Diamonds?

JimBoylan · **Posted:** Thu Oct 22, 2020 9:32 pm

Branford (Connecticut) Electric Rwy Ass'n. - Shore Line Trolley Museum had a new T rail crossing made for them a few years ago.

ted66 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 22, 2020 10:44 pm

Les,
I am not sure if this is what you are looking for but the SF Muni has two diamonds in regular use. One is for the Cable Cars and the other for the Light Rail. Soon there will be a third where the new surface/subway line crossed Market Street.

Ted Miles, SF California

Crescent-Zephyr · **Joined:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:15 pm **Posts:** 1717

San Francisco and New Orleans are the best transportation museums we have in this country!

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Thu Oct 22, 2020 11:43 pm

Ah, yes. Similar to respecting overhead insulators on a trolley, one of the Cable Car lines has to let go and coast across before picking up the cable on the other side.

Phil Mulligan

Rader Sidetrack · **Joined:** Sat Jan 21, 2017 11:43 am **Posts:** 54

CCDW wrote:

In response to the initial question, NSRM, Carson City, NV has two diamonds in regular service. Both new in 2016, built by Harmer, 90 ASCE, both lines in each diamond are on a radius. One is dual gauge in both directions and the other is dual gauge in one direction. These replace the previous diamonds which were showing cracks in the web at the frogs.

I would post an image but my ignorance in computers prevents me from downloading images to RYPN.

Steve Barry has a photo of that "dual gauge in both directions" diamond here:

https://www.railroadphotographer.com/Ra ... /i-dF5HnvX

weekendrailroader · **Joined:** Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:02 am **Posts:** 293

While not on museum tracks, there is a diamond in downtown Portland Oregon where the Max light rail line crosses the Oregon Pacific Railroad. The Oregon Rail Heritage Center is accessed by Oregon Pacific tracks, and as I recall, that Diamond is crossed by steam excursions on the Oregon Pacific, usually powered by the SP 4449 and SP&S 700. Interestingly, the Max light rail line also has a section where it runs in the streets downtown, and it has a diamond with the city's modern streetcar line.

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6469

Rader Sidetrack wrote:

CCDW wrote:

In response to the initial question, NSRM, Carson City, NV has two diamonds in regular service. Both new in 2016, built by Harmer, 90 ASCE, both lines in each diamond are on a radius. One is dual gauge in both directions and the other is dual gauge in one direction. These replace the previous diamonds which were showing cracks in the web at the frogs.

I would post an image but my ignorance in computers prevents me from downloading images to RYPN.

Steve Barry has a photo of that "dual gauge in both directions" diamond here:

https://www.railroadphotographer.com/Ra ... /i-dF5HnvX

Rader Sidetrack -

Amongst Mr. Barry's photos is also a shot of the "dual gauge (diamond) in one direction." Thanks for the link.

Les

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 2949

Here's the new FRA final ruling on flange bearing frogs. Previously they were permitted on Class 2 through 5 track under a waiver, which had to be applied for and documented. They are now permitted, with some restrictions, without requiring a waiver.

Published 10/7/20, full document here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR- ... -18339.pdf

Quote:

Paragraph (a) of § 213.137 prescribes
limits on the flangeway depth of a frog.
These limits effectively prohibit the use
of flange bearing frogs (FBFs) on Classes
2 through 5 track. However, since 2000,
railroads have operated under a waiver
that allowed the installation of FBFs in
crossing diamonds in track Classes 2
through 5, and exempted those
diamonds from the flangeway depth
requirements of paragraph (a), subject to
certain conditions. As discussed in
more detail in section IV.C of the NPRM
(see 84 FR 72530–32), FRA has renewed
the waiver multiple times, and currently
the waiver is set to expire in May 2025.
After careful review of safety
performance under the waiver and
analysis of track-caused derailments, as
noted in the NPRM, FRA has identified
no negative safety implications with the
use of FBFs. As such, in the NPRM, FRA
proposed to modify § 213.137 by adding
paragraph (e) that would allow the use
of FBFs in crossing diamonds in Classes
2 through 5 track consistent with the
conditions of the existing waiver. The
existing waiver limited the installation
of FBFs to locations with crossing
angles above 20 degrees unless
moveable guard rails are used and
generally required track owners to
initially inspect newly installed FBFs
more often than traditional frogs. The
waiver also required track owners to
document certain information about the
location of the installed FBFs (e.g.,
crossing angle, tonnage, speed, direction
and type of traffic), develop
maintenance manuals specific to the
frogs, and properly train all personnel
responsible for inspecting or repairing
any FBF. See proposed paragraphs
(e)(1)–(3).

Diamonds?

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