Trams and Changing Routes

[Masbroughlad]

Obviously railways have signalboxes to set points and routes. How do teams do it?

Just been on a tram on Munich and it did a circle of a junction to let another past.

So who sets the route? How is it set? Some lines are intensively worked and I am intrigued! (apologies in advance if I am being dim!)

As an aside, it was the lovely Christmas tram in Munich

 

[gordonthemoron]

some of the turn backs in Munich have a manual set out points which the tram driver as a long metal pole to operate

 

[507 001]

IIRC some were electro-magnetically controlled by the return current from the tram, so, if the tram powered through a set of points they would be set one way, and if they coasted the other way!

 

[CallySleeper]

Can't really speak for elsewhere (although can't imagine its much different) but on NET, in the drivers cab there are two buttons: 'points left' and 'points right'. If you are approaching a facing junction, you press the button corresponding to the direction you would like to take. The points are moved accordingly and this is confirmed by the signal in approach.

 

[eastwestdivide]

I was on the Belgian Kusttram, where they have alternate routes available if a lift bridge is up near Zeebrugge, and the driver hopped out with a pole to change the route. I think the far end of the alternate route, it was a sprung trailing point that the tram just ran through, but I couldn't swear to it.

 

[starrymarkb]

I've seen the pole being used for manual changes in Leipzig, also a lot of the points there seemed to be on timers (though they won't change with a tram crossing)

 

[Jeni]

It seems fairly common for a Metrolink driver to have to manually chance points in Piccadilly Gardens late evening, the whole process seems to take about 5 minutes given it never works first time.

Does anyone know the reason it happens? They seem to operate automatically in the daytime.

 

[lupol]

The only time a Metrolink driver has to manually change the points in Piccadilly Gardens is when there is a problem such as no detection. Usually leaves or drink cans prevent the blades from moving so the driver has to use the points bar to clear the gunk out and then move the points over.