What do you call a railroad track when it is going into two railroad tracks?

Question

And there's a thing to prvent the train from going one way and causes it to go the other way.

Answer 1

In the UK we call it points.

In the USA/Canada it's called a switch.

On the main line these are usually operating by remote control from a signal box (interlocking tower, USA/Canada).

Nowadays these cover many miles and are worked by computer, electronics etc. The points are worked by electric or pneumatic motors.

Where the tracks diverge in the direction of travel of the train this is known as a facing point (UK) and to prevent the point from changing under the train and causing a derailment, the point is protected by a facing point lock. This is bolt inserted in the tie bar (the piece of metal holding the blades (switchrails) together, i.e. the moveable part of the point). This has to be withdrawn before the point can be changed.

It was failure to maintain a facing point lock correctly that led to the Potters Bar derailment in the UK a couple of years ago.

As a rule, once a point has been set one way, a train can only go over it that way, but a few points have been fitted with a self-acting device. This means that when a train goes over the point in the direction the tracks merge, if the point is set against it it will 'spring' the point to its direction.

Where there are sidings beside the main line there will often be a set of levers next to them to work the points. Sometimes these have a shelter over them but mostly they are out in the open. In the UK this is known as a ground frame.

Answer 2

It called a switch, it can be a manuel, spring or power switch.

The only way there is a problem is the switch point are not fully close due to an obstruction or wore out points.

The part of the switch where the rails cross over is called a frog.

Answer 3

Above answer is correct, it is a switch, that separates two divergent routes.

There can be two (as far as I know of) types.

One kind has "points" that catch the flange part of a wheel and direct it towards the desired track.

The older kind actually bends both rails so they align with the desired route.

This is very rarely used anymore as it moves too much steel and it heavy to change from one route to the other.

I've seen it on some narrow guage tracks.