Spiral (railway)
Encyclopedia
A railway spiral rises on a steady curve until it has completed a loop, passing over itself as it gains height, allowing the railway to gain vertical elevation in a relatively short horizontal distance. It is an alternative to a zig-zag
Zig Zag (railway)
A railway zig zag, also called a switchback, is a way of climbing hills in difficult country with a minimal need for tunnels and heavy earthworks. For a short distance , the direction of travel is reversed, before the original direction is resumed.A location on railways constructed e.g...
, and avoids the need for the trains to stop and reverse direction while ascending. If the train is of sufficient length, it is possible to view the train looping onto itself.
A spiral loop should not be confused with the transition spiral or spiral easement
Track transition curve
A track transition curve, or spiral easement, is a mathematically calculated curve on a section of highway, or railroad track, where a straight section changes into a curve. It is designed to prevent sudden changes in centripetal force...
used to provide a transition from a tangent into a horizontal circular curve. Spiral easement is used to avoid abrupt changes in the sideward acceleration experienced by a railroad vehicle and the passengers in the vehicle approaching the horizontal circular curve and to prevent abrupt forces and discomfort. These curves are also used in highway engineering.
A similar feature to railway spirals in road design is the pigtail bridge
Pigtail bridge
A spiral bridge, loop bridge, or pigtail bridge is a road bridge which loops over its own road, allowing the road to climb rapidly...
.
Calculations
On a railway climbing at a gradient of 1 in 40 (2.5%, or 25 m per km) a 360-degree spiral at 350 m radius will add 2200 m to the forward journey and 55 m to the vertical climb. Unless the topography has a suitably shaped hill, the spiral is likely to be in tunnel, increasing construction costs and creating problems if steam locomotives are employed. If a convenient side valley is available, then a horseshoe curve may be possible.The spiral needs to climb about 6 m in order to bridge itself. With steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s and to a lesser extent with diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s, the gradient in any long tunnel(s) should be less than the ruling grade to avoid problems with fumes and dampness causing the driving wheels to slip.
Australia
- Bethungra SpiralBethungra Spiral (railway)The Bethungra Spiral is a rail spiral, built on the Main South railway line of New South Wales in Australia at Bethungra to ease the gradients when the line was duplicated between 1941 and 1946...
two very short tunnels, uphill track in spiral at 1 in 66 gradient, downhill track plain at 1 in 40 gradient - Cougal SpiralCougal Spiral (railway)The Cougal Spiral is a feature of the North Coast Railway in Australia that connects New South Wales with Queensland through Richmond Gap. The railway lines needs to climb at a steady ruling gradient from Kyogle to the summit at a tunnel at the border between the two states. The border is also at...
one short and one long tunnel, single track
Bulgaria
- 3 spirals at Septemvri - Dobrinishte railwaySeptemvri-Dobrinishte narrow gauge lineThe Septemvri–Dobrinishte narrow gauge line is the only operating narrow gauge line in Bulgaria. It is operated by the Bulgarian State Railways . The line is actively used with nine trains runnng per day. The journey takes over four hours...
gauge. - Klisura - 3rd main railway line, the spiral is built around the town
- 2 spirals at RadevtsiRadevtsiRadevtsi is a village in the municipality of Tryavna, in Gabrovo Province, in northern central Bulgaria....
and Raduntsi on 4th mainline.
Canada
- Spiral tunnelsBig HillThe Big Hill on the Canadian Pacific Railway main line in British Columbia, Canada, was the most difficult piece of railway track on the Canadian Pacific Railway's route. It was situated in the rugged Canadian Rockies west of the Continental Divide and Kicking Horse Pass...
between Field, BCField, British ColumbiaField is an unincorporated settlement of approximately 300 people located in the Kicking Horse River valley of southeastern British Columbia,Canada, within the confines of Yoho National Park....
, and the summit of Kicking Horse PassKicking Horse PassKicking Horse Pass is a high mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Americas of the Canadian Rockies on the Alberta/British Columbia border, and lying within Yoho and Banff National Parks...
, Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
. 51.435976°N 116.403653°W - Trinity Loop near TrinityTrinity, Newfoundland and LabradorTrinity is a small town located on Trinity Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador.The harbour at Trinity was first used by fishing ships around the 16th century. The Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real is said to have named this place because he arrived here on Trinity Sunday in 1501. It was settled by...
, NewfoundlandNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... - Rogers PassRogers PassRogers Pass is a high mountain pass through the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans-Canada Highway. The pass is a shortcut across the "Big Bend" of the Columbia River from Revelstoke on the west to Donald, near Golden, on the east...
People's Republic of China and Taiwan
- Yangjiawan - Qinling Tunnel
- Dulishan loop is a triple spiral (two clockwise and one counter-clockwise), AlishanAlishanThe Alishan National Scenic Area is a mountain resort and natural preserve located in the mountains of Chiayi County in Taiwan. It is 415 km² in area. It includes, among other things, mountain wilderness, four villages, waterfalls, high altitude tea plantations, the Alishan Forest Railway ...
(阿里山) Forest Railway, narrow gauge, single track
Croatia
- Tunnel 1838 m long (0+525 - 2+363) between Rijeka-BrajdicaRijekaRijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
and Sušak-PećineSušakSušak is a part of the city of Rijeka in Croatia, where it composes the eastern part of the city.In 1924, Rijeka belonged to the independent Free State of Fiume, which had been created four years earlier under the Treaty of Rapallo, but in the Treaty of Rome the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and...
stations on the southern approach to the RijekaRijekaRijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
-KarlovacKarlovacKarlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
railway, part of International corridor V.
France
- Sayerce tunnel between Pau and Zaragossa (Spain) in the Pyrenees http://quierzy.club.fr/sayerce/helicoidal.htm
- NiceNiceNice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
-CuneoCuneoCuneo is a city and comune in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the third largest of Italy’s provinces by area...
(Italy), three spirals. - Moûtiers, between Albertville and Bourg-Saint-Maurice (Savoie), (45.485628°N 6.540444°W) used by TGV.
Germany
- RendsburgRendsburgRendsburg is a town on the River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the northeastern part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde. As of 2006, it had a population of 28,476.-History:...
Rendsburg High BridgeRendsburg High BridgeThe Rendsburg High Bridge is a railway viaduct on the Neumünster–Flensburg line that also serves as a transporter bridge. The bridge crosses the Kiel Canal at Rendsburg in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein...
, northern approach. Unique oblong single loop onto the transporter bridgeTransporter bridgeA transporter bridge is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been used to cross navigable rivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be...
crossing the Kiel CanalKiel CanalThe Kiel Canal , known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal until 1948, is a long canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.The canal links the North Sea at Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. An average of is saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland Peninsula.... - The Wutach Valley Railway had to be built less steep than possible to haul heavy military trains over it, since it bypassed for the shorter SingenSingenSingen is an industrial city in the very south of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany and just north of the German-Swiss border.-Location:...
–WaldshutWaldshutWaldshut is a district in the south of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Lörrach, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald and Schwarzwald-Baar; followed in the south by the Swiss cantons of Schaffhausen, Zürich and Aargau.-History:The district dates to the Oberamt Waldshut, which was...
route crossing Swiss territory.
India
- Darjeeling Himalayan RailwayDarjeeling Himalayan RailwayThe Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed the "Toy Train", is a narrow gauge railway from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling in West Bengal, run by the Indian Railways....
(DHR) has three (originally five) loops, of which one is a double spiral. gauge - Between KhandwaKhandwaKhandwa is a town in the Nimaad region of Madhya Pradesh, an Administrative State in central India. It is the administrative headquarters of Khandwa District, formerly known as East Nimar District.Khandwa is an ancient town, with many places of worship, like many other towns in India...
and HingoliHingoliHingoli is a city and a municipal council in Hingoli district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.-History:Marathwada was initially under Nizam's regime. Hingoli was the taluka of parbhani district and part of Nizam's regime. It was actually Nizam's military base as it was border place with...
, metre gauge
Iran
- Numerous spirals through very mountainous regions, mostly entirely in tunnel and single track, e.g. the Three Golden Lines.
Ireland
- The St. James's Gate BrewerySt. James's Gate BrewerySt. James's Gate Brewery is a brewery founded in 1759 in Dublin, Ireland by Arthur Guinness. The company is now a part of Diageo, a company formed via the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan in 1997. The main product produced at the brewery is Guinness Draft.Leased for 9,000 years in 1759 by...
