Position of operating lever for hand points

[31126]

Please can anyone advise: does the lever for hand points have to be right next to them, or can they be operated remotely by means of rodding etc. under the adjacent track? The situation is a trailing crossover where we would ideally like the levers for both ends of the crossover to be operated from the same side of the line, to avoid a shunter having to walk across both lines to get to the other lever. The points in question are fitted with modern Racor mechanisms rather than the traditional straight levers. And if it is possible, is it a big piece of work? Thanks

 

[Eccles1983]

They can be rodded under tracks. Generally newer ones. Ive never seen them at right angles but have seen them 10-15m away from the points to which they move.

 

[Pinza-C55]

If you are asking this in the context of a preserved railway I think you would be best off seeking the help of a qualified track engineer. I used to volunteer for an RPS and knowing that I knew a bit about signalling they asked me to install a point motor which I refused to do since a) I wasn't qualified and b) It was safety critical and would need to be Inspected before it could be used.

 

[eman_resu]

With the correct placement of lever weights, crank throws and channel rodding quite long runs can be achieved. My last project involved a three lever frame throwing two ends of a crossover at the same time. However.... The rodding and throws were designed by a competent mechanical signalling design team, and set up by a competent points fitter.

All are vital if you want a safe and reliable system....

 

[rower40]

With the correct placement of lever weights, crank throws and channel rodding quite long runs can be achieved. My last project involved a three lever frame throwing two ends of a crossover at the same time. However.... The rodding and throws were designed by a competent mechanical signalling design team, and set up by a competent points fitter.

All are vital if you want a safe and reliable system....

Amen to that.
Don't forget the effect of thermal expansion on that length of rodding. It doesn't take much sunshine for a rodding bar to extend enough to not operate the far end of a set of points. So usually there's a compensator crank half way along, so that a "pull" of one end of the rodding turns into a "push" of the other.
Then you find that, at certain times on certain days, one half of the rodding is in sunshine, and the other end is in the shade... (facepalm)

 

[Annetts key]

Then you find that, at certain times on certain days, one half of the rodding is in sunshine, and the other end is in the shade... (facepalm)

Or under a bridge…