Conference on Railway Engineering

29 October - I November Melbonrne

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Advances in Railway Point Operation and Control

r Pat Hall:
James Cox:
Smiths Industries Hydrnulics Co. UK.
FIE Aust. CP Eng.
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I SU1ll11Ul1Y
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The �tish � Point Clamp Lock evolved from other recognised point opemting mechanisms with the object of increasing
reliability, particularly that of point detection under adverse conditions of moving track. Significant design improvements
were incotpornted including direct clamping ofthe switch mil to the stock mil; twin limit switch detection of open and closed
switch blades at each mil together with spread of gauge detection with alternative actuated I non actuated contacts; separate
power packs, � manual operntion facilities. Hydraulic power with its proven versatility and efficiency, was chosen as the
power Ir.msmission system. The initial Mark I design was installed in service in the early 1970's with the present Marl<. II
design incoIpoIating many improvements installed from the late 1980's. Mannfaclnring teclmiques and materials have been
upgraded to confonn tobestcmrentpractice including computercontrolmachining withsubsequent improvements inreliability
and reduction in cost.
1. Introduction 2. History

The paper deals with the marrying of modem hydraulic The history of point operation up until 1960 is well
teclmiques withRailway Point Operating Requirements to documenled by Nock in paper "The Protection of Pacing
obtain high teliability service and an economic quality Points" (Ref 1). The BRB Clamp Lock design was
product. The Electro-Hydraulic Point clamp lock was developed by Stanley Higgens previously of London
designed and developed by theBritish Railway Boan:I to Underground who ttansfetred in the 60's to British Rail
upgrnde point safety and reliability by direct clamping of for the project. Design was based on positive clamping of
the point blade to the running rail with positive electric movable switch rail to the stock rail and positive electric
detection ofthepoints. Being bolted to eachoftherunning detection by alternatively ac1nated and non actuated limit
mils, and with individual actuator opetations the clamp switches at the raiL
lock mechanism> move with the track and I or each raiL
The success of conventional electric or electro-pneumatic
1bis reduces risk of detection loss within the levels of
point machines rely on the maintenance of gauge at the
pennissible mil spread, track: movement and mil linear
points. "If the ttackshould spread and as aresult the switch
expansion account temperature variations.
mil does not fit tightly up to the stock rail, the point
Modificationto counter worst track conditions and service detection circuit will not be completed and the signal will
vibrations has applied to the original Mark I design not clear." This was a COlIUIIDII experience until new
initially installed in the early '70's. The present standard permanent w a y had settled down and led to the
Marl<. II design incoq>orates component redesign with . inlroduction of the clamp lock by British Railways with
improved materials and computer conIrol manufacturing the switch rail on the closed side clamped to the stock rail

teclmiques. It provides a solid cast body in lieu of a bothrnils move together with gauge spread and no failure
fabricated and bolted design, force down opetation of the OCCUIS. No question of safety is involved as the gauge

lock arm, machine profiling of parts, and fused metal could spread by as nruch as 20 mm without danger.
coating hardening of wear components allowing extended (Ref. 2)
service life.
Design confonned to British DepaI1menl of Transport
The paper sets out the ways in which modem production Regulations for a rigid stretcher bar across the toe of the
teclmiques and materials have enhanced the reliability and points and BRB requiremeot on separate power supply for
safety of point changing and pennitted modem signalling each set of points.
systems to be employed and interfaced. Additionally long
Heard (Ref. 3) in 1990 paper reports thatBritishRailhave
tnrnouts may be operated from a single hydrnulic power
not used pneumatic operation forpoinls due to their view
pack ensuring the integrity of the points under all
that one faiJ;ure of the air suppl y would cause loss of supply
conditions. The relative cost advantages of the B.R. Mark
to all points at the locatioIL Also that "electric" operation
II Clamp Lock, are addressed.

