re railway cuttings & junctions

[Rufus63]

Does anyone know of a railway junction that exists in a cutting as per attached diagram?

I'm writing a work of fiction where a junction does exist in a cutting. While a writer can have whatever they want in their own fictional world, I'm wondering about realism.

Visibility won't be good in such a cutting and I don't know enough about the workings of real railways to know whether it could be viable or not.

Fictional railways are built by fictional railway engineers with fictional brains. They won't want to make stupid fictional decisions that create the potential for unnecessary fictional distasters.

On the other hand, signals exist and probably backup systems and protocols in the event of signal failure.

Would it be a completely stupid thing to have a scene in a cutting with a junction like this?

 

[bnsf971]

That's called a Wye, and they are used to turn a train. Many have one leg of the wye only long enough to turn a train, or a locomotive and cut of cars, since that is their reason for being, Some can be at a junction, such as you illustrated.

 

[Rufus63]

That's called a Wye, and they are used to turn a train. Many have one leg of the wye only long enough to turn a train, or a locomotive and cut of cars, since that is their reason for being, Some can be at a junction, such as you illustrated.

Thanks for your reply.

If the Wye exists because the branch line isn't just a siding for turning trains but is an actual branch line carrying rail traffic to a smaller town, then the Wye is not just AT a junction. The Wye actually IS the junction.

What I'm asking is this - is it totally unrealistic to imagine that such a junction could exist inside a cutting.

Below is an example of a cutting.

 

[bcp]

No reason it couldn't be done if that's the only option due to geography.

Not exactly what you are looking for, but look up

Keddie wye


A wye is much more likely to be surrounded by hills, like this:

RD077-064.jpg | Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com

Bruce

 

[Rufus63]

No reason it couldn't be done if that's the only option due to geography.

Not exactly what you are looking for, but look up

Keddie wye


A wye is much more likely to be surrounded by hills, like this:

RD077-064.jpg | Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad

ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com

Bruce

Not exactly what I was looking for but exactly what I need!

A solution so obvious.

If railway engineers can excavate a cutting, they can excavate the middle bit out of the Wye to improve visibility and railway company can lower the approach speed.

Many thanks.

 

[Bret_D]

I seem to recall something like you are describing on the Nevada Northern Railway. It was the 'end of the line' on an excursion run.

You're the writer - you can do whatever you please. Set it on Mars if you want.