Some switches in the first three diagrams are shown combined as three-way switches, even though they would usually be built as two separate switches.
A grand union is a rail trackjunction where two double-track railway or tramway lines cross at grade, often in a street intersection or crossroads. A total of sixteen railroad switches (sets of points) allow streetcars (or in rarer installations, trains) coming from any direction to take any of the three other directions. The same effect may be achieved with two adjacent wyes if the location allows for space.
Complexity
These types of complex junction are expensive to build and expensive to maintain. Special parts, sometimes made of manganese steel, are needed for each location where one rail crossed another (a "frog"); these parts often need to be custom-made and fitted for each single location, depending on the specific angle of crossing of the intersecting streets.
A full grand union junction consists of 88 frogs (where one rail crosses another rail), and 32 switchpoints (point blades) if single-point switches are not used. A tram or train crossing the junction will encounter four or twenty frogs within the space of crossing the junction.
For all of the possible tracks of a grand union to be used during normal operation, at least six different tram routes have to cross the union. In an intersection with lines oriented towards cardinal directions, these could be: north-south, north-east, north-west, south-east, south-west, and east–west.
Three-quarter, half and butterfly unions
Three-quarter unions are similar to grand unions in that they are also rail track junctions where two double-track railway lines cross at grade, often in a street intersection or crossroads; the primary difference being that one corner of the crossing does not have curved junction tracks, with the union having a total of 12 railroad switches (sets of points).
Half unions are similar, but have curved junction tracks on only two adjoining corners of the intersection, with a total of eight switches.
Butterfly unions share the total of eight switches, but the curved junction tracks are on opposing corners.
Examples
Europe
Austria
Vienna has a three-quarter union at Quellenplatz, 48°10′32.3″N 16°22′24.7″E
Belgium
Brussels has a grand union at carrefour Buyl - Général Jacques, 50°49′05.9″N 4°22′45.8″E
Croatia
Zagreb has a grand union at the intersection of Savska and Vodnikova Street, 45.80545°N 15.96627°E, and a three-quarter union at the intersection of Vukovarska and Držićeva Avenue, 45.80113°N 15.999°E.
Czech Republic
Brno, has a three-quarter union located at 49°12′16.24″N 16°37′25.54″E.[1]
Olomouc, has one grand union located at 49°35′44.42″N 17°14′50.27″E.[2]
Prague, has three grand unions, first at 50°6′12.65″N, 14°28′23.89″E[3] the second at 50°5′55.94″N, 14°25′59.76″E.[4] and the third at 50°4′23.19″N 14°24′50.30″E, this Grand Union was rebuilt in 2003 and has curved trackwork as the streets are not aligned at the river crossing.
Estonia
Tallinn will have the first butterfly union at the intersection of Narva maantee, Hobujaama and A. Laikmaa streets at 59°26′14.07″ N 24°45′26.21″ E. The crossing line is under construction as of 2023[update] and is expected to start service in 2024.
Finland
Helsinki has a three-quarter union at the intersection of Simonkatu and Mannerheimintie, 60.1699°N 24.9385°E, and a butterfly union at the intersection of Runeberginkatu and Mannerheimintie, 60.1817°N 24.9273°E. These are probably the northernmost unions in the world.
Germany
Berliner Platz, in Kiel (1971).
Cologne has one grand union at the stop Aachener Straße / Gürtel at 50°56′13.2″N 6°54′30.4″E, and one three-quarter union at Barbarossaplatz 50°55′42.9″N 6°56′33.7″E
Cottbus has one grand union at 51°45′39.86″N 14°19′51.39″E and a three-quarter union at 51°44′57.54″N 14°19′42.50″E.[5]
Dresden has a grand union at 51°3′49.47″N 13°44′48.95″E (Albertplatz); a five-eighths grand union at 51°3′47.55″N 13°44′13.53″E there is only a single connection on the north route, and a butterfly union at 51°2′58.09″N 13°44′39.27″E (Dresden HBf)
Duisburg has a butterfly union at 51°30′7.44″N 6°45′25.78″E
Erfurt has a butterfly union at 50.976099°N 11.034358°E, its modern city center: the Anger.
