Portal:Trains/Featured picture/Week 42, 2005

Track and semaphores

Rail tracks and mechanical semaphore signals in the background.

Rail tracks are used on railways, which, together with railroad switches (points), guide trains without the need for steering. Tracks consist of two parallel steel rails, which are laid upon sleepers (or cross ties) embedded in ballast to form the railroad track. The rail is fastened to the sleepers with rail spikes for wooden sleepers or Pandrol clips for cement or concrete sleepers.

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