, Dublin, IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
had an internal 1 ft 10 in gauge railway with a loop in a tunnel to gain height between buildings http://www.talyllyn.co.uk/ngrm/guinness.html?printable=true
Italy
- At Iselle di TrasqueraIselle di Trasquera railway stationIselle di Trasquera railway station serves the village of Iselle and comune of Trasquera, in the region of Piedmont, northwestern Italy. Opened in 1906, the station is at the southern portal of the Simplon tunnel, on the Brig–Domodossola railway, between Brig, Switzerland and Domodossola, Italy...
on the SBBSBB-CFF-FFSSwiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
. - At VernanteVernanteVernante is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 90 km south of Turin and about 15 km south of Cuneo...
on the FSFerrovie dello StatoFerrovie dello Stato is a government-owned holding which manage infrastructure and service on the Italian rail network. The subsidiary Trenitalia is the main rail operator in Italy.-Organization:Ferrovie dello Stato subsidiaries are:...
. - At AltareAltareAltare is a comune in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about west of Genoa and about northwest of Savona...
on the FSFerrovie dello StatoFerrovie dello Stato is a government-owned holding which manage infrastructure and service on the Italian rail network. The subsidiary Trenitalia is the main rail operator in Italy.-Organization:Ferrovie dello Stato subsidiaries are:...
.
Japan
- Jōetsu Line has two spirals, track towards Tokyo only
- Hokuriku Main LineHokuriku Main LineThe is a 358.3 kilometer line of the West Japan Railway Company from Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga to Naoetsu Station in Jōetsu, Niigata. It serves the Hokuriku region on the northern central coast of Honshū, the largest island of Japan, as well as offering connections to the regions of...
from Tsuruga StationTsuruga Stationis a JR West railway station in Tsuruga, Fukui, Japan. It is located on the Hokuriku Main Line, Obama Line. The station is operating normally, but the platforms and station entrance are currently under construction...
to Shin-Hikida StationShin-Hikida Stationis a JR West railway station in Tsuruga, Fukui, Japan. It is located on the Hokuriku Main Line.-External links:...
, track for Maibara StationMaibara Stationis a train station in Maibara, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. It is the southern terminus of the West Japan Railway Company Hokuriku Main Line, and the boundary of control between JR West and JR Central over the Tōkaidō Main Line....
only - Hisatsu Line between Yatake StationYatake Stationis a Railway station of Hisatsu Line in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto.The station opened in 1909.- Adjacent stations :...
and Okoba StationOkoba Stationis a Railway station of Hisatsu Line in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto.This station is in a zig zag line and also a spiral.The station opened in 1909.- Adjacent stations :- Gallery :...
, with a zig zag in the loop - Tosa Kuroshio RailwayTosa Kuroshio RailwayThe is a railway company in Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. The name comes from the province of Tosa and Kuroshio Current. The third sector company , founded in 1986, took a former Japanese National Railways line, Nakamura Line, and later two JNR planned lines those constructions were halted halfway...
Nakamura Line between Kawaoku S.B. and Kaina Station - YurikamomeYurikamome, formally the is an automated guideway transit service operated by the Tokyo Waterfront New Transit Corporation, connecting Shimbashi to Toyosu, passing through the artificial island of Odaiba in Tokyo, Japan, a market in which it competes with the cheaper Rinkai Line.The line is named after the...
, western approach to the Rainbow BridgeRainbow Bridge (Tokyo)The is a suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay between Shibaura Pier and the Odaiba waterfront development in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.Construction started in 1987 and was completed in 1993. The bridge is long with a main span of . Officially called the "Shuto Expressway No...
Kenya
- KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
-UgandaUgandaUganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
four spirals on the Kenya to Uganda line.
One of them is near Mombasa, at: -3.995257° 39.546742°
South Korea
- Geumdae 2nd Tunnel - between Geumgyo station and Chiak station on Jungang LineJungang LineThe Jungang Line is a railway line connecting Cheongnyangni in Seoul to Gyeongju in South Korea, traversing central South Korea from the northwest to the southeast.-History:...
