---- Original Message -----
From: Paul Vaughn
. . . . . . . . . , so why call a switch a turnout. Pet [peeve] of mine.
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I have some exposure to the literature of the real railroads, and I find the
term "track switch" to be common. I can't say I've never seen "turnout," but
it's rare. Of course the term has taken on a life of its own in model RRing,
and words mean whatever they're generally understood to mean.
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Why don't people build a switch? It is so easy. You do need PC ties. . . . . .
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When I first dug out the AF trains of my youth, I joined the local HO club,
just to try to learn model RRing. One of the things I learned was how to build
a track switch. We didn't need PC ties, though I don't deny they may make the
job easier.
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You can build to a #'d size or you can make it fit what you need. As long as
your equipment will go around the radius, you can build a switch to that
radius. . . . . . . . . .
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I build switches to whatever frog angle works; I don't worry about the radius.
The end result is probably the same, as long as "radius" doesn't imply
continuing the curveing effect behond the frog, the way toy train "turnouts" do.
Tom Hawley -- Lansing Mich
