Turnout building question

[Dale_F]

I remember seing somewhere (how many conversations start with that comment?) a turnout made that did not have points. It had a plate on which the rails were mounted that slid side to side for switching. I need to make a seldom used switch, across which I want to have smooth, trouble-free operations.

Does anyone have information, plans or photos of this type of turnout??

Thanks.

[cbrew]

google. "stub switches"
https://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_nf=1&g ... 20&bih=935

[Dale_F]

Thanks. That is exactly what I wanted. I just could not remember exactly what they were called.

Thanks cbrew!

[cbrew]

No problem, if i ever get to build a home track i will be using this type with home machined frogs.

[Dale_F]

Turns out the article I remember seeing was in the Summer 2008 Home Railway Journal. Now all I have to do is find my copy. I have it here somewhere, but having just recently moved, it seems it is impossible to find anything!

Thanks again for the help.

[cbrew]

If you cant find it, Im sure Matt will be happy to help you.
BTW where do you hail from?

[kcameron]

Turnouts of this type are also handy where you don't have a lot of space. Both White Creek RR and Michigan Central RR have three way stub switches for the 'car float'. They work nicely and save a lot of space and confusion when compaired to a normal set of lap switches. Just one throw bar to allign the main rail to any of the routes.

And if you look at the car cards for those loads, you see the destinations are on the other layout.

[ken572]

Dale,

I found this in my info travels,

TURNOUT FOR RAILROADS - United States Patent 48

Turnout-USP48.pdf

(47.03 KiB) Downloaded 270 times

Ken.

[cbrew]

At PNLS we have three leading into the car barn.
they also serve as a "derail"

[Steamingdanny]

Only issue is, they aren't trailable.

With a conventional turnout, if you make a trailing point move, and the points are wrong, you can go through the switch

The attached PDF is actually used in real life, called temporary turnouts. For mow service, when the train needs a siding, but you can't give mainline track, a temporary turnout and track panels make a home for mow cars

A famous phrase in trackwork engineering, "there is nothing new"
The first spring frogs were designed within a year of the first modern turnout, in the 1850's

[ken572]

Dale,

Check this one out.

http://www.dochemp.com/switch.html

Ken.

[kapullen]

switch.jpg (85.5 KiB) Viewed 3442 times

All,

Here's another one off the net.
No one can say those old Lionel
switches didn't have a prototype
somewhere.

Kap