Eastern Railroad Discussion > Different types of switches

Think of a switch abstractly, as though it is like a triangle, having the two longest sides being its track.
You would probably conclude that the most common switch would be a Right Triangle. Then there are switches, that you could think of as Isosceles-shaped ones, having the one track being split into two tracks, both being equally curved, unlike the Right Triangle shaped ones with only one curve.

Considering that, are there names for differently configured types of switches, such as these two? If so, what would they be?


***Please forgive me, I am no railroad employee, i.e. not someone who is an expert on railroad terminolory. However, I want to add to my 25 years of railroad knowlege, which might involve giving unrelated examples***

Matthew



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/12 14:02 by sandpatch25.

The first one is just a normal switch. The latter would be called an Equilateral or wye switch. Southern railroad favored them on their railroad.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/12 12:10 by im_trainman.

im_trainman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The first one is just a normal switch. The latter
> would be called an Equilateral or wye switch.
> Southern railroad favored them on their railroad.
>
>
> Posted from Android


you're 2 for 2 ... you must have a translation book for what this guy is inquiring ... he gets me confused from the first word in the post

OOS, you're crackin'me up! As in ROFLOL. "you're 2 for 2", "a translation book", makes for good Sunday laughs.

sandpatch 25, I was a math major, so I understand your question. The "right triangle" is either a left hand or right hand turnout. I assume that you are considering the hypotenuse to be the turnout side. The isosceles is what the others correctly identified as an equilateral. I have seen them used primarily at the end of two main tracks, but there are like many other applications. If I recall correctly, an equilateral allows a higher speed than the turnout speed of a left hand or right hand for the same frog angle. Historically, the maximum speed for a number 10 was 20, but for a number 10 equilateral the speed was higher, maybe 40? I need a real track guy to comment on speeds.

turnouts are neither true hypotenuse or isoscelese since both are straight angles and a turnout on the diverging side is curved ... a turnout has a curve lead from the heel of the switch point to the toe leg of the frog ... the only part of the turnout on the diverging side that is straight is from the toe of the frog to the "X" measurement past the heel end of the frog which differs depending on the size of the angle on the frog ...

here's a few questions for all you all math majors out there

#1 would a curved turnout be a isosceles or hypotenuse

#2 is it possible for a curved switch to be an equilateral turnout maintaining a constant radius

#3 and if you answer yes to question 2 would a mantainable(non restrictive) speed be able to be retained



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/12 15:12 by Out_Of_Service.

Not a place where high speed capability is a consideration, but Orange Empire Ry. Museum (Perris, in Southern California) has equilateral switches in the tracks leading to Barn 7, which has six tracks inside. A few weeks after learning this term, there was a TV about a railway in Sweden that had some of these switches (although they might be called "points" or the Swedish equivalent over there). The former Southern Pacific line through Alhambra CA has one at the end of double track. And yes, actual switches have arcs rather than straight lines, but schematically they could be rendered as triangles.