Bad Faith: Dishonesty or fraud in a transaction, such as entering into
an agreement with no intention of ever living up to its terms or knowingly
misrepresenting the quality of something that is being bought or sold.
Banking Locomotive: A locomotive used to assist trains over a section of
line incorporating a long or steep 'bank' or grade. Many banks had
permanent allocations of 'banking engines' or 'bankers', which were attached to
the rear of heavy trains which stopped specially to pick them up. At the
end of the section where assistance was required, the banking engine would drop
off without stopping the train and later return to the bottom of the bank to
assist another train. In US known as 'helpers'.
Bare Boat Charter: A charter in which the bare ship is chartered without
crew; the charterer, for a stipulated sum taking over the vessel for a stated
period of time, with a minimum of restrictions; the charterer appoints the
master and the crew and pays all running expenses. See Demise Charter.
Barge: Flat-bottomed boat designed to carry cargo on inland waterways,
usually without engines or crew accommodations. Barges can be lashed together
and either pushed or pulled by tugs, carrying cargo of 60,000 tons or more.
Small barges for carrying cargo between ship and shore are known as lighters.
Bell Locomotive: Locomotives in the US are required to carry a bell
which is sounded as a warning when the train is moving within station
limits. On many locomotives, these are automatically operated. The bell
was first required by a law passed in the State of Massachusetts in 1835.
Not used in the UK where, unlike many other countries, railways are fenced.
Belpaire Boiler: A design of boilder first developed by Alfred Belpaire,
a Belgian locomotive engineer, in 1860, with an improved design in appearing in
1864. This later design consisted of a firebox with a flat top which
allowed the use of vertical and horizontal stays. The type first appeared
in the UK in 1891 and was standardised on the Great Western Railway from the
early 1900s. It was still in use for new locomotives during the 1950s.
Bench Trial: A trial without a jury. The judge rules on facts and
evidence presented to him.
Bifurcation: Splitting a trial into two parts: a liability phase and a
penalty phase. In some cases, a new jury may be empanelled to deliberate for the
penalty phase.
Binder: An outline of the basic terms of a proposed sales contract
between a buyer and a seller.
Bissel Truck: A two-wheeled truck designed to allow radial movement,
where the pivot point was in rear of the axle. Usually fitted at the
leading end of a locomotive. It first appeared in the US in 1858.
Blind Spot: Areas around a commercial vehicle which are not visible to
the driver either through the windshield, side windows or mirrors.
Boat: An open vessel, usually small and without decks, intended for use
in sheltered water.
Bogie Locomotive: A steam locomotive with a 4-wheeled truck (or bogie)
provided as part of the wheel arrangement.
Boiler: The enclosure on a locomotive where steam is produced. The
boiler must be filled with water almost to the top. When the water boils,
the steam it generates forms in the space between the top of the water and the
top of the boiler. When enough steam collects, the pressure begins to
build up until it reaches a useful working level. It will continue to
build up until the maximum pressure is reached. This can be anything
between 150 pounds per square inch (psi) and 300 psi, depending on the age and
type of locomotive. To get a locomotive boiler up to working pressure from
cold takes several hours.
Booster: A secondary steam engine provided on a locomotive's trailing
axle or tender
to assist with train starting. As a result of the fact that a boiler's
maximum capacity for steam generation is normally only tested when a train is
running at top speed or working up a long steep gradient, extra steam is
available at starting. To assist with starting a heavy train, some
locomotives were provided with boosters.
Bow: The forward part of the hull on a boat, specifically, from the
point where the sides curve inward to the stem.
Bower: One of the principal anchors of a vessel permanently attached to
a cable or chain and stowed ready for immediate use.
Brief: A written document that outlines a party's legal arguments in a
case.
Burden Of Proof: The obligation of one party in a suit to prove all the
requirements necessary to show entitlement to recovery. If the burden is not
met, the party with the burden will lose the issue or the case.
Buy-Sell Agreement: An agreement among business partners that specifies
how shares in the business are to be transferred in the case of a co-owner's
death.
