spur tracks - Model Railroader Magazine

shahomy

is a spur track a dead end always or can it go back to the track it came from?

is it called something else if it does not dead end?

Don't know if this is from real railroads or not.  I've been in the hobby for over 40 years, and this is my understanding of how the terms are used mostly:

Spur:  Short dead end track used for servicing an industry or storing cars.  Sometimes called an industrial siding.

Siding:  A track that departs the main line, runs parallel, then rejoins the mainline.  These are mainly used for one train to pass another, so they tend to be long enough to hold entire trains.  Also termed Passing Siding.

Runaround:  Similar to a siding, but shorter.  It allows a locomotive to run around a car or cut of cars when switching spurs.

Double ended spur: Similar to a runaround but purposed as a spur where it is serves an industry but can be accessed from both directions.  Also called an industrial siding.

Branch line:  A long diversion off the mainline, usually purposed to serve a town and contains spurs, sidings, or runarounds along its distance.

Also, a single spur can be long, several miles even, but since its purpose is to serve an industry or group of industries, the term spur is used.

As you can see, the basic shapes, dead end or returned to mainline, are common amongst the terms.  IMO, what designates the use of the term is the INTENDED PURPOSE of the track, not so much its shape.