Hello. I was looking at the Proto87 stores website and I´ve seen they sell a turnout with bent rail frog and a turnout with manganese frog. What is the difference between bent rail frog and manganese frog?
Quick answer:
Manganese frog is a steel alloy cast in one piece and the rails bolt directly to it.
A bent rail frog is generally used in yards and areas of lighter traffic and is fabricated out of just that, bent and formed sections of rail.
There's also a movable point frog which is sprung and displaced by the passing wheel flange and some are moved in conjunction with the points by levers which are actuated by the point motor. On high speed crossings the points have to be aligned to the routed traffic almost like switchpoints.
Take a look at the frog in the right foreground of this Shorpy photo. It is both a sprung AND a bent rail frog. See the pipe like things, they contain springs. This helps reduce wear at the point of the frog by supporting more of the wheel tread.
http://www.shorpy.com/node/16538?size=_original#caption
Manganese Frog...
Bent rail or fabricated frog...
Others may be able to contribute more details but this is a quick rundown. Take care, Ed
The first photo above looks like a self-guarding frog. When installed into a turnout it would look like this:
Note that this turnout lacks guard rails or frog wing rails. Self-guarding frogs are also available from the Proto 87 Stores. These are almost always limited to low-speed trackage.
Here's a typical manganese insert. Compare to the frog on most model turnouts.
Rob Spangler
wp8thsub
Man look at how white that ballast is. That ain't very prototypical. I wonder where that is?
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
BATMANMan look at how white that ballast is. That ain't very prototypical.
And check out all the ballast on top of the ties. Looks like somebody needed to do a better job brushing it around before adding glue.
wp8thsubAnd check out all the ballast on top of the ties. Looks like somebody needed to do a better job brushing it around before adding glue.
This calls for a 4 foot foam brush!
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!