Switches, points & turnouts

Sun Apr 8 17:04:44 EDT 2018

I grew up calling the whole unit of points, frogs, guard rails and 
switch stands a switch until I went out on an inspection with a FRA man. 
Those are TURNOUTS, he whispered! Same thing happened when I told a 
botany instructor that we were setting plsnts in really good dirt. In no 
uncertain terms I was told that dirt is under your fingernails and 
plants grow in soil.

     WJPowers

On 4/8/2018 2:06 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> All
>
> I am aware this is NOT the modeling list, but I have been led to 
> believe over my 65 years of listening to people that the following is 
> generally true.
> A) the term "turnout" came into model railroad parlance to distinguish 
> the track "switch" from the electrical "switch" used to control track 
> blocks, and other functions.
> B) to add to the confusion, model Turnouts are operated by switch 
> machines.
> C) track switches determine the route selected by movable rails called 
> "points".
> D) In the UK, the common term for track work that allows for diverging 
> or crossing is just "points" or "point work".
> E)  I have not had recent contact with professional railroad 
> operations folks, but in my earlier years it was always "switches" and 
> nothing else.
>
> I guess as long as one knows the context, it doesn't matter what term 
> we use.   Since I have no track power on my layout, and I use manual 
> throws, I will always have "switches" on my model railroad.
>
> Jim Stapleton
>
> On Apr 8, 2018, at 10:41, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List 
> <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:
>
>> Jack,
>>
>> That must have been a neat experience. I liked the H16-44's but to 
>> have done a similar thing in an N&W steamer would have been much better.
>>
>> As to "turnouts" vs "switches" all I can say is those are the 2 words 
>> for those things and it always seems whichever one I use people 
>> listening want the other one. Like when I was working for the airline 
>> all those long years. I worked "swing" or "evening" shift a few of 
>> them. When talking about it to others no matter which term I used the 
>> other folks would come back with the other one. Just can't win! 
>> Obviously both words get the message across. lol
>>
>> Lets keep the reminiscences coming as they are neat to hear.
>>
>> Roger Huber
>> Deer Creek Locomotive Works
>>
>>
>> On Sunday, April 8, 2018, 8:02:04 AM CDT, NW Mailing List via 
>> NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org 
>> <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Back in the 50’s, when I was a child and growing up in South Norfolk, 
>> I had an occasion or two to ride with an uncle, who was a hostler, 
>> around the Norfolk and Western Lambert’s Point Yard.  I remember the 
>> excitement I felt when the fireman opened the firebox to shovel in 
>> coal. We went to the ash pit to dump the ashes, we went across the 
>> turntable to the roundhouse, and I watched as coal and water was 
>> loaded on the tender.  I don’t remember a lot of the details, but I 
>> remember it was a lot of fun for a small child, me!!
>>
>>
>> It also occurs to me that in those days, turnouts around the 
>> Lambert's Point Yard were called switches!!
>>
>> Jack
>>
>>
>>
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