Karlsruhe's system has three grand unions located at Stop Mathystrasse (49°0′8.96″N 8°23′39.77″E),[6] located at Entenfang (49°00′37.1″N 8°21′31.8″E).,[7] and the third one established in 2018 at intersection Rüppurrer Str. and Baumeisterstr.[8][9] A fourth one is planned at the next intersection of Kriegsstr. and Baumeisterstr.[10]
Kassel's system has a single grand union located at 51°19′4.87″N 9°30′1.02″E and a three-quarter union at 51°18′43.02″N 9°29′29.64″E.[11][12]
Leipzig has a grand union at 51°20′39.35″N 12°22′15.99″E it is unique in interfacing with four tracks at Goerdelerring tram stop. There is a three-quarter union at 51°19′56.49″N 12°20′19.68″E, a half union at 51°20′31.31″N 12°21′31.15″E and butterfly unions at 51°19′12.95″N 12°19′48.80″E, 51°20′20.36″N 12°21′44.96″E and 51°21′44.93″N 12°21′55.79″.
Munich has one real grand union at Ostfriedhof since the last track alteration in 2015 at 48°07′8.6″N 11°35′1″E. While not a traditional grand union, the Munich tram system has also a "Grand circle" which has the same route function as a grand union and also provides a loop for all lines, it is located at Maxmonument in Maximilianstrasse, 48°8′15.27″N, 11°35′17.02″E.[13]
Italy
Milan: the Milan tram network currently has two grand unions. The first is a non standard design with divided North South tracks around a monument located at piazza 24 Maggio,[14] and the second located nearby at piazzale Porta Lodovica.[15][16] There used to be another large one until the 1990s located at piazza della Repubblica,[17] but it has since reduced to a wye junction still keeping the layout of diverging routes by the removal of the straight route to via Vittor Pisani.
Netherlands
Amsterdam, Netherlands: As of 2009[update], the Amsterdam tram system continues to have four grand unions. However, none of them has tram routes running in all directions under normal operation. They are located at 52°21′17.39″N 4°54′4.49″E;[18] 52°21′45.91″N 4°52′31.04″E[19] and 52°22′12.13″N 4°51′0.94″E.[20] and 52°21′9.99″N 4°53′28.04″E;[21]
The Hague: The Hague tram system has one butterfly union at the crossing of the Laan van Meerdervoort and the Koningin Emmakade/Waldeck Pyrmontkade (S100), (52°04′54.1″N 4°17′15.9″E). There is also a half union at the crossing of the Loosduinseweg and the Monstersestraat, (52°04′22.2″N 4°17′30.5″E)
Poland
Kraków has three grand unions, one at 50°3′27.42″N 19°57′32.40″E one at 50°3′23.40″N 19°56′43.63″E and one at 50°4′46.65″N 20°1′38.49″E. There is a "Grand Circle" at Centralny Square, 50°4′19.56″N 20°2′14.46″E, the "Grand Circle" which has the same route function as a grand union and also provides a loop for all lines. There is a three-quarter union at 50°3′6.26″N 19°56′30.22″E and a five-eighths union at 50°4′24.31″N 20°1′2.89″E.
Poznań: The Poznań Tram system has 6 grand unions, which may be the most extant in any city. They are located at: 52°24′37.94″N, 16°54′48.53″E;[23] 52°24′28.02″N, 16°54′44.97″E;[24] 52°24′9.54″N, 16°53′20.65″E;[25] 52°23′24.39″N, 16°53′39.07″E;[26] 52°22′48.68″N, 16°56′35.21″E[27] and 52°23′57.53″N, 16°57′8.97″E.[28] All can be seen in detail on Google Earth.
