A hot train is a high priority, urgent, and very important train. If the dispatcher tells you to get in the siding as fast as possible because "you're meeting the hottest train on the railroad," then you had better get in the siding quick! That means the train you are meeting is extremely high priority, and it is not supposed to slow down for anything besides a new crew. A hot train is supposed to be kept moving as much as possible.
Another meaning for hot is fast. If you notice an engineer is going 76 mph where the track speed is only 50 mph, you might say to him, "We're running a little hot, don't you think?" Depending on his attitude, he might slow down, or he might tell you he is not in fact speeding, but actually having a controlled runaway. A train that is moving faster than it should be for the given circumstances can be described as hot. This also describes a train that is well below track speed, but trying to make a stop. For example, if you are on a loaded coal train, a mile from where the train needs to stop, and you notice the engineer is still going 50 mph, you might ask him if he is running a little hot, and remind him of the stop.
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