A siding, in rail terminology, is a track section distinct from a through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. 0-9 Note for 4-4-0 2-6-4T 0-4-4-0 etc See Whyte notation or UIC classification A B The Mainline or Main line of a Railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which Branch lines, A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route usually a main line. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. The distinction between sidings and other types of track is that a "siding" generally denotes an auxiliary or not exactly specified usage. Sidings often have lighter rails, meant for lower speed or less heavy traffic.
Common sidings store stationary rolling stock, especially for loading and unloading. Rolling Stock was a Newspaper of ideas and a chronicle of the 1980s published in Boulder, Colorado Industrial sidings go to factories, mines (mining), quarries, wharves, warehouses, etc. A factory (previously manufactory) or manufacturing plant is an industrial Building where workers manufacture goods Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body A wharf is a landing place or Pier where ships may tie up and load or unload A warehouse is a commercial Building for Storage of Goods. Warehouses are used by Manufacturers Importers Exporters Such sidings can sometimes be found at stations for public use; in American usage these are referred to as team tracks (after the use of teams of horses to pull wagons to and from them). |}A train station, railway station, railroad station, or station yard is a facility at which Passengers may board and alight from Trains A team track is a small Railroad siding or spur track intended for the use of area Merchants manufacturers, farmers
Sidings hold maintenance of way equipment or other equipment, allowing trains to pass, or store helper engines between runs. MOW redirects here For other meanings see MOW (disambiguation. A bank engine ( United Kingdom / Australia) (colloquially a banker) or helper engine or pusher engine ( North America)
A particular form of siding is the passing siding (called a crossing loop in British usage). A passing loop (or "crossing loop" is a place on a single line railway/tramway where trains/trams in opposing directions can pass each other This is a section of track parallel to a through line and connected to it at both ends by switches. This article primarily uses North American terminology British and Commonwealth terms are given in parentheses Passing sidings allow trains travelling in opposite directions to pass, and for fast, high priority trains to pass slower or lower priority trains going the same direction. They are important for efficiency on single track lines, and add to the capacity of other lines. A single track Railway is one where traffic in both directions shares the same track
Some sidings have very occasional use, having been built, for example, to service an industry which has closed. It's not uncommon for an infrequently used siding to fall into disrepair on its way to being torn up or covered over.