How should you set the hydraulically controlled facing-point switch in the event of the necessity to drive when reversing a double carriage tram?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
A. Set it to the desired driving direction.
Explanation
In the photo you can see a double-carriage tram on a snow-covered track. If you need to pass over hydraulically controlled facing points while reversing a double-carriage set, you should set them to the desired direction of travel - answer A.
When reversing, you pass over these points from the side of the switch blade tips, so their position decides which track the tram will enter. In a double-carriage set, if the switch blade moved under the set, the bogies could go onto different tracks and the tram could derail. Hydraulic points will not move by themselves under the weight of the tram into the required direction (answer C), and a random setting (answer B) risks entering the wrong track or derailing. So you set them before the manoeuvre and check the position of the switch blade. When reversing, you exercise particular caution.
Legal basis: Art. 23 para. 1 point 3 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)