #17.Oddly the public time tables would call it (say) Train 17 “The Great Lakes Special.”
The station announcer would broadcast “Train 17 “The Great Lakes Special” now boarding on track 12”. All Aboard Please!
Back in the day a train displaying white flags or white markers was a extra-Extra 1244 West. 1244 would be the engine number.
Timetable operations were discontinued from most railways 30 years ago, so there is no such concept as an regular or extra anymore in that sense.