Why are these springs necessary

Discuss park gauge trains and large scale miniature railways having track gauges from 8" to 24" gauge and designed at scales of 2" to the foot or greater - whether modeled for personal use, or purpose built for amusement park operation or private railroading.

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Topics may include: antique park gauge train restoration, preservation, and history; building new grand scale equipment from scratch; large scale miniature railway construction, maintenance, and safe operation; fallen flags; track, gauge, and equipment standards; grand scale vendor offerings; and, compiling an on-line motive power roster.
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kcameron
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by kcameron »

1:1 scale do have spring switches. I've seen them more on commuter type lines and trolly but sometimes elsewhere. Usually marked with a "S" sign as warning. Always a slow speed device from where i've seen them. But I don't recall looking close enough to remember how they were working.
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Soot n' Cinders
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

The Durango and Silverton has several in their yard and they’re not too far off from what we use in miniature.
-Tristan

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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by Erskine Tramway »

We had a Spring Switch on the standard gauge at West Gillette, Wyo. it's uphill out of the yard, and it saved the possibility of stalling out if you had to slow down to pick up the rear Brakeman after his closing the switch. Some of them were pretty old and couldn't always run fast enough to catch the waycar :>) The switch was protected by a color light signal. That signal was one of the two half-questions I got wrong on my Engineer promotion Book of Rules. I got the signal part correct, but I forgot to write down 'and comply with Rule 104.', which required you to inspect the points to make sure they were all the way over. Now, it's double track through there and there is a power operated double-crossover.

Several of the PRB mines had 'rubber' switches, that would throw themselves as you trailed through them. You could watch the target on the switch stand rotate as you went over them. I frightened a few Conductors doing that, when they were afraid we were running through a switch :>)

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
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NP317
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by NP317 »

A spring switch likely would have prevented my detour into the ballast!
RussN
1.jpg
tomc
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by tomc »

Glenn Brooks wrote: Wed Mar 16, 2022 3:25 pm Wondering if Anybody here has tried to use return springs with 12 pound rail, with switches made from 12 pound rail , say 12” or 15” inch gauge? Would this design work at these larger gauges?Thanks,
Glenn
Glenn, we use this type on our 8lb and 12lb switches without any problems.

Tom C.
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tomc
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by tomc »

NP317 wrote: Thu Mar 17, 2022 11:47 am A spring switch likely would have prevented my detour into the ballast!
RussN1.jpg
Russ, you were going the wrong direction for a spring switch to help!

Tom C.
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NP317
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by NP317 »

tomc wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 9:57 am
NP317 wrote: Thu Mar 17, 2022 11:47 am A spring switch likely would have prevented my detour into the ballast!
RussN1.jpg
Russ, you were going the wrong direction for a spring switch to help!

Tom C.
Technically yes.
But a spring might have properly closed the points and kept my loco on the rails.
Temp was mid-90s F. and the long control rod to the switch stand was undoubtedly elongated, causing the specific problem.
So goes life.

And Thank You RMAC for correcting the photo orientation. Maybe it also needed a spring...
RussN
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rmac
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by rmac »

:D
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Bill Shields
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by Bill Shields »

So...at what temperature are the turnouts in the drawing calibrated to 'be in position'?

Picture does not appear to be in desert area so guess that 90F is an unusually high temp?

Gotta love springs...they are the equal of the carpenter's "putty to fit and paint to match" :mrgreen:
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Glenn Brooks wrote: Wed Mar 16, 2022 3:25 pm Wondering if Anybody here has tried to use return springs with 12 pound rail, with switches made from 12 pound rail , say 12” or 15” inch gauge?

Would this design work at these larger gauges?

Thanks,
Glenn
Hi Glenn...

On the R&GN Ry., our 12-pound rail spring switches had an ear welded on the bottom center of the throw bar. The throw rod from the switch stand was threaded where it went through the hole in the ear. There was a spring and nut on each side of the ear to tension the springs, and that was how they were adjusted. We used our regular truck springs for the job. They worked fine.

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
Curtis_F
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by Curtis_F »

Glenn Brooks wrote: Wed Mar 16, 2022 3:25 pm Wondering if Anybody here has tried to use return springs with 12 pound rail, with switches made from 12 pound rail , say 12” or 15” inch gauge?
Would this design work at these larger gauges?
Glenn,

Spring switches are the standard for all of the RVRy affiliated 15" gauge railroads.
RVRY No6 Switch.JPG
Cheers,
Curtis
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Curtis_F
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Re: Why are these springs necessary

Post by Curtis_F »

For Reference: Here's a drawing from the Norfolk Western Historical Society of a Ramapo "Safety" Switch Stand. The top handle doesn't lock in place instead, it has a pair of springs that locked the switch stand into position. Thus if a train went through the closed side of the switch the points could be forced over and the switch stand would flop over. Switch stands like this were not meant to prevent derailments, they were meant to save the switch points from being mangled by the train bending them as it forced its way through.
Ramapo Safety Switch - Norfolk Western Historical Society HS-D10201.jpg
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