Reversed turnouts as normal running

Hi,

 

Several professional railroaders have told me that "normal" refers to the main or primary route, not whether the route through a switch is straight or curved.  "Reverse" refers to the secondary route.  This means that the "normal" route through a switch could be on the curved side.

 

I also think that railroads tried to avoid having the "normal" route curved wherever possible.  This probably happened most often in approaches to stations and yards.  Another place where this could be used is on passing tracks controlled by spring switches.  The "normal" route in one direction would always be to the curved side.

 

I have the "normal" route lined to the curved side of several switches on my own layout.  In one case, the main line line curves to the left while the straight section of the switch lines to my main yard.  My club also has "normal" curved route switches.  This is almost necessary in areas with limited space.

 

I am sure that a professional railroader will have some photos or examples of situations where the curved side of a switch is the "normal" route.

 

Joe

 

Sure, on our layouts we don't have the luxury of "acres of space" to run like the 1:1 scale big boys can do, so we modelers by necessity HAVE to use curved turnouts where needed to make our empire fit on 4x8 board.

Why would the "stress" on the points or frog be any greater going through a curve than going straight?

My thought was more wheel pressure was placed upon the relatively unsupported outside curved turnout rail at high speed than straight ahead where the wheels would more or less be centered riding through the turnout.  At low speed like coming into a station, or shoving into a siding, or changing tracks I assumed the stress should be less.

 

But then I am just an armchair RR compared to the pros on this forum.

On the RR at greenfield Village where I work, we do have a switch set up like that running along the back side of the complex.  The straight part takes you into part of the yard, while the trains normally take the curved side and head through the farm and up to the main station.  We also have flange greasers at several points around the railroad which probably help keep wear on the points down

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of places on the real railroads where the diverging route of the switch is the "main line." A point where a siding starts on a curve is an example that comes immediately to mind.

 

Remember, there are many places where routes through the mountains have precious little straight track. For example, here's a short stretch of the N&W main from Matewan, West Virginia east...

 

 

There's not a whole lot of straight track there! A siding switch is going to have to be on a curve on that piece of railroad. It's ALL curves!

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of places on the real railroads where the diverging route of the switch is the "main line." A point where a siding starts on a curve is an example that comes immediately to mind.

 

 

 

Wow, that would be quite a bit of railroading looking at that map.  Definitely would not want to fall asleep while running it!

 

quote:

There are hundreds, maybe thousands of places on the real railroads where the diverging route of the switch is the "main line."

Loch Laird, VA (south end of Buena Vista) on the mainline from Roanoke to Shenandoah was like this. 40mph on the main and never had a problem.

I have been doing track design for the last 37 years for all the Class 1's and a turnout of this type is avoided at all cost.  Not only is it a operational issue but more a maintenance issue.  The forces on both the line and surface of the track and the wear on the switch points.  Just look at the points in a yard ladder and the points of frog.  Sure it is done but not the ideal thing to do.

Guess you better tell that to the equilateral turnouts and high speed crossovers.

High speed turnouts are designed just for that Hugh speed. They have a very flat frog angle with moveable point frogs and extra long switch points.  Eq turnouts are used in rare cases. I did design and install one on Amtrak's Michigan line. The problem was the track forces installed it as a left hand. The Sperry car picked up the defect and had the turnout realigned.

 Rich is right about the layout of the track/switches on the Pokey.

 

 The NS's Pocahontas Division from Williamson to Bluefield ,WVa is like no other railroad I've personally run on or seen   .

 It's very challenging .