- one loop, single track. New double track tunnel is under construction to replace loop tunnel. - Daegang Tunnel - between Danseong station and Jungnyeong station on the Jungang LineJungang LineThe Jungang Line is a railway line connecting Cheongnyangni in Seoul to Gyeongju in South Korea, traversing central South Korea from the northwest to the southeast.-History:...
- one loop, single track. - Hambaek 1st Tunnel - between Hambaek station and Jodong station on the Hambaek Line - one loop, single track.
- Solan Tunnel - between East Baeksan station and Dogye station on the Yeongdong LineYeongdong LineThe Yeongdong Line is a line of Korail. It connects Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province with Gangneung in Gangwon Province. From Yeongju, it crosses the Taebaek Mountains and reaches the Sea of Japan at Donghae, thence proceeding north to Gangneung.At Yeongju, the line connects with the...
- one loop, single track but double track is installed on the middle of the tunnel; for both trains crossing each other. It will be opened in 2009.
Madagascar
- One loop at Anjiro on the main line from AntananarivoAntananarivoAntananarivo , formerly Tananarive , is the capital and largest city in Madagascar. It is also known by its French colonial shorthand form Tana....
to ToamasinaToamasinaToamasina , meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French also Tamatave, is a city on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated northeast of its capital and biggest city Antananarivo, near the centre of the eastern coast...
.
Myanmar
- Two spirals on the Burmah Mines Railway http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/bmines.htm
New Zealand
- Raurimu SpiralRaurimu SpiralThe Raurimu Spiral is a single-track railway spiral, starting with a horseshoe curve, overcoming a 132 m height difference, in the central North Island of New Zealand, on the North Island Main Trunk Railway. It is a notable feat of civil engineering, having been called an 'engineering masterpiece'...
on the North Island Main Trunk, single track, suitable hill, two short tunnels. See Map and Photo. - Driving Creek Railway
Norway
- FlåmsbanaFlåmsbanaThe Flåm Line is a long railway between Myrdal and Flåm in Aurland, Norway. As a branch line of the Bergen Line, it runs through Flåmsdalen and connects the mainline with Sognefjord. The line's elevation difference is . The line has ten stations, twenty tunnels and one bridge. It has a maximum...
: between MyrdalMyrdalMyrdal is a surname, and may refer to:* Alva Myrdal , Swedish diplomat, politician and writer* Gunnar Myrdal , Swedish economist and politician* Jan Myrdal , Swedish author, leftist-political writer and columnist...
and FlåmFlåmFlåm is a village at the inner end of the Aurlandsfjord, an arm of the Sognefjord. The village is located in the municipality of Aurland in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway...
- tunnels that spiral in and out of the mountainside. - Rauma Line: near the Kylling BridgeKylling BridgeKylling Bridge is a railway bridge that crosses the Rauma River near Verma in the Romsdalen valley in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is probably the best known and most photographed railway bridge in Norway. Kylling Bridge is long. The main span is , and side spans are and . The clearance to...
Slovakia
- Telgart Loop (Telgártska slučka - Slovak language)
South Africa
- South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
There is a spiral on the descent to the Great Kei river on the branch line to MthathaMthathaMthatha is the main town of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The town has an airport, previously known by the name K. D. Matanzima Airport after former leader Kaiser Matanzima....
.
Switzerland
- GotthardbahnGotthardbahnGotthardbahn was the name of a private Swiss railway company which operated the railway line from Immensee to Chiasso . Nowadays this term usually does not refer to that company, but to the railway line itself...
has five spirals and two turns, entirely in tunnel, double track, standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge... - Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railwayBern-Lötschberg-Simplon railwayThe Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon railway, known since the merger of the "old" BLS with the Bern-Neuenburg-Bahn , the Gürbetal-Bern-Schwarzenburg-Bahn and the Simmentalbahn in 1997 as the BLS Lötschbergbahn, is a Swiss railway company. It is the largest standard gauge network on the Swiss Railway...
, standard gauge - RhBRhBThe Rhaetian Railway is a Swiss transport company, owning the largest network of all the private railways in Switzerland. The company operates most of the railways in the Swiss canton of Graubünden as the Swiss federal railway company SBB-CFF-FFS extend only a few kilometres over the cantonal...
