Rairoad Tracks

[Anonymous]

In some places on a Railroad I notice that there is two sets of track.One inside the other,is this done so both narrow gauge and standard gauge trains can use the same road? Or is there some other reason?

                                                                                                                   dlm

[IRONROOSTER]

Dual gauge track usually has just one extra rail, but two could be used.  If these are short sections, they are probably guard rails.  These are used on bridges and sometimes curves to try and contain the wheels of a derailed car.  There is also gantlet track which is used to allow two lines to share one right of way through a narrow tunnel or other obstruction.  Gantlet switches allow the moving switch points to be some distance from where the diverging track actually diverges - this is usually done so the points are not in a road.
Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

Ironrooster, I must compliment you on your terminology.  So many people, even seen it in print, use the word gauntlet (like in 'running the gauntlet') when the right word for interlaced rails is gantlet.  The double tracked South Bend had a narrow bridge with gantlet tracks but must not have had it signalled properly resulting in an accident.  Happened about three years ago.

The New Haven bridge over the Hudson at Poughkeepsie, NY, had gantlet tracks for awhile.

Art