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 has been themainstay of B.R. pointoperationsince thelate wheels, rails and excessive track spread, there is increased
1930's until the last fifteen or so years. risk of detailment Consequently theBRB have considered
it advisable to include "Road Spread" detection as an
Heard furtherreports that the electric pointmachines have " integtal fea1l1re of the clamp lock design "Road Spread"
been generally very reliable and the desire in the late at points before maintenance attention is essential, is
1960's to improve on point operation perfonnance was nonna1ly accepted in the order of 25mm. The B.R. Mark
" directed not at theoperatingrnachines, but atthe ability of 11 Clamp Lock provides for "road spread" detection in the
the CivilEngineer to maintainprecise gauge and position range of 10-15 nnn each stock rail. This equates to an
of the rails and switches. - Permane nt way was seen by average detection of 25mm and maximmn of 3Omm.
Heard as a misnomer withfew things less permanent than
the position of the components of a pair of points. The Australian Railway Systems follow both British and
Assoc iation of American Railroad (AAR) practioe on
"It was therefore decided to develop an operating point detection specification requirements. These specify
mechanism which, while respecting the needs of the open a maximmn 14 inch or 6.Omm toe of blade opening for
switch blade, concenlrated on locking the closed switch locked point blades to avoid the risk of a sharp wheel
blade to its stock rail no matter how the stock rail had flange splitting thepoints. The B.R. Clamp Lockconforms
moved. This led to theclamp lock , in whichhydraulictanlS to thisrequirement inboth designand setup arrangements.
connected to eachswitchblade, drive one of themuntil the Clamp lock is physically prevented from completing its
intended closed blade satisfies the toler.mce and locked movement with blade toe open 2.4nnnand over. Electrical
conditions against its stock rail No longer is the position detection is set in the range 25nnn to 4.00mm.
of the operatingmechanismand the lengths of its drive and
detection rods related to actual rail positiolL" Point detection for mechanical and electro mechanical
point apparatus is nonnaly l carried out at the toe of the
Consequently systems with the drive mounted outside the points. Detection redding connected to switch (point)
running track and requiring extended operating rods forgo detection pieces is extended out from the point blade.
some of the advantages of the B.R. Clamp Lock. Operation of the points however is from a drive red
positioned between the flISt and second sleeper from the
3. General toe of points. The B.R. Clamp Lock has both its drive and
detection" components contained in the one compact lock
box positioned between the flISt and second sleeper. It
Railway Turnout Points require robust reliable equipment needs to be appreciated that the clamp lock has a
suited to the conditions of servioe. fundamental difference to the standard point operating
equipment in that the blade rail is physically prevented
pfeile & Broadley (Ref. 4) conclude that "turnouts are the
from opening more than 2.4nnn with the lock arm inthe
weakest link inthetrackbecaosethey consistofmanyparts
blade locked positiolL
of whichsorne aremovable.Highthennaltrackforces tend
to distort the tmnouts which are also subject to high There is aneed for reliable trailable powerpoint operation
dynamic forces resulting from wheel I rail intetaction at particularly withthe inIroduction of driver only operation
design discontinoities and geometric imperfections." This is because it is lIDt advisable for the driver to leave
his train to catty out point operations under emergency
Canses of turnout deterimatiannoted inc!ude:-
conditions (power failure or loss of CTC control) (Ref. 5)
- Poor alignment and level.
- Degraded Ballast support. A hydraulic cilcuitmodificationcanbe added to theclamp
- Poor latetal wheel guidance with loose bolts lock standard arrangement to provide for trailable
and wom components causing gauge spread. operatiolL
- Poor adjusbnent of checktails.

Pointrnaintenanoeisanareaof considetable concemtothe 4. Clamp Lock Operation

TrnckEngineerand close co-opetationbetween the Signal
and Trnck DepartmenJs is essential to ensure satisfactOIy
The British Rail Clamp Lock is a modem point operating
rnaintenanoe and operation.
mechanism designed to meettherequirements of B.S. 581.
The Clamp Lock design is such that it provides for
In operation it moves, locks and detects both open and
satisfactOIy operation under deterimated track conditions
closed switchpositions ina smoothpositivesequenoe. The
i.e., gauge spread and moving track.
mechanism is operated by a remote control system and
Power available has proven ample to operate points on poweredfromstandard A.CorD.C. voltages.Facilities are
minetalrailways wheredustdroppings cause fouling of the p r o v i d e d f o r local manual operation. Suitable
point area, and increase point drive loading between modifications to standard brackets and cylinders provide
periodical point cleaning. for non-standard rail sections and layouts.

Points fonn a discontinuity in the running track and A set of equipment consists of two clamp lock and detector"
flanging of train wheel s occur on the Imnout road. There mechanisms, a coupling bar, two single acting hydraulic
is also additional wear and tearatpointscompared to track actuators with a centre mounting thrust btaeket, and
on either side. With a combination of undersize wom flexible hose connection to a separately mounted
electro-hydraulic power pack.

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Each lock body unit , incoJ:porating a drive-lock slide and *
A dual detection facility using electro-mechanical
electric detection is attached to the stock rail Attached to limit switches.
the switch rail, is a bracket canying a lock ann and point
*
detector blade. Wear resistant locking faces,easily replaceable.

