Turnouts

Kick Switches
Rick White wrote on Discover Live Steam Yahoo group:


 * One type of kick switch at Jack Haskins's Able Springs & North Texas Railroad. These work well by foot, and he has dozens.  The car wheels will also move them over when you trail through a switch that is not set for your direction of movement.

Expert Advice
Bill Koster wrote on Yahoo LiveDiesel:


 * If you hold the gauge to 7 1/2 inch (or 7 1/4 inch) at the points, the points should not have to travel more than 3/8 inch. Make the points as easy as possible to move.  Bill Hays suggests using the "Goldsby bump", putting a slight downward bend to the points so they just barely clear the ties, only touching at the ends of the points.  I don't have a number or size of the spring I have used handy but it is about 5/8 inch diameter and a couple inches long.  When I didn't have a spring handy I even used a bungee cord as a spring.

Bruce Mowbray wrote on Yahoo LiveDiesel:


 * I would like to add that you don't need much pressure. Only the amount that will pull the points back against the rail. Too much pressure and unloaded cars will tend to climb up the back side of the point and derail. I did some trial and error experimentation with some air powered switches and found that more than 5 pounds of air in a 3/4 inch bore cylinder caused these type of derailments with light weight cars. It only took 2 or 3 pounds to pull the points in tight, depending on how clean the stainless steel point slide plates were. Dirty and wet took more pressure to move the points.

Jay wrote on Yahoo LiveDiesel, Sept 2014:


 * I use the following springs from McMaster-Carr:


 * Item: 9657K158 (Steel Compression Spring 2.5" L,.438" OD, .048" Wire, Packs of 12, $9.52)


 * I have used these springs with great success on all my switches.