scissors crossover

plural scissors crossovers

1. rail transportA superimposed pair of railway crossovers, resembling the letter X, permitting travel in either direction between a pair of parallel tracks.

   Included in the new layout are four new scissors crossovers.

   1962 October, “Talking of Trains: Liverpool Street layout remodelled”, in Modern Railways, page 222

   1 more example

   Here the line is joined by the Colne Valley branch, and both tracks are carried into Haverhill station upon a high embankment from which the town can be seen on the south side. The twin tracks, after traversing a scissors crossover, become the down and up roads through the station, which possesses an extensive goods yard.

   1951 September, B. D. J. Walsh, “The Sudbury and Haverhill Line, Eastern Region”, in Railway Magazine, page 619

   Synonyms: diamond crossover, scissor crossover, scissors crossing