# Turnout point design



## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

I'm curious why the various track manufacturers seem to follow the small scale practice of curving the stock rails and milling away the inside flange (and in some cases even cutting notches), instead of following the prototype practice of using a solid stock rail with a kink in it, and a point which butts against that?

I understand the problem in the small scales. It's difficult to make that point. Now, I have done it successfully in N scale using code 40 rail in a #10 turnout, so I know it's possible, but it's also a bit of a challenge. Working with code 250 or larger rail, though, it would seem to be a much simpler task. Is there a practical reason for NOT following prototype practice here, possibly related to different wheel and track standards? Or is it simply a matter of "this is how it's done on a model railroad"?


That N scale #10 turnout worked flawlessly, by the way. I would argue that the N scale wheel and track standards are far looser than any large scale standards.


I'm really not trying to pick a fight of call anybody backward. I'm honestly curious, because there might really be a good reason for doing things the way they are done. Then again, maybe nobody thought to try it. I'm sure somebody on this forum knows, and several somebodys will tell me so.


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## ConrailRay (Jan 2, 2008)

@import url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Provide...ad.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css); Hi Kenneth, 

My guess would be its cheaper/easier to mill the flange off the stock rail and make a flat edge on the points in one big pass, rather then to have several passes to contour the point properly. 

I just checked my Conrail MOW Track Program book and they show that they put an undercut in the stock rail head from 9 to 14ft long (more or less depending on the switch number) and the points are specifically shaped to fit into this. Undercutting the stock rail head seems to make it a much tighter and smoother fit. Not to mention the tops of the points start off slightly lower then the stock rail head and gradually increases to the same height for a smoother transition. 

Llagas Creek has casted point rails that would fit into the stock rails without any modifications to the stock rails. 

-Ray


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