Railroad Stationing through turnouts

Go to the PI of the switch

The switch should be a Detail work area where typical alignmnts and sections
templates do not work.

most cases for a switch is a small - so to say work area

I have found in the past build typical width (full width) parallel tracks
in the area of the switch just to allow easy (equipment) to function

to allow the

ie excavators also final finished work products electical bungalow, parking etc etc

Unless you are installing the switch is subway or commuter rail
situations over build.

In summary overbuild the grade in switch area for it is a high
maintance area which means crane trucks welders etc it never ends

Build a 150 ft 60 ft square pad for the switch install equipment excavator etc and
next future service of switch

Railway = big or go home

PK

email sent

Thx, Snoop. No answer.

The math on his stationing is not working for me. I have to accept that he may have an error, but just not sure how the stationing progresses through the turnout because there are different routes one could measure. I am a bit shocked on the UPRR diagram for a No. 9 turnout that the PC is 3.5625 from the PT Sw. The mainline is straight, why would the curve start in front of the switch unless it is theoretical and not real. Also notice there is a theoretical pt of frog and actual pt of frog (but that makes a little more sense to me due to flangeways. I suppose all my experience in turnouts is single point street railway stuff and this mainline stuff has me scratching my head.

Basically I am working it backwards from the end of the spur to the PI and forwards from the rail joint constraint to the PI. The excess or deficiency in the stationing will fall where it may, and if there is any excess in the offset to get the centerline 10 feet inside the property line, I will put that in a tangent section.

I just wish he'd have designed off a real survey of the conditions and not an assumption that the mainline is centered on the 200' r.o.w.

>
> I just wish he'd have designed off a real survey

Don't we all wish.

Joe Glidden

would know this.

You are over thinking the switch go to PI

This switch and other CLs over the years due to tamper surfaceing may be a foot or two from its originals position...

defining the ROW as such and such from CL is weak.

The RW or way should be monumented and defined by the monuments not BY CL of track
even thou 80 years ago the monuments where defined by track CL

Are you installing a switch ??
Or establishing RW based on weak track definition ??

Put the PS on station - The rail crews require VERY VERY little else
Does the PS make agree with other Plan objects ???

I would typicaly put in the PS per coordinates or station and the measure to other objects to confirm.

then its in the ball park.

I typically layout most of the tracks that i design *(mainline and yard work)

so i pick a PS coord in cad and check measure against other plan object.

If the switches in yard work and mainline go in right everything else follows correctly

PK

PK

Joe Glidden

Does anyone know how he is doing or why he is not on here?
jud

Feel free to email or FAX a copy and I'll be glad to see if I can help. There are times I think I'm pretty good with RR stuff, and then there are other times. Also, have a couple of books that may help once I see the problem.

If you email, go directly to [email protected]

FAX 540 828 2683

dave

I don't think I'm over thinking anything. I am staking for a new turnout. Tamping only affects the position of what is there now, which is the mainline track. Criteria is 39 feet (one stick of rail) south of the existing turnout, two ten degree curves and ending up 10 feet from and parellel to the southwest property line. I would like to maintain the general geometry so that the material estimates come out the same and the storage length for the tank cars is somewhat close to design.

For what it's worth, I have calc'd a layout now that is within 0.2' of the design layout. Not an exact match, but close enough for railroad construction layout, I believe.

If I am having to recalc someone's design to make it fit field conditions, I certainly want to know what my important design criteria are.

Got an email from the rail engineer:

I'm on vacation at the present time.
This should help you:
Point of .Switch to P.I. = 30.17'
P.I. angle 6^21'35"
P.I. to Point of Frog = 42.75'
Let me know if this is what you needed.

Worked for me.

Years ago a retired UP Track Master was hired as a consultant by my co. to come in every week and review my track designs for an industrial project. He said all the contractor needed for any switch was the Point of Switch and the Point of Frog, period. The point of switch is the ends of the rails that move with the switch. The frog is the X rails near center of the switch. The point of frog is a particular width of the rail near the acutal point on the rail. It is back from the actual point by a set difference.

Talk to the contractor to find out what he wants. That is what I do if the engineer is not available.

The PC Starts Before The Point Of The Switch, Because

the point of the switch is not a point.

At the point the switch must have width to have any strength. On the inside curve there must be some distance for the track to diverge so that there is room for the point width. On the straight side, as the curved inside rail opens and widens the gauge a bit, the conic shape of the wheel rims allows the flange to move farther away from the rail so the wheel flange does not impact the point. The shiny part of the switch rail side where contact occurs should be at least a foot from the point.

Paul in PA

Joe Glidden

I posted a couple months ago; I talked to his son at an LSAW meeting. He said Jobo's doing fine. He got hacked by some spammers and it spooked him. He's a little gun shy about doing anything on the internet, now......

Damn Spammers......

Dugger