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Texas museum more ‘connected’ than ever
Can anyone clarify “vertical point switch”? By the description, I am inclined to think that it’s actually a “jump frog” turnout.
This excellent operation is worth a visit if in the area.
Congratulations Harley and to William Brotherton, too.
The continuous mainline rail turnout design is also referred to as a “vertical switch” because it functions by lifting wheels over the mainline rails, instead of providing a gap in the mainline rail for wheel flanges to pass through. This switch is similar to the lift frog design, which has been successfully implemented by North American freight railways. Like the lift frog, this design strongly favors the mainline in terms of ride quality and allowable speeds so is ideal for loops and industrial sidings accessed from the mainline.
@ Mr. Becker. Thank you. It sounds like it’s all about semantics. I would like to see a photo of the frog to determine if it is any different than the ones that I’ve seen and operated over. As a recently retired locomotive engineer on a major mainline railroad, I can attest to the superior ride quality (and longevity) of the design.
What kind of Metra cars? Bi-Levels? High liners?