Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS

LAST EDITED ON Jul-29-02 AT 08:05 AM (EDT)

I regularly take switches for passing sidings, etc, at the speed limit - 40/50 MPH.Is this realistic? At these speeds you can see the loco lurch left/lurch right in a most undignified way. Are all switches limited to a 10-20 mph range?

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, kmanc21, Jul-29-02, 08:54 AM, (1) RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, LAHDPOP, Jul-29-02, 10:23 AM, (2) RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, dvdhoven, Jul-29-02, 10:41 AM, (3) RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, LAHDPOP, Jul-29-02, 07:44 PM, (4) RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, doom262003, Jul-30-02, 09:37 AM, (5) RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, quaia, Jul-30-02, 10:17 AM, (6) RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, Frin63, Jul-30-02, 10:37 AM, (7) RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, Matt Vince, Jul-30-02, 02:48 PM, (8) RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, parrotheada1a, Jul-30-02, 09:51 PM, (9) RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, dvdhoven, Jul-31-02, 07:14 AM, (10) RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, jtr1962, Aug-03-02, 11:47 PM, (11) RE: Switch/Turnout speeds in MSTS, Lone_Gunman_SG, Aug-04-02, 03:05 PM, (12)

Conferences | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic

IMHO 40-50 MPH for switches is not protypical. I follow the practice of taking those at 20 MPH (plays heck with the timing in some activities - oh well) and also keep a speed limit of 15 MPH for ALL yard tracks. I do know that on primarily passenger routes (NEC) the crossovers are designed for high speed use, but even so some of those crossovers occur in 110-125 MPH speed zones and I don't think that those speeds are allowed either (but perhaps 80 MPH range). Someone else will probably be able to post what the real railroad world says about this.Ken

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

There's an interlocking near where I live called Haley Jct. I've seen 'em take the crossovers at a pretty good clip. A local railfan who helped save and preserve the tower that used to control the interlocking told me that the crossovers have a 40mph restriction. They are stressed, however, for much more (55mph?), and at night, especially, they are crossed at 50mph quite regularly by one particular train (a mixed freight CP).
I'll try some of the local CSX guys next time I get a chance, and see if I can verify the max limits for Haley, and ask if they know of any that are faster.
Pop

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Hi,It depends of the angle of the switch, the higher the angle of the diverging track, the lower the speed. And with a high angle, the switch will be short, with a low angle the switch will be long.The switch speed is mentioned in so called TimeTables in the USA (please correct if I am wrong on this point) and the Engineer is ordered the speed by signs and/or signals.Here in the Netherlands the highest switch speed is now 120 km/h for special "high speed" switches on diverging.The High Speed routes in Germany and France has specially constructed switches which allow much higher speeds.Dick van den Hoven

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

I double-checked Haley today. The posted limit is 40mph. I watched several trains take the crossovers, and one of them was doing every bit of 40. And the particular route he was on was a double-crossover. Those pigs were rockin and rollin!
Pop

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Many are in the 10-20 range. Some on the NEC in the 150mph area a train can do 80 over them.

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

It depends. If a switch is positioned for the correct path, so the train goes straight on, normally there aren't particular problems. On the other hand, if the switch is positioned for the diverging path, then it depends on the type of switch. Here in Italy the normal speed is of 30 km/h, about 20 mph. There are some switches that can be taken at 60 km/h, about 35-40 mph, and some others even at 100 km/h, about 60 mph. Anyway, when a train is directed through the diverging path this is normally signaled in advance. Usually a first "advanced" signal is encountered which tells you the speed, followed by a signal which tell you the path is diverging and the aspect of the next signal you will encounter on. Anyway I've seen that in USA there are railroads with similar conventions and speeds. Follow http://www.irlanda2000.info/segnalifs2002/start.htm for examples of the Italian signal aspect.Umberto

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

It's not realistic to go into sidings at the speed limit. For Marias for instance the turnout and siding speeds are listed in the timetable sheets (I beleive an abbreviated timetable comes with Maias 3.0 as well). Standard siding / turnout speed here is 20 mph I beleive, but most of the 'normal' crossovers and turnouts for the double track parts may be taken with 35 mph.Frank.

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Depends on the length and angle of the turnout. The longest turnouts are on the new high speed lines (like TGV lines etc), and can be taken safely at 220km/h (137mph). On main lines the maximum speed can be 80mph on certain switches, in yards they tend to be 15-20mph. It really depends on the length, angle and radius of the switch, plus the track connected to it.

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

On the real thing, it not only concerns the frog angle, but the type of turnouts and direction through as well. On regular turnouts with a radius in the diverging route, there may be a speed restriction.
In some cases, high speed turnouts are very shallow equilaterals. In Model terms that means something like a #14 WYE. Each leg of the turnout has the same generous radius, and trains from either direction can make it through at speed. Direction is important too because there is little likelyhood of a flange picking the turnout point from the back end.
A suggestion for trackage nuts out there is go buy a copy of John Armstrong's book," Trackplanning for Realistic Operations." It is for model railroading, however there is much info on WHY things are done, and prototype practices.

Certified B&M nut!

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Hi,To see a real example of a time table, follow this link:
http://www.bnsf-ttc.com/bnsftime/index.htmWhen you click on the Montana 4 link, you will get the actual time table for the Marias in pdf format.Dick van den Hoven

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

This article http://www.flimap.com/speed.html about Amtrak's NEC track improvements mentions that "The railroad's general policy, Skoutelas said, is to use tangential-geometry and asymmetric turnouts with movable-point frogs, all on concrete ties, where speeds are at least 100 mph" and "The interlockings will allow for 80-mph track changes." It should therefore be realistic to take the 2.5 degree switches on the NEC at speeds of 80 mph. I'm not sure which switches were upgraded, but even 20 years ago, when I rode the NEC almost every day going to school, the trains were taking many turnouts at 70 to 80 mph. I would imagine the speeds now would be faster if further improvements were made.

Alert | IP

Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

I do that alot too, usually on the second switch going towards Red Eagle out out West Coram. In the yards I limit my speed to 15 mph.

Alert | IP

[ Home | MSTS Forum | MSTS FAQ | File Library ] Copyright © 2002 by Nels Anderson. All Rights Reserved.