Years ago when I was a young lad, I heard the term “Shoo fly” or “shoe fly” used when listening in on a conversation with old timer hoggers. Being that I was very young, I felt out of place in asking them what it meant. I assume that it is in reference to a hastily added siding for some specific purpose. Am I correct or am I missing the point? How did the term come to be used? I never hear the term used anymore, and a seach through the database came up empty. Anyone else ever hear the term? Thanks.
It means a quickly laid track around something such as a derailment or mudslide. It is not permanet, but used to keep traffic moving while the line is repaired.
Bert
More loosely, it could be any temporary track (some aren’t constructed so hastily). In our area you’re likely to see three-track shooflies around the site of a new grade separation.
…Another example of the term: When I-69 was constructed through this area the double track of then {I believe it was Penn-Central}, passed perpendicular to the new interstate. The interstate needed to pass under the railroad, so a double track shoo fly was constructed for the railroad to continue while the excavation for the new railroad bridge was dug and the bridge constructed. This shoo fly was in place for quite a few months while all the above was completed and when so, the traffic was then directed over the bridge and the shoo fly removed and the excavation for the interstate continued. The shoo fly of course provided continued use of the rail line while the construction was conpleted.
Back in the '70s, ICG built a two track shoo-fly around an overpass reconstruction in Rantoul, IL. It sure slowed things up for a while, especially since I never saw them run two trains on it at the same time. The highway was total closed and detoured. The shoo-fly itself involved a lot of driven piles.