From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Railway layout for steep climbs
Spiral viaduct of the
Bernina Express near Brusio, Switzerland.
A spiral (sometimes called a spiral loop or just loop ) is a technique employed by
railways to ascend steep hills.
A railway spiral rises on a steady curve until it has completed a loop, passing over itself as it gains height, allowing the railway to gain vertical elevation in a relatively short horizontal distance. It is an alternative to a
zig-zag , and avoids the need for the trains to stop and reverse direction while ascending. If the train is longer than the length of each loop it may be possible to view it looping above itself.
[1]
[2]
The term "loop" is also often used for a railway that curves sharply and goes back on itself: if the railway crosses itself, then it forms a spiral or
helix ; otherwise, it forms the much more common
horseshoe curve or bend .
[3]
[4]
List of spirals
Argentina
Australia
Bulgaria
Canada
China
Guanjiao Spiral on
Qinghai–Tibet Railway at night. The route containing the spiral was replaced by
a 32-km long tunnel (at the time of completion the
longest in China) in 2014.
Costa Rica
Replica of the Brusio Spiral Viaduct at
10°28′44″N 84°49′25″W / 10.47900°N 84.82374°W / 10.47900; -84.82374 on the Tren Turistico Arenal , 10 km east of Nuevo Arenal, Guanacaste.
[38]
[39]
Croatia
Eritrea
France
Germany
India
Loop (Agony Point) on the DHR, India
The
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway originally had five or six spirals but only five in operation at any one time. The line also has six reverses or
zig-zags .
[56]
[57]
Iran
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Okoba spiral and
zig zag in
Hisatsu Line , Japan
Spiral loop, west of
Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo, Japan.
Kenya
There are three spirals on the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+ 3 ⁄8 in )
gauge railway line from
Kenya to Uganda . This railway has been superseded by the
Mombasa–Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway , which has removed the need for spirals by constructing tunnels and bridges.
[73]
[74]
[75]
[76]
Madagascar
Mexico
Myanmar
Spiral in
Thazi –
Taunggyi line,
Myanmar
New Zealand
Norway
Peru
Russia
Serbia
Slovakia
South Africa
South Korea
Geumdae 2nd Tunnel in
Jungang Line ,
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Switzerland
Toua spiral tunnel on the
RhB
Albulabahn
Taiwan
Triple spiral loop on the
Alishan Forest Railway
Uganda
United Kingdom
The bridge on the spiral loop at
Dduallt on the
Ffestiniog Railway , Wales.
United States
Tehachapi Loop , on the
Union Pacific Railroad , California, United States, viewed from the air.
1903 view of Riflesight Notch loop, near
Rollins Pass in Colorado
Tehachapi Loop , at
Tehachapi, California at
35°12′03″N 118°32′13″W / 35.200833°N 118.536944°W / 35.200833; -118.536944 on the former
Southern Pacific Railroad, now part of
Union Pacific Railroad .
[116]
[117]
Williams Loop , east of
East Quincy, California at
39°54′36″N 120°48′29″W / 39.910131°N 120.807949°W / 39.910131; -120.807949 on the former
Western Pacific Railroad now part of
Union Pacific Railroad .
[118]
Hiwassee Loop, also known as the Hook and Eye; 2 miles NNE of
Farner, Tennessee at
35°10′53″N 84°17′59″W / 35.181257°N 84.299707°W / 35.181257; -84.299707 on the former
Atlanta, Knoxville and Northern Railway now operated as a
heritage railroad by the
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum , which operates excursion trains from
Etowah, Tennessee to
Copperhill, Tennessee via the loop, as well as trains just to the loop and back from Etowah.
[119]
Georgetown Loop , at
Georgetown, Colorado at
39°42′02″N 105°42′32″W / 39.7005794°N 105.7087871°W / 39.7005794; -105.7087871 on the former
Colorado Central Railroad . The spiral was completed in 1884, abandoned and dismantled in 1939, rebuilt between 1972 and 1984 and is now owned by
History Colorado and operated as the
Georgetown Loop Railroad .
[120]
The
MAX Red Line , a
light rail line in
Portland, Oregon , loops over itself at
45°31′51″N 122°33′49″W / 45.5307°N 122.5636°W / 45.5307; -122.5636 in the vicinity of the
Gateway Transit Center .
[121]
In the Loop District of the
Alaska Railroad at
60°39′36″N 149°02′29″W / 60.660062°N 149.041251°W / 60.660062; -149.041251 between
mileposts 48 and 51 northeast of
Seward, Alaska , there was a spiral and a
horseshoe curve both on an extensive range of timber
trestles up to 106 feet high. Track relocation in 1951 removed all of this but added a new horseshoe at milepost 48.
[122]
Abandoned spiral at Riflesight Notch Loop at
Rollinsville, Colorado at
39°54′00″N 105°42′47″W / 39.9001°N 105.7130°W / 39.9001; -105.7130 on the former
Denver and Salt Lake Railway route over
Rollins Pass . The spiral was bypassed by the
Moffat Tunnel built in 1928, and was dismantled in 1935.
[123]
Abandoned spiral called Double Circle, or Double Loop, or The Golden Circle, at
39°59′07″N 112°02′39″W / 39.985246°N 112.044138°W / 39.985246; -112.044138 east of
Eureka, Utah on the former Tintic branch of the
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad . It was bypassed in 1940 and the branch removed in 1943.
[124]
[125]
[126]
Abandoned spiral on the
Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad at
37°02′33″N 122°03′54″W / 37.0426°N 122.0649°W / 37.0426; -122.0649 . The spiral was completed in 1963. The spiral was bypassed by two
switchbacks after a trestle fire in 1976.
[127]
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External links