Railway railroad switches

The railroad switch is the device intended for the translation of a rolling stock from one way on another. In other words, the railroad switch allows a rolling stock to pass from the main thing to about one ways (or more) the adjoining way.

The direction of the movement from funnymen to a crosspiece is called "facing", from a crosspiece to funnymen — "posherstny". When driving in the posherstny direction a switch has to be thrown in the corresponding situation — otherwise the train vzrezht an arrow.

Configurations

single railroad switches in which one way is divided into two.
ordinary (rectilinear) — at which one of the directions completely rectilinearly.
symmetric — in which both directions deviate by identical radiuses on an identical corner in different directions at the expense of what length of the railroad switch is minimum at the set minimum radius of a curve, such railroad switches are often used in the constrained conditions.
asymmetrical one - and versatile.
double railroad switches in which 2 shooters closely adjoin and one way branches on three;
symmetric in which two directions deviate by identical radiuses on an identical corner in different directions and the third direction is rectilinear. Such railroad switches are called tees.
asymmetrical one - and versatile.
cross railroad switches — settle down in the place of crossing at an angle of two ways.
single has two sets of funnymen operated by two mechanisms and allows to pass from any of four branches directly, and between two branches from these four — on a deviation.
double — allow how to pass on each of the crossed ways directly, and to pass from one way to another. at such design there are four sets of funnymen operated by two mechanisms; two stupid and two acute-angled crosspieces. Such railroad switches are often called "American" ("Americans") or "crocodiles".
the dumping arrow in normal situation (that is by default) is directed to dumping ("in anywhere") to stop incidentally left rolling stock (the car, the locomotive). Only when the dispatcher prepares a route of departure (arrival) of the train, dumping a switch is thrown, closing a way. A kind of "the dumping arrow" — "the dumping funnyman" — one funnyman established on the way.

The greatest distribution got single, ordinary railroad switches, cross double railroad switches in some cases keep within. All other types did not gain special distribution, in view of complexity of the device and operation.