Western Railroad Discussion > Is this something new?

This is on the CN in west central WI. It is a new installation this year I think. There is one on each end of the siding where it connects to the main line( this is at a grain facility). There is a derail a little further down the line and it is a pretty good grade from the facility to the main. I'm just wondering why they went with these.

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>There is one on each end of the siding where it connects to the main line( this is at a grain facility).

Never seen that hump sort of thing before, but since it's directly opposite the frog, it probably has to do with the wheels at the opposite send of the axles running up their flanges to go through that OWLS. From what you describe, this technically isn't a "siding" but an industry track even though there are switches in the MT at each end. A true siding wouldn't have OWLS frogs.

Yea kinda looks like a Jump Frog to me.

If there is not a hump on the rail opposite the frog then the cars will have to negotiate a "twist" or change of cross-level, not a good thing. 
A dip or hump of an inch or two is easier to tolerate.

The dreaded "speed bumps."

I don't suppose any 60 MPH plus trains have to negotiate that.  Seems it would be a decent jolt to the seat of the pants if they do.

John

This is probably just a newer and different type of jump frog or OWLS (One-Way Low-Speed) turnout.

The attached photo is of a different type of jump frog, this one being at Halsey, OR on the former SP taken back in 2011.  In this type, there is no corresponding "hump" to level out the crosslevel.  Presumably it is not significant enough at low speed to be concerned.  In this type of setup, you can see that there are no kind of guards on the frog itself, instead, this installation relies on the use of flange protectors on the opposite rail to hold the car in alignment.

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Don't know aboutr EMD's but, that hump will make a GE bounce for quite a ways.

tomstp Wrote:
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> Don't know aboutr EMD's but, that hump will make a
> GE bounce for quite a ways.

Well, you don't pick up and set out cars on a grain elevator track at "high speed" so it shouldn't be a problem.

Just doesn't look right. You can see where the rails have been heated and has pulled the ties up, out of the ballast.
 I would love to see the real reason that it was left like that. 


Nudge

 

Nudge:
The ties are all level, where the rail is high the tie plates are shimmed up with blocks you can see in the third image.
I'm still learning track engineering after 50+ years.

OP, do you have a picture looking down the track at this switch? Hard for me to imagine how it looks. Why would both rails need to be raised instead of only the one for the diverging route using the jump over?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/15 17:26 by portlander.

I agree, need a picture of the switch in its entirety from overhead. looking from both ways