Albulabahn has several spiral tunnels, single track, metre gauge - RhBRhBThe Rhaetian Railway is a Swiss transport company, owning the largest network of all the private railways in Switzerland. The company operates most of the railways in the Swiss canton of Graubünden as the Swiss federal railway company SBB-CFF-FFS extend only a few kilometres over the cantonal...
has an open spiral mainly on the Brusio spiral viaductBrusio spiral viaductThe Brusio spiral viaduct is a single track nine-arched stone spiral railway viaduct.A signature structure of the World Heritage-listed Bernina Railway, it is located in Brusio, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, and serves only to adjust the railway's altitude.-Location:The Brusio spiral...
(Bernina RailwayBernina RailwayThe Bernina Railway is a single track metre gauge railway line forming part of the Rhaetian Railway . It links the spa resort of St. Moritz, in the Canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, with the town of Tirano, in the Province of Sondrio, Italy, via the Bernina Pass...
, near BrusioBrusioBrusio is a municipality in the district of Bernina in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-History:Brusio is first mentioned in 1106 as Bruse. It was first mentioned as Brusio in 1212. Previously it was known as Romansh: Brüsch and ....
), single track, metre gauge - Former Furka-Oberalp-BahnFurka-Oberalp-BahnThe Furka–Oberalp-Bahn is a narrow gauge mountain railway in Switzerland with a gauge of . It runs in the Graubünden, Uri and Canton of Valais. Since January 1, 2003 it is part of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn when it merged with the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn....
, now Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke heritage railwayHeritage railwaythumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
, has one spiral tunnel, single track, cog rail, metre gauge, catenary removed - Former Furka-Oberalp-BahnFurka-Oberalp-BahnThe Furka–Oberalp-Bahn is a narrow gauge mountain railway in Switzerland with a gauge of . It runs in the Graubünden, Uri and Canton of Valais. Since January 1, 2003 it is part of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn when it merged with the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn....
, now Matterhorn-Gotthard-BahnMatterhorn-Gotthard-BahnThe Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn is a narrow gauge railway in Switzerland. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka-Oberalp-Bahn and BVZ Zermatt-Bahn . The name comes from the Matterhorn and St...
, between GrengiolsGrengiolsGrengiols is a municipality in the district of Raron in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-History:Grengiols is first mentioned in 1052 as Graneirolis. In 1228 it was mentioned as Griniruel and in 1297 as Graniols. The name probably comes from the Latin word graneirolas meaning a small...
and LaxLax, SwitzerlandLax is a municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-History:Lax is first mentioned in 1295 as Lacx. Lax is next documented as a community named Zend Goms Lax in 1308. The first division of irrigation was in 1347; the current system feeds seven farms around the...
, single track, metre gauge, cog rail, entirely in tunnel
United Kingdom
- DdualltDduallt railway stationDduallt station is a passenger station on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway in northwest Wales, which was built in 1836 to carry dressed slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog for export by sea....
Loop, Ffestiniog RailwayFfestiniog RailwayThe Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
in WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, 1 ft 11½ in (597 mm) gauge - The line from Moorswater cement terminal, through Coombe Junction and LiskeardLiskeard railway stationLiskeard station serves the town of Liskeard in Cornwall, England. The station is west of Plymouth on the Cornish Main Line and it is the junction for the Looe Valley Line.-History:-Cornwall Railway:...
on the Looe Valley LineLooe Valley LineThe Looe Valley Line is an community railway from Liskeard to Looe in Cornwall, United Kingdom, that follows the valley of the East Looe River for much of its course...
and on over Moorswater Viaduct forms a complete spiral, climbing up to join the main line at Liskeard. Not all parts are used by passenger trains.
United States
- California, Williams LoopWilliams LoopThe Williams Loop is a rail spiral located on the Union Pacific Railroad's Feather River Route through the Sierra Nevada Mountains in north eastern California, connecting the Sacramento Valley to Salt Lake City via the Feather River valley...
- California, Tehachapi LoopTehachapi LoopThe Tehachapi Loop is a long 'spiral', or helix, on The Union Pacific Railroad through Tehachapi Pass, in south central California. The railroad line connects Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave in the Antelope Valley. The loop takes its name from the circuitous route it takes, in...
