The rail operations at the Golden Spike NHS replicate 1869 as closely as possible. As a result, they use stub switches instead of switches with points. Does anyone know of other places that use stub switches?
dd
Some logging operations, mostly in the old south on un regulated lines not under FRA jurisdiction.
To add to what Mudchicken said, the only other place you’re going to see them on railroad museums and displays.
The East Broad Top has several of them in their Rockhill Furnace,PA yard. Allowed only because it comes under the “Historic” heading.
The Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden has a few including a three way.
I do not remember seeing a stub switch on the grounds,… Thought they were all split point, even the triple throw at the 44th Street entrance.[%-)][%-)][%-)]
I’ve never seen a stub switch in person, I bet they are neat to see operate.
They’re actually pretty simple UPTRAIN. Just like the point style, they have a frog, , and the rails coming down to where the points would start. This part is all spiked down to the ties. The approach rail is what actually moves. The first 6 feet or so of rail isn’t spiked down, but held to gauge by metal rods between the rails. This is the part that actually moves, and the source of the slang “bend the iron” for throwing a switch, because you literally are bending the iron. There are spikes or iron castings to hold the approach rails at the extremes of the throw. If I can find a picture or diagram link, I’ll post it.
Here’s the one at the East Broad Top, incidentally in it’s original position when the EBT was a common carrier:
Interestingly, two stub switches back to back was the effective equivalent of a double slip switch, and possibly less prone to operator error than the real double slip. in the sense that the routing was more obvious just by looking at the rails.
Not a stub switch but there is also a type of switch seen on trolley systems involving one moving part that I think might be seen at a few trolley museum. Some O scale trolley modelers have them on their layouts that I have operated.
Dave Nelson
No Dave, the one in the picture is a 3 way switch, and these were made in the point type, too. One incoming route, three outgoing routes. A double slip switch is two incoming routes, and two outgoing routes.
One problem with a stub switch is that there is no support of the wheel when crossing from the approach rail to either of the diverging rails. Thus, there is a lot of pounding as the wheels cross the gap. Definately not for high speed.
dd
Stub switches are also almost impossible to throw in hot weather, when the rails expand and press against each other.
Street railways used single-point switches, which had one movable point on the outside rail of the diverging route.
and that’s by no means the only problem with them! It doesn’t take much in the way of misadjustment to put the whole train on the ground.
The single-point streetcar switch is still in use on many operating systems, including Philadelphia on all the lines after they leave the subway portal in West Philadelphia, in San Francisco beyond the Twin Peaks Tunnel, in Toronto on every line except possibly the Harborfront. The single point acts as the guide RAIL for taking the curve and as the flanges’ GUIDE-RAIL or GUARD-RAIL for the straight path. Generally the switch is designed so the vehicle rides on the flange through the area where the point operates with gradual ramping of the flangeway and often this is maintained all the way through the frog on curved path. It is still the preferred switch even in new construction (New Orleans, for example) for in-street tracks, and especially when buses and/or private cars and trucks uses the same right-of-way. It can be motorized, but hand throw is simple with a “switch iron” that moves the point directly with arm muscle effort. Trailing operation almost always will move the point to the right position if set wrong.
Some streetcar and interurban lines also used stub switches for open trackwork not in pavement, and I recall seeing some in old track in yards, possibly in Clear Lake and Waterloo, Iowa, 1952. Also, Uniontown, PA.