Warsaw: The Warsaw system has two grand unions, first at 52°14′30.79″N 20°59′37.00″E[29] and second at 52°14′13.30″N 20°58′48.62″E.[30] There is a three-quarter union at 52°15′17.24″N 20°58′57.11″E.[31]
Russia
Kazan: Kazan Tram system had one grand union. It is located at 55.780459 N, 49.112853 E. Street View in Google Earth shows that this Grand Union has been partially removed, portions still remain in the pavement in 2013.[32]
Moscow: Moscow Tram system has one three-quarter union on Preobrazhenskaya Ploshad[33]
Saint-Petersburg: Saint-Petersburg Tram system has a three-quarter union on Svetlanovskaya Ploshad,[34] a three-quarter union on Irinovskiy Prospekt[35] and a butterfly union on Prospekt Kultury[36]
Angarsk: Angarsk Tram system had one Full grand union which was partially dismounted in 2000-s[37]
Slovakia
Košice, had one grand union at 48°42′18″N 21°14′35″E, in 2018 that was replaced with a Grand Circle, which can be seen on Google Earth.
Switzerland
Basle, The Basle system has a grand union at 47 33' 48.62"N 7 35' 57.96"E and a (nonstandard) grand union located at 47°33′4.83″N 7°35′41.89″E.[38]
Edmonton: The Edmonton Radial Railway had a single grand union at the intersection of 109th Street and Jasper Avenue, although one side of the junction remained as a stub and was removed by the late 1930s.[39][40]
Toronto: The most extensive street railway system in the Americas is the Toronto streetcar system of the Toronto Transit Commission in southern Ontario, which has many four-way streetcar intersections, including the only extant grand unions remaining in the Western Hemisphere. The system includes three grand unions, one seven-eighths union (one curve short of a grand union), four three-quarter unions (missing 2 curves at a single corner), three more unions with 6 curves and many unions in various configurations with less than 6 curves. The "traditional" grand unions are located at Bathurst and King (43°38′38.14″N 79°24′9.50″W); Spadina and King (43°38′43.73″N 79°23′42.09″W) and Spadina and Queen (43°38′55.43″N 79°23′46.91″W).[42] King and Dufferin (43°38′20.15″N 79°25′38.45″W) is a "seven-eighths union": it is missing the curve from southbound to westbound.[43]
Brantford, Ontario The Brantford Municipal Railway installed a UK-made grand union at Colborne and Market Streets circa 1910. It remained in service until the end of streetcar service in the city on 31 January 1940.[44] It was taken up for scrap in 1940.[45]
United States
Akron: The Akron streetcar system had one grand union at the intersection of Main and Exchange Streets,[46]
Chicago: The Chicago Transit Authority has a three-quarter union at Tower 18, located on the northwest corner of The Loop. This union has the notable distinctions of not only being built entirely on elevated bridgework over the streets below, but also being fully equipped with third rails for power distribution.[52]
Philadelphia: SEPTA has a surviving example of a half union located at the intersection of Chester Avenue and 49th Street;[53][54] and PTC previously had two butterfly unions, the first at Erie Ave and Old York Road[55] and the second at Lancaster Avenue and 33rd Street;[56] as well as a second half union at Allegheny and 22nd Street.[57]
Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh's trolley system had a three-quarter union located at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Craig St.[58]
Rochester, New York: Rochester's surface streetcar system had three full grand unions, all of which were located on Main Street, as well as two three-quarter unions, and three half unions.[59][60]
Seattle: The Seattle-Tacoma Interurban was believed to have a single grand union, located at N. 34th St. and Fremont Ave.[61]
San Francisco: The San Francisco Municipal Railway's light rail line has a quarter union at 4th Street and King Street. The N Judah route crosses 4th, and the current T Third route uses the turn connecting the tracks on King northwest of the intersection to those on 4th to the southwest; the tracks on 4th across King lead to the Central Subway, which is planned to carry the T Third when it opens.
Salt Lake City: The Utah Transit Authority's TRAX system has 2 half unions(Main Street Interlocking at 40°45′38.2″N 111°53′28.3″W and the Airport Junction Interlocking at 40°46′09.7″N 111°54′08.4″W), 1 quarter union (Union Interlocking at 40°43′21.1″N 111°53′48.8″W), and a three interlocking combination that offers the effect of a half union (Lovendahl/Ephraim/Sugar Interlockings at 40°37′56.2″N 111°53′54.7″W).
Adelaide, Australia: The 1908-1958 electric tram system had three grand unions, located at King William Street and North Terrace, King William and Wakefield Streets (Victoria Square), and at Pulteney and Wakefield Streets.
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