# SWITCH PARTS NAMES?



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Who has a link to the names of the parts of a switch.


What is the part that slides sideways to select which way the car is going to go called?

It seems I have a problem that when the switch is selected to go straight thee is not enough room between the sliding rail part and the straight part for the flange to pass through. 

Am I making sense ? 

That is why I want to know the names of the parts. 

JJ


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Points move, cut the bar between them to move them closer. 

Did you check the back to back on the offending wheels? 

John


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Do you mean the points'? That may be just a British term. 

Andrew


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Remember that smart wheel press you devised? 
Remember why? 

Sign of the times... 

John


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By Totalwrecker on 01 Apr 2013 02:56 PM 
Points move, cut the bar between them to move them closer. 

Did you check the back to back on the offending wheels? 

John 
I am not 100 % sure but I don't think it is a wheel guage problem.


It looks like the wheel is too fat.

I am waiting for a battery to charge so I can take one of my NW-2A out and run some cars on the layout and through this switch.

Sure was some interest in my question is such a short period of time ........Thanks for the response 

JJ


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

If the back to back of the wheels is too small how do they get through the guard rails opposite the frog? There is less room there on an LGB switch for example. What make and radius switch is it? 

Andrew


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Ok What should the back to back measurement be? 

1.75? 

The switch is a Aristo # 6 I think It is one of the long ones used to make cross overs 

JJ


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Are you sure it is the points that are the problem? You might have too deeper flanges on some cars, on many switches the wheel actually rolls on the flange's edge through the switch frog. They are designed to work that way. An over deep flange will derail. 

Andrew


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

One thing to watch for should you alter the switch, be sure the points are snug when thrown. 

What brand of wheel? Plastic or metal? 

Good to see you back on the Railroad. 
Revived threads are full of missed names. 

John


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

A quick check of an old Aristo wheelset read; 1.57", that's a ball park figure. 

John


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

John

If I'm not mistaken it is 1.575" back-to-back.

Oops, sorry, I see that Totalwrecker beat me to it.


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Gee, I thought 1.75? How do they sit in the gauge? The flanges must be like a cigarette paper! 
Yeah they should be like about what John said and maybe they aren't closing fully. Might need a better spring or a good clean etc. 

One thing to look out for is make sure where the switch is joined to the track before it. Make sure you have correct gauge at the joiners. If not you can poke a small brass nail in the side of the joiner to correct.

Andrew


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ, might be more than you wanted, but here is a link to a diagram:  switch components diagram


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

many 1:29 locos and cars have flanges that are too THICK, so it makes it impossible to have the right back to back AND the gauge in one wheelset. 

Traditionally manufacturers have made the gauge right, which makes the back to back too narrow. 

Then they widened the guard rail flangeways and the wing rail flangeways to accomodate this. 

Even then you run into the problem JJ has, there is probably nothing wrong with the switch, but there is not enough clearance between the stock rail (outer rail) and the closure rails (the moving rails). 

Cutting and shortening the THROWBAR or THROWROD (his original question) is sometimes the only recourse, but then you need additional travel from your switch motor if fitted. 

Greg


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

between the stock rail (outer rail) and the closure rails (the moving rails).The points are the moving rails. Closure rails are the short rail sections between the pivot end of the points (prototype "joint") and the frog.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Whups, my bad... that is what happens when you don't proof your post!


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

The issue of the clearance between the points and the wheel turned out to be more than one problem 


I solved one problem by making me some of these

Manual Switch throws. 




http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/aff/9/aft/126428/afv/topic/Default.aspx


One of the other causes was crap in the points.

The third was wheel gauge.

Wheel gauge was a problem down the line.......( literally) 

I made a tool a long time ago to make setting wheel gauge easy.

Think I could find it?









No.....Had to make another one. 

JJ


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

JJ you shoulda looked at Greg E's page, he has it there!









I found another problem on a Wide L manual switch. The heel of a point rail was too long and prevented an easy throw. The manual controller was strong enough to bend/force it over, but not a new spring control. 
I lifted the switch, removed the pointrail and filed the heel.

John


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