Examples by country or region Wye (rail)

1 examples country or region

1.1 united kingdom
1.2 ireland
1.3 north america
1.4 oceania
1.5 europe
1.6 africa

examples country or region
united kingdom

modified triangle @ grantham

in britain triangular layouts used turning locomotives result of junctions of 2 or more lines. there many examples, including 1 known maindee triangle in newport, south wales. here ex-gwr south wales mainline london swansea joined gwr line shrewsbury via hereford. significance of steam-hauled trains can run newport , engines turned using triangle. national grid location grid reference st316887. shrewsbury has triangular route formation used turn steam locomotives, , still available. triangle, grid reference sh294789, provided in 1989 adjacent transfer sidings wylfa nuclear power station, near valley on anglesey in wales. enables north wales coast line used steam hauled excursions. turntable @ holyhead has long been removed , area re-developed , sidings @ valley 4 miles (6.4 km) terminus nearest suitable site.

an unusual arrangement, unique in britain, constructed @ grantham. location grid reference sk914349 , shown on 1963 edition of os 1 inch 1 mile sheet 113. built in 1950s after turntable @ locomotive shed failed , expenditure on replacement no longer justified. locomotives requiring turned had travel barkston junction traverse triangular layout there (this mallard dynamometer car attached turned before starting out south on record-breaking run on 3 july 1938). journey barkston junction , time consuming business involving round trip of 8 miles (13 km) along busy east coast main line. authority given construct turning arrangement on strip of spare land west of main line, south of grantham station. there insufficient space conventional triangle overcome constructing inside-out triangle whereby approach tracks intersected in scissors crossing.

ireland

in republic of ireland, there 2 triangular junctions in use. 1 @ limerick junction, , other @ lavistown, near kilkenny. former allows direct limerick - dublin passenger trains bypass limerick junction station, , used turn steam locomotives on railtours, whilst latter used freight trains running between port of waterford , county mayo avoid having run around in kilkenny station.

in belfast, northern ireland, triangular junction exists @ great victoria street station. used turn locomotives, save occasional steam engine. usually, used enterprise express trains bypass great victoria street , continue on , terminate @ belfast central. commuter trains enter junction 1 direction (e.g. portadown line), stop @ great victoria street, , continue out on other direction towards bangor station. commuter trains on ni railways diesel multiple unit railcars, not need use junction turning method.

the other operational triangular junction in ireland downpatrick loop on downpatrick , county down railway. constructed allow direct belfast - newcastle trains bypass downpatrick station, triangle today forms basis of heritage railway, heritage railway of type in british isles. there 1 station @ each end of triangle , in southernmost corner.

historical triangular junctions in ireland include monkstown/greenisland/bleach green triangle on northern counties committee , bundoran junction on great northern railway. though 2 sides of former still in mainline use, line between monkstown , greenisland has been removed, whilst latter closed altogether in 1957. additionally, great northern s largest locomotive yard @ adelaide never had turntable, using dedicated turning triangle instead.

north america

many north american passenger terminals in large cities had wye tracks allow turning , backing of directional passenger trains onto main line. freight traffic bypass terminal through wye. notable examples include los angeles union station, has double wye, saint paul union depot, , memphis union station.

a typical use stub-end passenger station follows: wye incorporated @ throat rows of tracks converged station. facilitated turning of trains. each arriving train passed wye , came stop. once switches on wye aligned, train reversed, brakeman @ rear of last car regulating speed brake lever upon approach platform , coming complete stop @ end of track, shutting air brakes completely. passengers allowed safely disembark.

meanwhile, locomotives uncoupled train , sent engine terminal serviced next assignment. then, head-end cars uncoupled rest of train , pulled station switcher parcel facility express packages unloaded. departing train reassembled, freshly cleaned , serviced next journey. steam pipe station s steam generator attached train s steam line rear supply heat until locomotives coupled front supply steam.

the train announced boarding list of destinations. switches aligned, train departed main line, rounding opposite leg 1 reversed on upon arrival. train returned place arrived from.

the keddie wye in keddie, california, built western pacific railroad , remarkable engineering feat. 2 sides of wye built on tall trestles , 1 side tunnel bored through solid rock.

the town of wyeville, wisconsin, named after union pacific railway, formerly chicago , north western transportation company wye , crossover nearby.

the southern terminus of amtrak autotrain in sanford, florida, uses wye turn locomotives around trip north. road crosses eastern side of wye allows access inner part of wye rock supply company stands.

oceania

double track triangle, drawn in one-rail style

sefton railway station, sydney lies on 1 corner of triangular junction. triangle junction allows trains branch off in either direction, without need terminate or change end. 1 train day birrong sefton terminate , reverse @ regents park station (in order clean rust off crossover rails). there goods branch chullora, , in future possibility of proposed separate single track freight line. 3 passenger stations @ vertices of triangle have island platforms make convenient change trains. sharp curves of triangle , turnouts on sharp curves restrict train movement speeds between 10 km/h , 50 km/h.

triangular junctions built on victorian railways network both turning of train consists , major junctions. these included:

wodonga – built on junction of cudgewa line turn consists of sydney limited , spirit of progress trains.
ararat
north geelong – built allow trains travel directly between geelong, ballarat or melbourne without using run-around or turntable. used turn trains such demonstration run of spirit of progress.

a triangular junction used turn tramcars on tourist tramway in portland, victoria.

europe

there turning triangle partly tunnelled mountain @ kleine scheidegg @ summit of 800mm gauge wengernalpbahn in bernese oberland, switzerland. kleine scheidegg reached 2 lower termini, lauterbrunnen , grindelwald, located on opposite sides of col. trains descend in direction have arrived , designed accordingly power unit @ lower end , seating angled compensate gradient. therefore have turned @ summit should necessary make through journey. whilst limitations of space dictated triangle had partly constructed in tunnels ensures in winter snow-free , readily available in emergencies.

africa

tsumeb railway station in namibia has 2 triangles. first , smaller 1 turning engines , near station. second , larger 1 bypass dead-end station @ tsumeb trains travelling directly between new extension towards angola , windhoek. direct bypass line can save hour of shunting time, particularly if train longer loops in station.