 POINTS & CROSSINGS

 An arrangement to connect parallel or diverging routes

 NECESSITY OF POINTS & CROSSINGS
• Diversion of train from one track to another is controlled automatically by
wheel flanges, unlike steering the wheels of roadway vehicles.
• Points and crossings are special arrangement for this diversion
• Provide flexibility of movement by connecting one line to another
• Helps to impose restrictions over turnouts to retard movement
• Weak kinks or points in the track and are susceptible to derailment
 TURNOUTS
• Simplest combination of points and crossings.
• Enable one track either a branch line or a sliding, to take off from
another track.
 Objective;
• To provide facility for safe movement of trains in either direction on
both tracks.
 PARTS OF A TURNOUT

 A pair of points or switches (ABCD  Switch tie-plate/Gauge tie-

& EFPQ) chair/crossing tie-plate
 A pair of stock rails  Bearing plates, slide chairs,
stretcher bars
 A Vee crossing (GHIJ)
 Rods, cranks, levers etc.(for
 Two check rails
operating the points)
 Four lead rails
 Locking box, lock bar, plunger bar
 Two wing rails (locking system)
 Studs or stops
 Facing direction
• One standing at the toe of switch and looks towards the crossing

 Trailing Direction
• One standing at crossing and looks towards the switches

 Facing point of turnouts

• Train passes over switch first & then over the switch
• Point may be ‘facing’ or ‘trailing’ depending on direction of
movement of train
 RIGHT HAND & LEFT HAND TURNOUT

• RIGHT HAND TURNOUT

 Train from main track is diverted to the right of the main route in the
facing direction
 LEFT HAND TURNOUT
• Train from main track is diverted to the left of the main route in the
facing direction
 STRECHER BAR

• used to connect the toe of the tongue rails so that both the tongues
moves through the same distance or gap
• Generally 2 or 3 bars are used near and behind the toe
 A PAIR OF SWITCHES

 Consists of a tongue rail & stock rail

 Tongue rail
• Tapered with toe at one end & heel at other end
• Fixed at heel & move about this point
• In one position (F), it leaves a gap with alignment & in other position(L) toe fits
closely against alignment

 Stock rail
• Position of straight alignment against which the tongue rail fits
 A CROSSING

 Connected with ordinary rails to permit the two rails to cross each other
 Check rails
• Provided on opposite side of crossing
• To guide the wheel & to check the tendency of other wheel to climb over the
crossing
 Wing rails
• Help in channelizing the wheels in proper routes
 Point Rail – GO, Splice Rail-IO
 Nose of crossing
• Point where the splice and point rails meet
 POINTS OR SWITCHES
• Switch consists of a stock rail & a tongue rail
• Set of switches or points consists of a left hand switch & a right hand
switch
• Heel – thicker end of tapered rail fixed to main track
• Toe – thinner end which is movable, to divert train from one route to
another .
 HEEL CLEARANCE OR HEEL DIVERGENCE
• Distance between running faces of stock rail & gauge face of
tongue rail, measured at the heel of the switch.

Heel Clearance = Flange way clearance + tolerance for wear +

width of head of rail
 FLANGEWAY CLEARANCE

• Distance between adjacent faces of stock rail (running rail) &

check rail (guard rail)
• Provided as a clearance for free movement of wheel flanges

CROSSING FLANGEWAY CLEARANCE

1 in 12 crossing 6.3cm

1 in 8.5 crossing 6.6cm

 FLANGEWAY DEPTH
• Vertical distance between the top surface of running rail to that of
heel-block used between stock rail & check rail
 SWITCH ANGLE

• Also known as Angle of Switch Divergence

• Angle between running faces of stock rail & tongue rail
• For fast moving train, small switch angle is desirable
• Depend on
a. Heel Divergence
b. Length of tongue rail
 THROW OF SWITCH

• Distance through which toe of tongue rail moves sideways

• In India, generally 11.4cm is provided.

Type of Track Throw of Switch

B.G 9.5cm

M.G & N.G 8.9cm

 TYPES OF SWITCHES

Switches

Stub Split
Switches Switches

 No separate tongue rail  Tongue rail is combined with the

 Some portion of track is moved from stock rail
side to side
 Not used
STUB SWITCH

SPLIT SWITCH
 CLASSIFICATION OF SPLIT SWITCH

1. Based on fixation at heel

• Loose heel type or articulated type
• Fixed heel type or spring type or flexible type

2. Based on cut provided

• Under cut switches
• Over riding switches
• Straight cut switches
 Loose Heel Type
• Tongue rails are jointed to lead rails by fish plates
• 2 front bolts are kept loose to allow throw of switch
• Bolts are kept tight when the tongue is open
• Suitable for short length switch

 Fixed Heel Type

• Improvement of loose heel type
• All 4 bolts are tight when the tongue is closed
• Suitable for long tongue rails
 Under Cut Switches
• Portion of flange at the foot of stock rail is cut out, so that toe of
the tongue rail is housed under the head of stock rail
• Used on narrow gauge lines
• Disadvantage :- become weak due to cutting of flange portion

 Straight Cut Switches

• Tongue rail is cut straight in line with stock rail
• Increases thickness of toe of tongue rail – increases strength
• Suitable for BH rails
 Over riding switches

 Separate rail sections for stock rails & tongue rails

Stock Rail – Heavy section
Tongue Rail –Light section
 Tongue rail rides over the flange of stock rail
 Compound fish plate at heel is required to connect it to lead rail
 Used for BG & MG tracks
Undercut
switch
SUBMITTED BY –

RENU RAWAT
RADHIKA MAHAR
ARJU RAWAT
SUSHMITA UNIYAL