The British and international English term for a railway freight vehicle. North American railroaders exclusively use the word car for freight equipment, reserving wagon for small maintenance-of-way carts, horse-drawn historic vehicles, or specialized road trailers.
Heard on the job
The manifest says we're picking up a flatcar, but the European manual refers to it as a flat wagon.
Do not mix it up with
- Car: Car is the standard North American term for freight rolling stock, whereas wagon is used in Britain and Europe.