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Movable point frog

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: North Dakota
  • 9,559 posts
Posted by BroadwayLion on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 5:23 PM

KibuFox

They're going to really only be in locations where there's heavy traffic, like intermodal, or automobile transport. I think that you're going to want to look along UP, or BNSF mains for them. Not sure if NS has any off hand.

 

 

 No, the Long Island Rail Road has been placing these on all of their new construction. Manufacture's websit says that they are made from #6 to #32.7 wich is good for trains moving at 65 miles per hour. That photo on UP looks like it is longer than that. I suspect there is no top end that you could build for a high speed railroad.

The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.

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  • From: Central Iowa
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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, June 26, 2021 6:38 PM

The Milwaukee Road Warrior

The Union Pacific double mainline right smack thru the middle of Boone, Iowa has movable frogs on both mains.  By coincidence I was thru there just yesterday (!) and took pictures of these exact objects because I was wondering what the heck they were...

EDIT:

Just found this photo from the location I'm referencing.  This is facing east towards the yard and shops.  The UP office is out of frame to the right.  This grade crossing location is Story Street between 9th and 10th.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jterry618/51171294761/in/photolist-2kXQg9M-Tze3z5-2gMrfuj-2gToSCL-2iYi2wU-2jZaMVM-2jZ65xk-2jZ6fSP-vrmhYN-2gx2RqH-2gBNviq-uM8WLt-2kXQgbL-2iZM5hC-dVC5ze-2gYzJwj-2gyUH3d-2dXDyja-2gFCPYM-2iSzuZF-pnzS19-2gG8yF5-2bLCvVy-2gLxBGT-Tze3Hm-2jZaB8Q-k5PKM2-2gEtzLC-mDiVN9-2gzD3dn-23eNXrU-2jZaBdK-23hqn4k-2krYbtE-2jZ9Mux-21Vg23p-2kXUjUC-2gF7bud-27m2AHY-2jZ65Lg-24BBG89-pbzqw8-vHVqg6-vrsxUX-q6dWU9-pQVEJU-q89E2n-pbzmrz-pbzseX-EYcLiF/

 

 

All the turnouts, except for the one going into the yard are 40 mph.  The one for the yard, not a moveable point frog, is for practical purposes a 10 mph.  The speed allowed on the yard lead. 

Jeff 

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Posted by Outsailing86 on Saturday, June 26, 2021 6:19 PM

UP has more than all class 1's combined (excluding Amtrak northeast corridor)

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Posted by The Milwaukee Road Warrior on Saturday, June 26, 2021 4:35 PM

The Union Pacific double mainline right smack thru the middle of Boone, Iowa has movable frogs on both mains.  By coincidence I was thru there just yesterday (!) and took pictures of these exact objects because I was wondering what the heck they were...

EDIT:

Just found this photo from the location I'm referencing.  This is facing east towards the yard and shops.  The UP office is out of frame to the right.  This grade crossing location is Story Street between 9th and 10th.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jterry618/51171294761/in/photolist-2kXQg9M-Tze3z5-2gMrfuj-2gToSCL-2iYi2wU-2jZaMVM-2jZ65xk-2jZ6fSP-vrmhYN-2gx2RqH-2gBNviq-uM8WLt-2kXQgbL-2iZM5hC-dVC5ze-2gYzJwj-2gyUH3d-2dXDyja-2gFCPYM-2iSzuZF-pnzS19-2gG8yF5-2bLCvVy-2gLxBGT-Tze3Hm-2jZaB8Q-k5PKM2-2gEtzLC-mDiVN9-2gzD3dn-23eNXrU-2jZaBdK-23hqn4k-2krYbtE-2jZ9Mux-21Vg23p-2kXUjUC-2gF7bud-27m2AHY-2jZ65Lg-24BBG89-pbzqw8-vHVqg6-vrsxUX-q6dWU9-pQVEJU-q89E2n-pbzmrz-pbzseX-EYcLiF/

 

Andy

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Milwaukee native modeling the Milwaukee Road in 1950's Milwaukee.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/196857529@N03/

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  • From: Central Iowa
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Posted by jeffhergert on Friday, May 14, 2021 9:08 PM

7j43k

I've never really noticed much noise going through the one at West Kennard.  

UP just recently replaced a moveable point frog with a spring frog at a control point about 10 miles west of Clinton IA.  The turnouts at the CP are 40 mph.  A conductor was able to talk with the foreman doing the work.  The foreman didn't understand why they were doing it* when they've been upgrading CPs out on the western end of the system.  The foreman made it sound like other CPs may also lose their moveable point frogs in favor of spring frogs.

* Beyond the obvious cost of maintaing the frog machine and the frog heater.

Jeff    

 

 
jeffhergert

There are places where spring frogs are used at turnouts with higher speeds on both routes.  I know of at least one 40 mph turnout that was a siding switch but now is the switch at the end of two main tracks.

Jeff

 

 

 

 

So, what's it sound like when a train goes through that spring frog at 40 MPH?  I'm thinking "impressive".

 

Ed

 

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Posted by Outsailing86 on Saturday, May 8, 2021 4:51 PM

Usually fitted with a hydraulic retarder to slow down the closure of the wing rail

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Posted by 7j43k on Saturday, May 8, 2021 2:10 PM

jeffhergert

There are places where spring frogs are used at turnouts with higher speeds on both routes.  I know of at least one 40 mph turnout that was a siding switch but now is the switch at the end of two main tracks.

Jeff

 

 

So, what's it sound like when a train goes through that spring frog at 40 MPH?  I'm thinking "impressive".

 

Ed

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Central Iowa
  • 6,750 posts
Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, May 8, 2021 11:46 AM

There are places where spring frogs are used at turnouts with higher speeds on both routes.  I know of at least one 40 mph turnout that was a siding switch but now is the switch at the end of two main tracks.

Jeff

  • Member since
    May 2004
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Posted by 7j43k on Saturday, May 8, 2021 11:32 AM

Sprung frogs (or should that be sprung wing rails?) are only used where a seldom used (and low speed) track joins a highly used (and usually high speed) track.

There is such a thing at Lyle, WA.  On the river side of the main, there is a siding that used to go around the back of the station.  On the east end of the siding, there is a switch with a sprung frog.  It's different than the drawing of one, above, in that there's only a spring on one side, not both.

Traffic can only leave by that switch.  It cannot enter.  The siding is used for MOW equipment and/or car storage.  The OTHER end cannot be a sprung frog, of course; because then you couldn't enter the siding at all.

On examining a photo of the frog, I see that there's a groove worn into the top of the closure/wing rail, parallel to the main, and about a rail width BEYOND the outer edge of the main track rail.  This implies some pretty badly worn wheels, where the area of the wheel adjacent to the flange has been worn down below the level at the outer face of the wheel.  About 1/4" on the wheel radius, or 1/2" on the diameter is my guess.  And it ain't just one wheel.

The switch is also remotely locked, as I saw a guy "phoning home" to get it unlocked (so he could leave, using that switch).

 

Ed

  • Member since
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  • From: Huron, SD
  • 1,016 posts
Posted by Bayfield Transfer Railway on Saturday, May 8, 2021 12:38 AM
  1. The àpproach to the Soo Line's Ashland, WI ore dock had a sprung frog.  Sadly torn down.

Disclaimer:  This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.

Michael Mornard

Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!

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