Single Point Switches

[bill937ca]

When Jeff was in Toronto he asked about the switches the TTC uses on its streetcar lines.  These are some photos I took in 2004 at the Humber Loop in the west end of Toronto.  These are the same switches as trackage in the street. Only one point moves when the car activates the switch.  At one time switches were activated by overhead contacts, but activation is now wireless from a button on the dash.

 

Single point switches raise issues with low floor cars, some of which do not have axles running all the way across the car.  Over 200 low floor streetcars are now on order for Toronto.  We'll see if single point switches become a relic of the past or not.

 

Generally these castings come from either Davies & Baird in Australia or Edgar Allan in the UK.

 

http://www.daviesbaird.com.au/html/light_rail___tram.html

 

Apart from the switches on girder rail on the inside curve, Toronto typically uses T rail now just like most Japanese systems.  Years ago girder rail and granite setts were the norm.

[bill937ca]

This is another switch in the Woodbine Loop almost at the other end of the system.  This loop is used on many charters as two cars can be side by side. The switches off the street from two directions end, just as the switch to the second track starts.

 

Its quite common to have two switches back to back.  Usually the first is for a right turn and the second is for a right turn.  The norm in Toronto is four lane streets with double streetcar tracks.

[Hobby Dreamer]

Thanks Bill,

 

Its pretty interesting stuff. Here is a video on TCC (Toronto Transit Commision) streetcars:

 

Part I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fTqul6lNvQ

 

Part II

 

Part III

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDKy4g1_2bE&feature=related

 

I have not looked at these for some time, so may view them again tonight.

 

Cheers

Rick

[bill937ca]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfK4iIMMgMU&feature=related

[Mudkip Orange]

This is another switch in the Woodbine Loop almost at the other end of the system.  This loop is used on many charters as two cars can be side by side. The switches off the street from two directions end, just as the switch to the second track starts.

 

Its quite common to have two switches back to back.  Usually the first is for a right turn and the second is for a right turn.  The norm in Toronto is four lane streets with double streetcar tracks.

 

 

 

This sort of config is hard to do with power-routing switches.

[bill937ca]

This is a single point switch on the Toyama streetcar line (not the Portram line).

 

 

This Japanese language page has several other photos of Japanese streetcar switches.

 

http://homepage2.nifty.com/kotaroooo/9tram.htm