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MelbourneCity
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Jan 22, 2003
Last Visited: Nov 29, 2008
Location: Melbourne
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:41 pm
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Do any sections of "gauntlet track" remain operational in Australia?
It is used heavily in Amsterdam on their tramway, and Croydon Tramlink in London's south also uses it.
It is something that perhaps could of been looked at for the RFR Upgrades in Victoria along the Bendigo line. They were worried about clearances in old bridges as well as the effect of air being pressured when two trains passed.
Gauntlet track could of been an option for the bridges and tunnels, allowing double track to be retained for longer sections.
(Don't want to drag out the whole Bendigo Line debate).
I assume only the tunnel under Sydney mentioned on Wikipedia is the only section remaining?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauntlet_track#Australia
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Johnmc
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Location: Cloncurry, Queensland
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:12 pm
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Platform 2 at Roma St is gauntlet track. (NG & SG)
And is it "Gauntlet" or "Gantlet"? I always thought it was the former, and also the source of the expression "run the gauntlet". But i've heard the "u"-less version around, too.
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David Peters
Minister for Railways
Joined: Nov 29, 2005
Last Visited: Nov 27, 2008
Location: In a black Trans Am!
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:19 pm
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Gauntlet track is always four rails, of the same gauge interlaced on the same set of sleepers to allow two way running on a single track bed! Anything other than this is dual gauge track, but interlaced to look like gauntlet track.
Gauntlet is the correct way to spell it, it is the same as a knight's gauntlet! 
National Railway Museum member.
The opinions expressed by my me in these posts is not the opinion of the N.R.M. and should not be construed as such.
Ferroequinologist and Microferroequinologist.
Photosite http://davidpeters950.fotopic.net |
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dalts 1985
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Jul 29, 2003
Last Visited: Nov 30, 2008
Location: Warrnambool by the sea on the Shipwreck Coast of Victoria
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:21 pm
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Melb. also has a short section of gauntlet track... The section of track over the Dudley St Rail Bridge, the gauntlet track starts just after the Nth Melb. Flyover & runs to just past the Dudley St Rail Bridge... This gauntlet track carries the SG Access into Melb. SCS's Platforms 1 & 2 & the Motorail Dock...
"A vote for Labor means no more of Howard's bullsh*t |
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MarkWaller2
Junior Train Controller
Joined: Jul 24, 2007
Last Visited: Dec 1, 2008
Location: Cambridge, England
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Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 2:29 am
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| Johnmc wrote: | | And is it "Gauntlet" or "Gantlet"? I always thought it was the former ... But i've heard the "u"-less version around, too. |
I think either is acceptable, but the 'u'-version is probably more common as it seems to better represent the current pronunciation. This 'a' vs. 'au' spelling variation occurs with other words with the same sound, e.g. "caldron" and "cauldron".
| Johnmc wrote: | | and also the source of the expression "run the gauntlet". |
According to the Wikipedia article, the expression goes back to the Middle Ages; the railway term came from the expression, not the other way round.
I have another couple of examples of gauntlet track from Europe:
- Lisbon tramways run through some very narrow medieval streets, and in some cases the two tracks are gauntletted to fit in the available space.
- the Botzelaer tunnel in Belgium has conventional double track, and also a third track, gauntletted with one of the others but offset towards the centre of the tunnel, to allow for the passage of out-of-gauge loads.
Edited to correct information on etymology
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YM-Mundrabilla
Chief Commissioner
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Location: Finke CAR
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Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 7:27 am
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Aren't sections of Somerton - Upfield gauntleted track?
YM Mundrabilla
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
Reality has been omitted for clarity.
Why is it that there are so many in high places who prefer activity to achievement?
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awsgc24
Minister for Railways
Joined: Feb 18, 2003
Last Visited: Dec 2, 2008
Location: Sydney, NSW
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Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 9:24 am
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| YM-Mundrabilla wrote: | | Aren't sections of Somerton - Upfield gauntleted track? |
The first Como bridge had gauntlet track, also the track in the "tunnel" under Railway Square after electrification.
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dthead
Site Admin
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Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 10:27 am
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| YM-Mundrabilla wrote: | | Aren't sections of Somerton - Upfield gauntleted track? |
I think from Somerton to the Fords plant it was gauntlet track, but of tewo different gauges. The gautlet track begun after the point to the ( EDI / old clyde ??? ) plant.
The track to the cement is duel gauge at the other end of Somerton.
Regards,
David Head
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YM-Mundrabilla
Chief Commissioner
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Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:16 pm
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| dthead wrote: | | YM-Mundrabilla wrote: | | Aren't sections of Somerton - Upfield gauntleted track? |
I think from Somerton to the Fords plant it was gauntlet track, but of tewo different gauges. The gautlet track begun after the point to the ( EDI / old clyde ??? ) plant.
The track to the cement is duel gauge at the other end of Somerton.
Regards,
David Head |
Agreed
YM Mundrabilla
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
Reality has been omitted for clarity.
Why is it that there are so many in high places who prefer activity to achievement?
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wongm
Minister for Railways
Joined: May 26, 2005
Last Visited: Nov 28, 2008
Location: Geelong, Victoria
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Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 4:28 pm
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| dalts 1985 wrote: | | Melb. also has a short section of gauntlet track... The section of track over the Dudley St Rail Bridge, the gauntlet track starts just after the Nth Melb. Flyover & runs to just past the Dudley St Rail Bridge... This gauntlet track carries the SG Access into Melb. SCS's Platforms 1 & 2 & the Motorail Dock... |
Just like this:
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nosecone
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Aug 08, 2004
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wurx
Lithgovian Ambassador-at-Large
Joined: Dec 07, 2003
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Location: the wurxcorral, Corrimal, NSW - official site of the Illawarra's Lithgovian Embassy
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Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:00 pm
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Thanks for springing those ones from the vault, nosecone  I had never before seen such a detailed one of Old Como bridge, with the track still in situ. Had the new bridge been opened for traffic when that pic was taken?
Re the Railway Square tunnel, here's a couple of views facing the opposite way, 35 years on:
The track on my right is the existing one to the Powerhouse Museum (the former Down):
Detail of the gauntlet track.
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nosecone
Chief Commissioner
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Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:19 pm
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| wurx wrote: | | I had never before seen such a detailed one of Old Como bridge, with the track still in situ. Had the new bridge been opened for traffic when that pic was taken? |
The new bridge hadn't opened when that shot was taken. The print is poor but you can just make out that there is no catenary strung on those stanchions.
Thanks for the Railway Square shots. Somebody once suggested that heritage train operators could store a stack of passenger cars in there; maybe 'G' scale? That tunnel now looks a lot shorter than I remember it.
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