B
W y e oh W h i l e m o st el e c t r i c a n d d i es e l - e l e c t r i c l o co m o t i ve s d o n ’t ca re w h et h e r t h ey ’re co m i n g o r go i n g , t h e re co m e s a t i m e w h en i t i s n ec es s a r y to t u r n yo u r t ra i n a ro u n d . W h et h e r i t b e a ste a m e n g i n e m ov i n g f ro m o n e en d o f a l i n e o f ca rs to t h e o t h e r, a st re a m l i n e d o r d i re c t i o n a l p a s s e n ge r t ra i n , o r even a s p e c i a l i zed p i ec e o f ro l l i n g sto c k , ra i l ro a d co m p a n i es i n t h e re a l wo r l d d o n o t h ave t h e l u xu r y o f t h e H a n d o f G o d to p i c k u p a n d t u r n t h e i r e q u i p m ent 1 8 0 d e g ree s . O n e way o f t u r n i n g e q u i p m ent i s t h e ra i l ro a d “ w ye”, o r t r i a n g u l a r j u n c t i o n . A w ye i s a t r i a n g u l a r a r ra n ge m e nt o f t ra c ks w i t h p o i nt s o r sw i tc h e s at ea c h co r n er, w h i c h a l l ows a l o co m o t i ve o r w h o l e t ra i n t h e a b i l i t y to p er fo r m a t h re e p o i nt t u r n . Wye s a re a l s o u s ed a s , a n d p ro b a b l y o r i g i n ate f ro m , a n i nte rs e c t i o n o f t h re e d i ffe re nt ra i l l i n es . Wye s o ffe r t h e b en ef i t s o f b ei n g s i m p l e r to co n st r u c t a n d h av i n g a l a rger ca p a c i t y t h a n a t u r nta b l e , w i t h p o te nt i a l l y l es s l a n d n e ed e d t h a n a balloon loop. M y f i rst ex p o s u re to a ra i l ro a d w ye wa s at t h e Texa s S tate R a i l ro a d ’s Pa l e st i n e d ep o t , w h e re t h ey h ave m a d e m ax i m u m u s e o f s p a c e a n d f u n c t i o n .
“Illegal Wye”
32