Switch or Turnout?

[Capt Bob Johnson]

I normally use switch. Many towns here on Delmarva Peninsula are named for switches located nearby. As in "Walston's Switch" Haven't ever heard of "_____ Turnout" as a town name! Oh, how bout Minnie Pearl's "Grinder's Switch"?

I had figured that turnout was a phrase brought over from Europe. I know a lot of our friends from the isles call them points, but to me the points are the ends of the movable part of the whole switch unit that move to direct a train from one set of tracks to another!

[Anonymous]

I said switch, due to that was the term my dad taught me at a young age.

[Train 284]

Points refer to the blades at the bottom of the switch, the baldes, if you will.

[Train 284]

I usually just use switch, since I have to explain track components to other people. Becomes a habit I suppose!

[tangerine-jack]

Makes no difference really. The term "switch" is more correct, the term "turnout" was created in the indoor model RR world to differentiate between a RR switch and an electrical switch. Now in the garden, it depends on if you have powered rails or not as to which term you would use I suppose. Not that it really matters because the phrase " [censored] the train derailed at the switch" is seldom mistaken to mean that the train ran over a 12v DPDT electrical switch which would have no buisiness at all being on the track, let alone in such a position as to derail an 80lb train.



[oX)]

[GP-9_Man11786]

I have been involved with trains since the second grade and had never heard the term "Turnout" used until I started reading GR in 1998. Which term do you guys use?