For a long time, the few things that could easily move around heavy machinery was trains. So lets say that there’s a train on a track, and its broken down and it either needs repairs, extra parts, or a replacement engine. Right behind it are several other trains, because this is a busy line.
How does a train bringing repair or extra engines deal with this? Its not like they can go right up to the broken down train because there’s other trains in the way. How do they get rid of the broken engine and the other carriages, because they’re on top of the tracks, and there’s no other tracks for them to move onto.
In: Engineering
There will **always** be other tracks for trains to move onto, even if it’s a single line track in some backwater area, there will always be a point where that single line splits onto a double line or a siding, trains can then be diverted and the rescue train can move up to the failed train and tow or push it to a suitable location, depending on the specific issues, track geometries and line usage at that time.
Also, just about every single train built in the last half century can move forwards or backwards with no issues, so the affected trains can simply reverse onto another track if so required.
Trains have been a thing for more than 200 years, the folks working the railways have solved this problem a LONG time ago.
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