A condition where a railcar or its cargo extends beyond the standard clearance envelope of a given route. This happens with oversized industrial loads, military equipment, or specialized high-capacity cars. Dispatchers must route these shipments carefully to avoid striking bridges, tunnels, signals, or passing trains.
Heard on the job
We've a dimensional load on the rear that's out of gauge for the tunnel, so you'll need to route them over the bypass.
Insider tip
Crews handling out of gauge loads often operate under strict speed restrictions and daylight-only rules.
Also heard as
- dimensional
- high-wide