NEB&W Guide to Track Turnouts (Track Switches) & Other Specialty Trackwork

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Last Update: 2008-09-07

Turnouts Table of Contents
Track Table of Contents
Scenery Table of Contents
Scenery, Structures & Details Table of Contents

Terminology

Track switches are called turnouts by modelers to prevent confusion with electrical switches. Dick Hosmer says that this is annoying, as the railroads called them switches. He says one doesn't hear of an "0-6-0 Turnout Engine". Technically a track switch might only refer to the moveable "points" and not the points/frog combination. E.E. Russell Tratman (Railway Track and Maintenance) called the moveable rails "switch rails" with one end the "point of switch" and

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