Facing Point Locks

[Jim de Griz]

Hi all,

As I am a gluten for punishment, I've decided to try and fit point rodding to my layout, even through I've already laid down ballast.....(apparently the experience of painting the rails after laying down the ballast didn't teach me anything)

I think I've got a fairly practical plan in terms of what I want to do, but I have a question regarding facing point locks.

I understand they are used when a passenger train will be over the point in the 'facing' direction.

The problem is I'm modelling a terminus, which means pretty much every point would fit the above, doubling the amount of rodding I need to squeeze into an already crowded space!

My question to the group is basically am I correct in my reasoning and every point in the below diagram requires a lock?

Jim

[John Palmer]

Per the 1928 edition of the Ministry of Transport's statement of Requirements for Passenger Lines, facing points on such lines and all points commonly used in the facing direction by passenger trains were required to be fitted with facing point locks. Whether all the points in your diagram would have to be fitted with FPL's depends on how the station is to be operated. If the roads serving the faces of the uppermost platform on your diagram are to be used exclusively for departures then it would not be obligatory to fit a lock to the turnout from which those two roads diverge. However, if all platform faces are to receive arriving passenger trains then all turnouts in the station throat will require FPL's. As regards the engine release crossover, I suggest that the need for locks will depend upon whether there are to be any facing movements over them by vehicles conveying passengers – if so, then locks will be required. Operating practice may make any such facing movements unnecessary, in which case locks on the crossover points will not be required.

[Jim de Griz]

Thank you for the advice

My current practice is that only the two facings of the bottom platform are used for arrivals, with departures setting off from all three. Long term I intend to use the bay for passenger traffic, but currently it is only used (and signalled) for parcels traffic)

So in that case, I can dispense with a lock on the bay platform point and the upper point of the engine release crossover. The rest will need locks.

Better buy a few more kits

Jim

[PinzaC55]

This thread may be of use.

https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4626