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Double Slip Stub Switch

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  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Northview, Missouri
  • 409 posts
Posted by JamesP on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 7:41 PM

There is another prototype picture on page 68 of my reprint of George B. Abdill's book Civil War Railroads.  Just like the others have said, it is two stubs back to back, with all four rails from one of the switches running parallel to each other for about 10 ties.  It is operated by a 3 position harp switchstand.  In the center position, each of the straight routes of each turnout goes to the diverging route of the other turnout.  The other positions route straight to straight or diverging to diverging.  Except for the moveable section with four rails, it is basically two stubs back to back.  I believe that most harps had three positions, even though just two of them were used for a normal stub.  The three positions were used for this type of switch and three-way stubs.

 BTW, I enjoyed the link to the O scale USMRR railroad!

 - James

  • Member since
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  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
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Posted by dknelson on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 8:27 AM

This was discussed in a late 1960s vintage "Bull Session" in Model Railroader which is seemingly not indexed as to topic.  If I run across it I will try to post the cite to the issue.  What I do recall from the discussion is that a stub switch double slip would be in theory the most simple type of double slip. 

Dave

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Western, MA
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Posted by richg1998 on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 1:17 AM

wedudler

 I'm looking for more information about Double Slip Stub Switches.

I want to scratch build one in H0n3 and need prototype informations.

Thank you

 Wolfgang


 

Hi Wolfgang

I would recommend joining the Yahoo Early Rail group as some there also belong to a Yahoo Civil War group. There are knowledgeable CW types in those groups. That switch was used during the USA Civil War, 1861 to 1865. No doubt before also.

I have some USA Civil War railroad books that show that type of switch in some yards. One book I think it was called a puzzle switch.

During the CW here, there was standard gauge and at least two or three broad gauges.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EarlyRail/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Civil_War_RRs/

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

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    February 2005
  • From: Southwest US
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Posted by tomikawaTT on Monday, November 9, 2009 3:18 PM

The keys:

Only one side moves.  The other side is fixed.

The switch throw mechanism has to have a center position, rather like a three-way stub switch.

Note that the original was on the U.S. Military Railway - presumably built in Atlanta after Sherman marched out and the fire cooled during the Civil War.  Look at the rail - way too light for anything much heavier than a skinny-boilered 4-4-0.

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Omaha, NE
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Posted by dehusman on Monday, November 9, 2009 2:54 PM

wedudler
I want to scratch build one in H0n3 and need prototype informations

 

You may have all the information there is.  I have only seen one picture of such a switch and you already have a link to it.

Its probably not a very common switch arrangement.

Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 2,299 posts
Posted by Dave-the-Train on Monday, November 9, 2009 1:53 PM

From the pics you've linked to the things are toe-to-toe stub points as posted above.

A single or double slip starts its design with a diamond crossing of two tracks at an angle to each other.  A slip then adds either one or two routes that enable movement from one track to the other through a connecting route.  This could be done with stubs instead of points.

Sorry I can't provide pics or a diagram...

Maybe this will make sense...

Take an example of a conventional slip with point blades...

I'm going to have to diverge...

To make a switch stub instead of bladed you would...

  • take away the last 4 metres of so of both blades to the tip ...
  • take away the adjacent stock rail (fixed rail) for the same length...
  • replace all this with straight rails pivoted where the tips of the blades used to be.

I hope that made sense!

All you have to do to make a stubbed slip is the same change of blades and stock rails for moveable stub rails.

The big question for most slips would be whether there is enough length to get sufficient switch movement without there being a huge kink in the direction of the rails.

That said...

Most slips are what would usually be known as an "inside slip". 

With an inside slip one of the curved rails of each slip is inside the diamond.  [The other one has to be outside].  This is the main thing that limits the lengths of rails in a slip formation... which is the thing that would make a stub slip very difficult.

There is such a thing as an "outside slip".

With an outside slip both curved connecting rails are outside the diamond.  Some people would say that this isn't a slip... however, if you see one on the ground you probably would call it a slip!.

With an outside slip you effectively have a diamond set between two switches that are shoved right up close to it.  The connecting rails/track between the crossing tracks are so close to the diamond that the rail(s) nearest the diamond can be extremely short.

If you have a diamond with switches either side of it that allow movements to pass on the connecting tracks at the same time you have a diamond surrounded by switches and connecting tracks.  When the switches are shoved up close to the diamond so that you cannot have movements on both connecting tracks at the same time (without a collision) you have an outside slip.

Just to confuse the issue there is an example at Crewe of a slip that has one connecting route as an inside slip and the other as an outside slip.

Can someone provide a diagram please?

Cool

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Posted by wedudler on Monday, November 9, 2009 1:31 PM

 Any information will be good. For now I've made a drawing with two stub turnouts. But I would like to build it more prototypically.

There's one switch stand and you move the rails to the right for the next six ties. You have three positions for four routes.

Wolfgang

Pueblo & Salt Lake RR

Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de          my videos        my blog

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  • From: Colorful Colorado
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Posted by Texas Zepher on Monday, November 9, 2009 1:15 PM

wedudler
 I'm looking for more information about Double Slip Stub Switches.

I want to scratch build one in H0n3 and need prototype informations.

Interesting.  I would never suspected such a thing existed, and seeing it now I don't think I would have called it a slip switch. 

What information do you need?  From the pictures in the provided link it seems pretty straight forward.  Basically just build two stub switches back to back (is that stub to stub?!Shock).

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Germany
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Double Slip Stub Switch
Posted by wedudler on Monday, November 9, 2009 12:28 PM

 I'm looking for more information about Double Slip Stub Switches.

I want to scratch build one in H0n3 and need prototype informations.

Thank you

 Wolfgang


Pueblo & Salt Lake RR

Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de          my videos        my blog

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