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Turnouts facing and trailing. Note that this diagram is for left-hand traffic; for right-hand traffic, "F" and "T" would be swapped. Facing or trailing are railway turnouts (or 'points' in the UK) in respect to whether they are divergent or convergent. When a train traverses a turnout in a facing direction, it may diverge onto either of the two ...
A right-hand railroad switch with point indicator pointing to right Animated diagram of a right-hand railroad switch. Rail track A divides into two: track B (the straight track) and track C (the diverging track); note that the green line represents direction of travel only, the black lines represent fixed portions of track, and the red lines depict the moving components.
Double junction, or level junction (left hand running). A double junction is a railway junction where a double-track railway splits into two double track lines. Usually, one line is the main line and carries traffic through the junction at normal speed, while the other track is a branch line that carries traffic through the junction at reduced speed.
Guide to Railway History, worldwide (2016) Waggonway Research Circle: The Wollaton Wagonway of 1604. The World's First Overland Railway Archived 2012-02-18 at the Wayback Machine, August 2005; Adams, Cyrus C. (January 1906). "The World's Great Railroad Enterprises: Big Schemes on Every Continent". The World's Work: A History of Our Time.
Nice, David C. Amtrak: The History and Politics of a National Railroad (1998) online edition Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine; Nock, O.S., ed. Encyclopedia of Railways (London, 1977), worldwide coverage, heavily illustrated; Riegel, Robert Edgar. The Story of the Western Railroads 1926 online edition Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback ...
A single tongue trap consists of only one switch rail, leading away from the main line to a short tongue of rail. This is usually placed in the rail farthest from the main line. Double trap points are a full turnout, leading to two tongues. Usually the tongue nearer the main line is longer than the other.
In any given country, rail traffic generally runs to one side of a double-track line, not always the same side as road traffic. Thus in Belgium, China, France (apart from the classic lines of the former German Alsace and Lorraine), Sweden (apart from Malmö and further south), Switzerland, Italy and Portugal for example, the railways use left-hand running, while the roads use right-hand running.
The point machine (in this case an electric motor) and associated mechanism used to operate this switch can be seen to the right in the picture. A point machine (also known as a point motor, switch machine or switch motor) is a device for operating railway turnouts especially at a distance.