There are 3 different ways, actually 4.
This website will show you all of them:
http://www.building-your-model-railroad.…
Just because it says 'model railroad', don't kid yourself, these are 'REAL' and in actual service, all around the world, on practically every single railroad ever built.

In the meantime, I am going to to try to use verbose to describe them, and you will have to use your imagination to 'see' what I am saying. OK?

1) When trains are on the mainline, you'll notice there are usually some that look like they're running backwards.
They are the ones going 'forward' for the return trip.
This is done simply with the use of a 'siding' track that is Parallel to the mainline. Can you see this? This one is easy.

2) "Y" [spelled "wye"] tracks are used in lots of industrial areas, where lots of businesses are on a 'business district' route. This enables the locomotives to manipulate the freight cars for delivery, so when the run is done, the engine can get to the front of a string and bring it back to the freight yard.
Picture the letter 'Y' with a line going across the top points of it, and you can see how the interconnecting tracks allow locomotives to be 'turned around'. Got that? Its a little bit crazy, but makes good sense.

3) Turntables. I see most of these at locomotive maintenance facilities, where the locomotives can be turned around by the service technicians working on them.
Turntables were a big part of the 'Steam Era', but those days have faded into history and very few are around, except as mentioned.

Turntables are easy to imagine.
The 'Y's' are a little harder, and the
'sidings' are the most common.
The 4th one I forgot to mention: "Reverse Loop".

Pretty neat how a railroad operates with all that stuff going here and there. Very complicated and is an extreme case of teamwork on the part of the people that work on the railroad.

1/19/2012 7:43:25 AM

but wouldnt all that be dificult to manipulate in an age with no radios? I mean you'd have to be on an absolutely strict schedule with no mistakes to avoid a disaster

1/19/2012 10:29:49 PM

^^ That's actually pretty nifty, thanks

Bohannon is my Cuckoo clock

1/19/2012 10:39:07 PM

Just started watching this and I think I like it.

I don't understand the comparisons to Deadwood. I tried to watch Deadwood and thought it was horrible, but based on the comments, I'm definitely in the minority.

8/29/2014 9:13:07 AM

I watched all of Deadwood recently and it's probably one of my favorite shows of all time.

I started watching this show shortly after because I was hoping to fill the Western void Deadwood created.

***possible spoilers if you're just starting this show***

I will preface what I'm about to say with the acknowledgement that I am still actively watching this show, so clearly it's doing a decent job of keeping me entertained, BUT...the plots and writing on Hell on Wheels is pretty ridiculous at times. The acting is actually pretty good. I think Anson Mount does a pretty admirable job with the lines written for him, Colm Meaney is great, and even Common is pretty good, as are the Irish brothers. But so much of this show is so over the top it's dumb sometimes. The Swede and the Preacher are terrible, terrible characters that never really get better. The turns this show takes and the decisions made by the characters make no sense half the time, not to mention the fact that Cullen's original purpose all but disappears soon into the show because apparently he becomes infatuated beyond belief with building the railroad.

8/29/2014 9:57:45 AM

I'm digging the production quality.

And yea, I can't get John Marsten out of my head after somebody mentioned the resemblance.

I'm thinking Anson Mount would've made a much better lead on the Walking Dead. At least Anson is from TN.

9/2/2014 4:48:04 PM

Holy God was the plot arc that ended this week stupid and poorly done

With all the other shows that are picking back up it's entirely possible I don't finish the season

9/15/2014 4:01:51 PM

Seriously? I liked it. Sorry to see that character go, but he wanted to focus on other aspects of his career.

Interesting way to send off the character, kept waiting for it to be some kind of ruse to throw off the carpetbaggers.

9/15/2014 4:09:33 PM

who left?

9/15/2014 6:47:09 PM

So basically in order for cullen to prevent Elam from getting shot by the law he kills him himself...oh and did I mention he doesn't shoot him until he has rendered him incapable of fighting back?

I get the underlying subtleties of why and how, but I would have much rather just be satisfied that Elam died fighting a bear while looking for cullen

And looks like we're back with more of the swede next week, who is and has been the dumbest character on the show

9/15/2014 7:38:50 PM

Carpetbaggers were going to kill Elam anyway. Cullen tried as best he knew how to talk Elam down, or short of that beating sense into him and when that didn't work he likely thought it was a mercy killing him cleanly and quickly rather than leave Elam to face the new law in town.

Having Elam back for a couple episodes feeds into the story arc about how much Bohannon is sacrificing on a personal level over the questionable conviction that he has to finish the railroad. In a lot of ways he's starting to remind me a lot of Roland Deschain from Stephen King's Dark Tower series.

I like The Swede, although I like him best when he's butting heads with Bohannon/The Railroad. Hopefully we'll get back to that now that he's involved in the Mormon's railroad efforts.

9/16/2014 8:36:57 AM

The scene where Cullen got the Swede to admit to not being the bishop or whatever was maybe the dumbest thing I've seen on TV in a while

9/16/2014 9:37:33 AM

And yet you continue to watch. Do you have that much extra time on your hands you can watch shows you find to be so terrible?

9/16/2014 10:25:27 AM

If you read my posts you will see that I admit it still has some appeal to me but that appeal is waning

This isn't like I'm coming into a Modern Family thread and shitting on a show just because. I'm watching the show, I'm allowed to express my thoughts on how stupid I might think parts of it are

9/16/2014 11:25:50 AM

Last 2 episodes have been pretty good

9/30/2014 9:19:57 AM