Would there ever be a situation where double tracks on a curve would exist but have restrictions to one train through the curve at a time because they were to close together? Question # two is how close to a turnout can a train or rolling stock be parked? Thanks.
Brent
Reasonably common with very wide or very long loads (for example a windmill blade is very narrow but 150 ft long, so on a curve it may effectively be over 14 ft wide), normally handled in special trains.
Very, very, very uncommon with normal operations.
You can park a car right on top of it if you want. It just means you can’t get by on any of the tracks.
If you are asking about where the clearance point is, it depends on the track spacing and size of the switch. If you go to the UP’s website, customers, industrial park design page they have tons of design specifications (enough to build an industrial park).
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/operations/specs/track/index.shtml
So the answer would be 13 ft of separation + 50 ft of track.
If you are asking where should a train stop on a siding, that varies by road and era, but its typically in the 400-500 ft from the clearance point or signal. So if you are wanting to be prototypical, you would need the switch, the turnout distance to reach the clearance point and then 400 ft on each end of the track. So from points to points on a siding with #8 switches on each end designed to hold a 15 foot long train, you would need a space about 28 ft long.
Would there ever be a situation where double tracks on a curve would exist but have restrictions to one train through the curve at a time because they were to close together?
Only with high and wide load special movements.The high and wide usually waits till any opposing train clears the curve.
how close to a turnout can a train or rolling stock be parked? Thanks.
That varies from road to road but,is usually 1 car length.
As far as stoping at signals there doesn’t seem to be any set guide lines that I am aware of.Of course the rear of your train must be beyond the fouling point.
Most engineers I worked with would stop 1-2 car lenghts from the signal…However,some would stop just short of the signal.