Reading Railway Infrastructure
Why the Outer Rail Can Sit Higher on a Curve
Recognise raised outer rails on a railway curve and distinguish cross-level cant from the line’s uphill or downhill gradient when reading photographs.
RAILWAYS · HISTORY · DISCOVERY
Follow the line. Find the story.
Explore railway history through maps, museum objects and the places that connect them, from Montana to rail networks around the world.
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Notes from the railway archive
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Railway Engineering History
Railway Points and the Frog Guide Wheels Through a Junction
Identify the moving switch rails and crossing area in a railway turnout while keeping museum observation separate from operating equipment.
Railway Engineering
A Railway Loading Gauge Describes Space Around the Train
Track gauge tells you about the rails. Loading gauge asks whether a vehicle and its load fit the route around them.
Locomotive Technology
A Diesel-Electric Locomotive Uses Its Engine to Power a Different Kind of Drive
Follow the energy path through a diesel-electric locomotive, and learn why its diesel engine does not drive the wheels like a car engine.
Steam Locomotive Details
The Motion Outside a Steam Locomotive Helps Time Steam Inside Its Cylinders
Follow a steam locomotive’s valve motion to understand how moving rods help admit and release steam at the right part of the stroke.
Railway History
Rail Joints and Welded Track Leave Different Clues in a Railway Photograph
Rail joints can help you read a historical railway photograph, but they cannot establish a date or track condition on their own.