I am trying to run my trains [HO & N] like real railroads & just installed a switch [powered & hand throw] & the power part does not work [we are trying to sent up [dad & I] a way so to operate it from both sides of the layout], & I want to know if a train can go over the switch if thrown wrong? I mean I have 1 train [main track] & sided track [were the station is], so if I am headed towards the switch & it does goes over it ok. But I want to know what real railroads do if switch do not work, thanks & God bless you all.
Bob
We have a bunch of solar switches in our service track area. All you have to do is push a button and it flops over. problem is if the bateries go dead ( it happens at night and or on cloudy days)you have to hand pump the switch. Thats not fun at all. Our north wye switch has been having this issue now,and the maintenence in the way guys havent fixed it ....yet. We are calling it the pension switch.It will be fixed when the guy fixing it retires!!or not.
You dont want to run through a switch. You dont want to hurt yourself as a conductor,if the switch is hard to throw you tag it out. A hard to throw switch isnt good. There could be a problem and that could put you on the ground and tear up equipment. So Highball the work and call the section gang in.
Hope this helps some and welcome aboard!! Glad you and dad are having fun.
Yes we are on time but this is yesterdays train
ENIGEERBOB wrote:I am trying to run my trains [HO & N] like real railroads ... I want to know if a train can go over the switch if thrown wrong?
All the turnouts in this area work that way because there is so much traffic. This area is also the beginning of the "joint line" going south, it is where transfers from the old UP east Denver yard come in, Amtrak turns their California Zephyr here, and it is also where BNSF locomotives cross the main to get to the loco shops. Very busy and active.
On the other hand, I've seen turnouts on the main line (Rock Island in Elbing Kansas) where the point rail moves all the way down so that the rail at the frog shifts over and does not have a gap in it. So a train coming the wrong direction would certainly hop over that and derail. The only model railroad turnouts that I've seen that operate like this were the old TrueScale "speed" turnouts. On the other hand the Peco brand (both HO and N) turnouts have a pretty stiff spring in them and I am guessing a train coming the wrong way will not be able to push their way through and jump the track.
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In the Denver yard all but like a few switches are flop overs.The ones that are are painted yellow were( of course they had a few "black tops" that were flopsover but had never gotten the "yellow top treatment),but the bridge switch when I was there was a throw or else switch. Last time I was there was end of July so if they changed it,its about dang time lol.
I used to love pulling out of 33rd and looking back from the bridge there and seeing most of my train. I was going North but the rear was going south while the middle was going west!
route_rock wrote: In the Denver yard all but like a few switches are flop overs.The ones that are are painted yellow were( of course they had a few "black tops" that were flopsover but had never gotten the "yellow top treatment),but the bridge switch when I was there was a throw or else switch. Last time I was there was end of July so if they changed it,its about dang time lol. I used to love pulling out of 33rd and looking back from the bridge there and seeing most of my train. I was going North but the rear was going south while the middle was going west!