Re: [NSW] Gauntlet Track

[Eddie Oliver <eoliver@efs.mq.edu.au>]

John McCandless wrote:
> 
> <Insert English lesson question>
> I presume this is where we get the phrase "running the gauntlet"?

I wouldn't recommend the English lesson approach. Whenever the subject
of gauntlet tracks appears on overseas rail newsgroups, it seems to
start a month's debate about whether the spelling is gantlet or
gauntlet, and what the relationship is (if any) to gauntlets (as in
gloves) or "running the gauntlet", etc. Try deja news archives if you
are really that keen! (Actually I think there's mention of the subject
on uk.railway at the moment, although I haven't read it.)

To try to produce a general answer to a couple of the questions asked:
The main purpose of gauntlet track (apart from weighbridges) is simply
to enable a double track to go someplace where there is not enough
clearance for normal double track, but without requiring any pointwork.
So granted that this sort of purpose is often needed, gauntlet track is
not all that uncommon around the world, but there were relatively few
examples in Australia.

Eddie Oliver