Strange Switches

[magickmaker]

Some time ago I happened upon the article describing these type of "safety switches" from yester year.

It always struck me odd, but at the time I didn't think to post about them here. Now, after searching and searching, I bring you images and diagrams of these odd switches.

First is the Wharton Safety Switch.

http://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/railway/wharton.htm

Second, the MacPherson Switch

http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/tkmacph1.Html


so what makes these two switches special? Why it's how they worked. Simply put, the main line has no frog. In fact, the switches of this type never have frogs. They raise the train up and over the rails.

Really neat, though I wonder why they fell out of favor.

 

[bendorsey]

I'd guess at anything other then dead slow the cars would experience a "bump" where one set of rails passes over the other set of rails. Neat looking tho.

Ben

 

[MAGLEVSX]

Very Interesting!

 

[perry_weekley]

Makes me wonder what a train going at 70 miles an hour would feel. That would be a big Bump.

 

[magickmaker]

From what research I've done, I think they were only used on real slow speed points, like a diverging point to an industry, or a derail.


Having said that, It'd be fun if someone could make one of these in Trainz...