Why "frog"?

[TBat55]

I've been into railroads a long time, but don't know why a turnout frog is called a frog.

Any history on this?

[Anonymous]

 Wikipedia is your friend...

Railroad switch:

 

scroll down a little and there is your  explanation!

 

 

[Javelina]

It was the only username available? No, seriously, it's because it looks like one (a frog), viewed from above. Kind of like the "frog kick" in swimming.

[TBat55]

Thanks!  I never noticed it looks like a leaping frog.  And now I know what a "toad" is.

[dknelson]

The fellow or folks who did that Wikipedia entry did an unusually fine job, overall.  I was interested to see that the Australians have their own term for frog: K-rail.  That makes sense too.

The FastTracks people have created a very nice YouTube video on how frogs work.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbSmoUH1Cqk

Somewhere in my library I have a railroad book of British photos that shows a very old colliery railway which had OUTSIDE flanges (I think the cars might have been pushed by hand).  [I hoped to find such pictures on the internet but so far no luck.]  The frogs and points and switches look bizarre and funny to our eyes.  I always wondered if a person would lose NMRA AP points by building such track for their certificate!

Dave Nelson

[Anonymous]

 Dave,

just to add another word to your vocabulary on "frogs" - in Germany it is a "Herzstück" or "heart piece". Personally, I find the word frog more descriptive and thus appropriate!

 

[potlatcher]

I believe the word frog also applies to the V-shaped indentation in the bottom of a horse's hoof.  Since humans have been dealing with horses for millenia, I assume this terminology was in use long before someone needed to describe the "thingy-dingy" where the two rails cross.  I think it more likely that the resemblance between the frog of a horse's hoof and that railroad switch "thingy-dingy" led to it also being called a frog.

Tom

[steemtrayn]

I've heard slip switches referered to as "spiders" (eight legs, get it?).

[mokenarr]

 I think its because they were held together with  "Rivits"  ;)

[hardcoalcase]

 I think its because they were held together with  "Rivits"  ;)

[/quote]

Good one!

Jim[quote user="mokenarr"]