Consist
The set of locomotives and cars making up a single train, listed in order from the head end to the rear.
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In North American railroad usage, the consist is the specific list of equipment that makes up a train at a given moment — locomotive units up front, then every wagon or car behind them, identified by reporting marks and number, in the order they are coupled. A dispatcher or yardmaster will speak of a train's consist when they need to know exactly what is on the rails between point A and point B, because the consist determines tonnage, length, braking characteristics, and what restrictions apply (hazmat placards, dimensional loads, oversize equipment).
Crews receive a printed or electronic version of the consist at the start of a trip, often called a wheel report or a train list, showing every car's weight, contents, origin, destination, and any special handling notes. The locomotive consist specifically refers just to the power on the head end — for example, "the consist is two ES44ACs and a Dash-9" — and is what railfans most often discuss when reviewing photographs.
Outside North America the same idea exists but the word is used less. British and Australian operators speak of the "formation" or simply the "set" for multiple units, while continental European railways tend to enumerate the wagons in load plans without a single covering term. For railfans, learning to read a consist by eye — recognising horsepower, builder, and reporting marks at a glance — is a core part of the trackside discipline.