Wyes and Track Authorities

[High Hood]

So I was wondering if I could get some help here. How exactly does a track authority handle a wye? Is the wye a whole block in itself? Does the block extend beyond all three legs and then become a three separate blocks? Can each leg be a block? I’m confused 

[Missaberoad]

It depends... We have a wye in Wetaskiwin, Alberta that the south leg is the main track (cautionary limits), the west leg is (part of) a passing siding (on a different subdivision), and the North leg is non main track...

I feel every situation would be different. If you have a prototype example you want to know more about, look for a relavent employee timetable for the area/Era...

[jpwisc]

The wyes I’m familiar with are in yards, so they are governed by GCOR 6.28

[High Hood]

I checked the timetable for the local wye. I know around the wye is a point called Queensbury, but the timetable says Queensbury is at MP 216.7, 216.5, and 216.0.

[draskouasshat]

usually, theyre other than main track and are at a speed to stop within half the range of vision.

Drasko

[Englewood]

There's three wyes very close to the yard I work at. I've used all three to turn power around, but we mostly use just one. They're all CTC. Basically each leg of the wye has it's own signal. The wye we use the most has two signals per leg, one to enter the leg and one to exit. That wye is a very busy intersection between two subdivisions.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

There's three wyes very close to the yard I work at. I've used all three to turn power around, but we mostly use just one. They're all CTC. Basically each leg of the wye has it's own signal. The wye we use the most has two signals per leg, one to enter the leg and one to exit. That wye is a very busy intersection between two subdivisions.

Whoa, sounds like the real world equivalent of DARN NTRAK's Diamond Mills!

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[nkalanaga]

The railroad version of a roundabout.  I wonder if there is a prototype, possibly on a traction line somewhere?

I don't see any crossovers.  How do you get to the two inner tracks?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The railroad version of a roundabout.  I wonder if there is a prototype, possibly on a traction line somewhere?

I don't see any crossovers.  How do you get to the two inner tracks?

The drawing wasn't completely accurate. The modules each had, generally, slightly different track arrangements that allowed for different junction behaviors. They were REALLY cool modules.

[cv_acr]

So I was wondering if I could get some help here. How exactly does a track authority handle a wye? Is the wye a whole block in itself? Does the block extend beyond all three legs and then become a three separate blocks? Can each leg be a block? I’m confused 

Is this just a simple stub wye for turning an engine?

The concept of track authorities only applies to main tracks. Usually such a wye would not be main track(s) so would be under rules for "other than main track" where basically anyone can use it but travel at restricted speed able to stop in under half the range of distance.

If the wye is a junction between main routes, it's likely that one leg of the wye is one main track, the second leg is the second main track joining it, and the third leg is probably a non-main track (connecting track). Main track authorities would apply right up to the junction switch.

[nkalanaga]

Ed:  Thank you.  As drawn, the inner tracks don't seem to have much purpose!

[Hawghead]

So I was wondering if I could get some help here. How exactly does a track authority handle a wye? Is the wye a whole block in itself? Does the block extend beyond all three legs and then become a three separate blocks? Can each leg be a block? I’m confused 

As has already been said, authority would depend on if the wye was main track or not.  If main track it would depend on what the main track territory was, ie CTC, ABS, Track warrant control etc.  If the wye was main track I think the most likely way traffic through the wye would be controlled, in other than CTC territory,would be for the wye to be an interlocking.  Any train approaching the wye would have to stop and contact the dispatcher or access a lock box to line the switches and set the signals.

In Portland we have a quadruple wye if you will (Peninsular Jct) .  It's a 90 degree crossing diamond with curves connecting each leg of the diamond, essentially creating four wyes.  Penn Jct. is CTC territory with four control points, one for each route.

I highlighted the different routes (sorry my mouse drawing skills are fairly lacking)
 

[learmoia]

Whoa, sounds like the real world equivalent of DARN NTRAK's Diamond Mills!

(Attachment Link)

It would be more interesting to see the actual track layout of those modules..

As it stands, I don't see any work for 'two busy operators'  the left and right exits and 2 top exits are all Red-Red Blue-Blue.. (Yellow line is wasted unless it is tied into the junction's inner circles)
The bottom 2 exits, are likely Red-Blue-Blue-Red with the ends of those branches circling back on themselves (Red-Blue - Blue-Red) with yellow.. again wasted.. or a reversing loop..

The 'Junction' switches just need to be set based on what each outlet is doing.

Very interesting to watch in action.. but I don't see much 'work' for an operator.

~Ian

[Ed Kapuscinski]

It would be more interesting to see the actual track layout of those modules..

As it stands, I don't see any work for 'two busy operators'  the left and right exits and 2 top exits are all Red-Red Blue-Blue.. (Yellow line is wasted unless it is tied into the junction's inner circles)
The bottom 2 exits, are likely Red-Blue-Blue-Red with the ends of those branches circling back on themselves (Red-Blue - Blue-Red) with yellow.. again wasted.. or a reversing loop..

The 'Junction' switches just need to be set based on what each outlet is doing.

Very interesting to watch in action.. but I don't see much 'work' for an operator.

~Ian

I'm trying to find them. Sadly they were most in use in the pre-digital era.

[learmoia]

I was looking on line too and.. nothing.. I recreated it in CAD, but I cant think of any reason for complexity other than the turnbacks.. and tiring the yellow lines together on a second loop.