Point levers

[Enfys_Rainbow]

Hello all, 

 

Where points are operated by hand using levers attached to extended sleepers, for example in yards, are the levers always on the same side?

 

For example if there were two points, one directly behind the other, would the levers be on the same side or would it depend on the location of the point relative to other things, available space or something else? 

[TheSignalEngineer]

It all depends on many factors such as the space available, not getting killed/injured whilst trying to operate the levers or move from point to point and achieving visibility of the move being made.

[Enfys_Rainbow]

I guess not getting injured/killed is as good a reason as any! 

[Siberian Snooper]

As far as possible, the levers would be on the same side to avoid the shunter crossing the track.

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

20 hours ago, Enfys_Rainbow said:

I guess not getting injured/killed is as good a reason as any! 

Some types had a nasty habit if hitting fellahs in a particular place should they inadvertently happen to walk into one 

[The Johnster]

That’s why they were painted white, Mike

[Siberian Snooper]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

Some types had a nasty habit if hitting fellahs in a particular place should they inadvertently happen to walk into one 

 

I've seen one idiot, who should have known better, stand astride a lever, to pull it!! He was not normally known to swear, but he did on this occasion, the driver had to stop the shunt, due to laughing, he wasn't the only one creased up.

 

 

 

[Ray H]

Is there a correct way round for the levers?

[Merfyn Jones]

1 hour ago, Ray H said:

Is there a correct way round for the levers?

The shunter would be facing the way traffic is coming from.

[Grovenor]

Which can be either way!

[The Stationmaster]

On 04/05/2021 at 14:56, Ray H said:

Is there a correct way round for the levers?

There was certainly a normal way (which in many respects the correct way when you think how Shunters worked) and that was with the lever leaning towards the toe end of the point.  This meant that a shunter (or anyone else) would always be pulling the lever towards the heel end of the point and in theory he would be looking to check the switches had moved correctly as he did so.   And as it was the Under Shunter working the points by looking back he would also be looking towards the Head Shunter making the cuts, handsignaliing the Driver and towards any wagons coming towards him.  If the lever was the other way round he would have been looking towards the heel end of the point as he pulled the lever and not towards the toes of the switches and would have any approaching wagons, and the Head Shunter, behind him.

 

The photo I've added below  - albeit showing a hand point lever in temporary use pending completion of a ground frame - shows the lever the correct way round leaning towards the toe end of the point and with the switch toess readily visible from where someone would be pulling the lever.

 

Of course in the opposite direction it didn't matter as with normal two way handpoint levers movements simply trailed through the points with no need to touch the lever   But you did sometimes see the levers the other way for some reason (probably lack of thought by whoever installed them?). but there could possibly be occasional specific site reasons maybe?

 

[Ken.W]

On 04/05/2021 at 18:09, Grovenor said:

Which can be either way!

 

Until quite recently, it wasn't necessary, or common practice, to set hand points for running through in the trailing direction, the wheels running through would simply spring the point over.

 

You did however, always make sure to return the lever to the 'proper' direction after use (pointing towards the toe, as in The Stationmaster Mike's photo above) .

The levers only pull in one direction, and drop back freely in the other.

If the lever's been left the wrong way then any trailing movement through the point springing the point over would also cause the lever to spring back, rather hazardously for anyone standing next to it!

[The Stationmaster]

38 minutes ago, Ken.W said:

 

Until quite recently, it wasn't necessary, or common practice, to set hand points for running through in the trailing direction, the wheels running through would simply spring the point over.

 

You did however, always make sure to return the lever to the 'proper' direction after use (pointing towards the toe, as in The Stationmaster Mike's photo above) .

The levers only pull in one direction, and drop back freely in the other.

If the lever's been left the wrong way then any trailing movement through the point springing the point over would also cause the lever to spring back, rather hazardously for anyone standing next to it!

If the lever box spring is working correctly most designs of two-way levers should drop back to the correct position when you let go of them.  However some of the more modern designs have the lever much nearer the vertical so I can understand that not happening with them although they have the advantage over the older 'cranked' type (in my photo) of not being so heavy to lift/pull before they start moving the point over.

 

They can be a big problem if the spring and cam get badly worn due to poor maintenance as they can stop working correctly and effectively turn into a spring point where the switches always return to their original position once you let go of the lever or they move underneath a shunt..

Edited May 6, 2021 by The Stationmaster