What is tangent Track????????

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I was wonderin what it was??

2

Straight

3

[(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]

4

But it could be curved in the vertical direction, thus setting up a good paradox…

5

Its kinda like a mix between an orange track and a grapefruit track…only no seeds…

6

Actually straight track that was once “S” curved[:o)][:p][:)]

7

…Without curves. And from memory, the longest one in our 48 is down somewhere…I believe in S C of about 70 some miles. {Just checked}, and seems to be about 79 miles.

8

The longest tangent in the US is on the CSX (former SAL) line inland from Wilmington, NC. IIRC it’s 78+ (almost 79) miles long. If you’ve been on I-95 through Lumberton, NC you went over it on an overpass. SAL’s many long straight stretches are the reason for the “Air Line” (another term for straight track) in the RR name.

Another of the top ten longest stretches of straight track in the nation is on CSX, the ex-ACL from Waycross to Kinderlou (just west of Valdosta), GA; distance is 60+ miles

9

Don’t forget the IC edgewood cutoff from Edgewood Ill to Metropolis Ill home of Superman.
Dave

10

…Guess I’ve been over it then as we’ve been all the way down I-95. Longest in Australia is about 300…297 I believe it’s counted…That’s a long straight.

11

Are you sure you’re not thinking of a tangerine track?[:D]

12

Tan-gent track is straight track…

…as opposed to a tan-lady track, which has curves in all the right places!

13

Thats the one!

Ed[:D]

14

Would that be the pink or white varity of grapegruit?[:o)]

15

After it’s been on the track for a while, try black.

16

Isn’t there a 72 mile tangent on the Golden state route also?

17

Yep. Between Dalhart, TX and Guymon, OK is the second longest stretch of tangent track on the ex-Rock Island Golden State Route.

18

I believe the old Monon line south out of Michigan City, Indiana, ranked pretty high on the list, but much of that is gone now.

(Nobody’s ogling my tan gents and ladies?)

19

BC - we have discussed our family humor before…

We musn’t quit our day jobs!

SJ

20

Well-I can top all of those 70+/- miles of tangent track. Go to Australia and the transcontinental line to Perth has a 479 mile tangent in the Nooribar desert. Have not been there, but would like to ride it some time. It is reported that every couple of minutes a buzzer goes off in the cab. If the engineer does not acknowledge it (railway hypnosis?) the train is put into emergency. Nice thing about Australian railways is that they use real knuckle couplers-none of the link and pins with thumb tacks on the end of the car.