- California, Roaring Camp Loop - gauge (abandoned after fire, trestles still partly standing, to be rebuilt)
- Tennessee, Hiwassee Loop, in which the track wraps around a hill twice and crosses over itself on an 80 feet (24.4 m) trestle.
- Colorado, Georgetown LoopGeorgetown LoopThe Georgetown Loop Railroad is a narrow gauge heritage railroad located in the Rocky Mountains in Clear Creek County, Colorado, in the United States....
- Ophir Loop - Rio Grande Southern RailroadRio Grande Southern RailroadThe Rio Grande Southern Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad which ran from Durango to Ridgway in the western part of the US state of Colorado...
- gauge (abandoned) - Dunderberg Spiral Railway (never completed)
- Eureka, UtahEureka, UtahEureka was originally known as Ruby Hollow before it developed into a bustling mining town. Incorporated as a city in 1892, Eureka became the financial center for the Tintic Mining District, a wealthy gold and silver mining area in Utah and Juab counties. The district was organized in 1869 and by...
--the "Golden Circle".
Spirals are not generally needed on tramways (street running
Street running
On-street running or street running is when a railroad track or tramway track runs directly along city streets, without any separation. The rails are embedded in the road....
or reserved track
Reserved track
In tram transport terminology reserved track is track on ground exclusively for trams. Unlike track on streets and roads, reserved track does not need to take into account the transit of other wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists or horses...
) or light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
lines because trams traditionally have all wheels powered, giving the ability to climb much steeper direct gradients than railways.
Roads
Roads sometimes use a spiral to gain height in a confined space, cf. pigtail bridgePigtail bridge
A spiral bridge, loop bridge, or pigtail bridge is a road bridge which loops over its own road, allowing the road to climb rapidly...
:
- The Thames TunnelThames TunnelThe Thames Tunnel is an underwater tunnel, built beneath the River Thames in London, United Kingdom, connecting Rotherhithe and Wapping. It measures 35 feet wide by 20 feet high and is 1,300 feet long, running at a depth of 75 feet below the river's surface...
(1825-1843) was originally planned to have a underground spiral giving access to road traffic, but this was never built. - Cahill ExpresswayCahill ExpresswayThe Cahill Expressway is the first true freeway constructed in Sydney, Australia. It starts from the Eastern Distributor and Cross City Tunnel in Woolloomooloo, and runs through a series of sunken cuttings and tunnels between the Royal Botanical Gardens and The Domain...
, SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales, Australia. Spiral turns left in order to turn right. - Lincoln TunnelLincoln TunnelThe Lincoln Tunnel is a long tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan in New York City.-History:...
, approach road to west portal, Weehawken, New JerseyWeehawken, New JerseyWeehawken is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 12,554.-Geography:Weehawken is part of the New York metropolitan area...
, USA. - Iron Mountain Road, Custer State ParkCuster State ParkCuster State Park is a state park and wildlife reserve in the Black Hills of southwestern South Dakota, USA. The park is South Dakota's largest and first state park, named after Lt...
, South DakotaSouth DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, USA. - Sa Calobra, Majorca, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
39.831968°N 2.81574°W - New Clear Water Bay Road, New KowloonNew KowloonNew Kowloon is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong, bounded in the south by Boundary Street, and in the north by the ranges of the Lion Rock, Beacon Hill, Tate's Cairn and Kowloon Peak...
, Hong KongHong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(22.331717°N 114.224617°W - N8 Bypass Brienzwiler, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
(46.750521°N 8.108833°W) - IsenfluhIsenfluhIsenfluh is a hamlet in Switzerland, north of the road from Wilderswil to Lauterbrunnen.In 1973, Isenfluh, together with Wengen, Muerren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Lauterbrunnen, became part of the municipality of Lauterbrunnen....
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. - A6 HighwayAutostrada A6 (Italy)The A6 is an Italian autostrada connecting Turin and Savona.The road is also known as Verdemare, The Seagreen.- External links :***...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(44.320409°N 8.377118°W) - Antirio to Lamia highway (E65), on the climb of Mount Parnassos to Delphi, Greece, there is a 270 degrees spiral using an overpass.
- Astoria bridge, south approach.
Many multi-storey car park
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
s feature such a design as this.