Re: Its actually called "Two Main Track"
Author: Mistertower
Date: 07-16-2011 - 16:51
Thanks for bringing this up BLE692. Many railfans don't or are not familiar with operating rules, so yeah to them "double track" means "double the amount of track" or "2 Tracks". Most can't picture things in their minds. When I was in rules class when I started my career 21 years ago, the instructor I had (his named withheld per his request since he is long retired) would have us read the rule and then he would describe it in such a way using common sense. He said that a main track that is by itself, well you can go both direction on it can't you. We said yes. He then said to add another one beside it, but signal the first track for movement in one direction and the one beside it in the opposite direction, under regular rules, what do you have? One person, (no, it wasn't me) answered, that under rules without exception, you could only go one direction on the one track, and the opposite direction on the other track. He answered that it was correct, so you have a set of tracks, but normally (this is where the term "Current of Traffic" came into play) can only go one way on one, the opposite on the other, so essentially what you have is a single track that is spread out into two, this is where "Double Track" term comes into play. In "Multiple Main Track" territory, each track, under normal rules is signaled for movement in both directions, henceforth, the term. If you use commom sense, you have a bunch of single tracks side by side with each other. Are you all still with me?