Operation is by individual actuatOlS and the manner of

*
Constant lock engagement irrespective of
operation is illustrated by Figure 1. (a) (b) & (c). )ongitudinal switchmovement.
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A drive-lock slide, supported from the stock rail and Non-handed components.
working below sleeper level, is driven against a hook *
ManuaJ over-ride and operation from trackside.
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Choice of a..c or d.c. voltages.
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Direct SSI compatibility.
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Optional traiJability.

The Rail Clamp Lock Point dispenses with_

Points lIomuU with lef/·haM
5Wllch rail dosed Ilnd/odi:fd
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Long vulnerable connec tionrods.
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Extra long mounting timbers.
*
Adjustment for gauge spread.
*
Interference with mechanised tamping.
[nilial /IImnmrn! from ltfI 10 right htlS JUliocktdptJinls
and contiNua mallttm'nl wi/llhrow points rlllCTSe
*
Problems of transportation to site.
*
Contact cleaning and adjustment
*
SSI modified interface control.

The Power Pack

Points rlllcmd. ",mpldl m�meu/ from lefl 10 righl
lUIS dQwlllr1d lochd Ih, right hemd swilrn rail
Remotely mounted the pack supplies pressurised fluid to
a hydraulic ram which drives the appropriate switchrail to
Figure 1 (a) (b) (c) the closed positioll- Coincidentally it allows locked
hydraulic fluid from the other switchrail ram to return. to
shaped lock ann pivoted from the switch rail to swing thereservoir. The hydraulic rams are so designed that their
areas are equal and hence the reservoir oil level does not
vertically and to pass underthe associated stockrail When
the switch rail is fu1Jy closed the lock ann lifts behind the alter during the operation. The oil medilDn lubricates the
stockrail to clamp and lock tbeserails positively together. rams on each operation, and extemaJ. lubrication is not
required.
At the same time a coupling bar linking the drive-lock
slides pulls on the opposite side to release its lock and A high efficiency motor pump ensures efficient overall
retain that switchrail in theopenposition. Foreachclamp operation and that the movement is smooth yet positive.
lock, electric detection of its switch rail and drive-lock Speed is sensibly constant dming the operation. The
slide is effected by doubl�le sealed )imjt swi tches. The Clamp Point Lock only requires 50% of the:nonnall3led
'point closed' contacts canmake only wbenthe two linear motor pump capability of power. A high power unit is
cams prove rail integrity.
available for operation of up to three drives as may apply
on long tangential turnouts.

The Rail Clamp Lock Point provides... The Power Pack is simply installed requiring only the
hydraulic hoses and six electrical cormections to be made.
It may be inslalled away from the mechanism to suit local
*
Positive clamping of the switch rail to its stock rail conditions. Like the mechanism, it is portable. A complete
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Total operation in 25 seconds point machine can easily be installed by just two people.
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Mechanical and Hydraulic interlocking of the Recent circuit modifications pennit one Power Pack to
operating mechanism operate several machines or a hydraulic back drive. An
additional circuit modification is available should
An operating force of
*
3.3kN. traiJability be required. The Pack can be supplied for
*
Adjustment of lockengagement dming installation. tropical conditions.

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To install the hydraulic pack, four hydraulic and six errors, also that it would be IIDlch more wnsistent to
electrical connect ions are made. Thernechanism will work machine the whole from one piece o n Tape Controlled
in flooded conditions and the pack may be sited at a machines. This has proven very accurate and cost
convenient IIack position. effective.

Thehydtaulicramsarespigotmounted on acentreoflIack The whole machining process minimises scrap that would
support bracket providing length of IIavel adjustment of otherwise add 10 costs and provides greatercontrol on the
piston. A t the end of IIavel the piston is cushioned by a assembly process of correct parts.
resilient stop. By having a restricted pivot on the spigot
mounting the rams are able to withstand piston and seal
6. Clamp Lock Ins�lation
wear due to rail flexing and vibration with passage of
1Iains. Mounting ammgement also restricts overloading of
hydraulic r.un account poor aligmnent of drive lock slide Rail drilling for both the lock arm support bracket on the
to lockmechanism with rail andI orpoints out oftevel. switch rail and the lock mechanism on the stock rail need
to be close tolerance to ensure correct equipment
Hydraulic Power Transmission systems have a proven alignment. To ensure accurate marking out of drill holes,
record forversatility, efficiency and flexibilityandprovide suitable templates arenecessary. In addition drilling jigs
cost advantages over electro mechanical or pnemna1ic need to be secured to the rail for on-site drilling. Drilling
devices. machinecbosenneed s ascrewfeedammgernent.Dri11 bits
should provide pilot hole in adv.mce of main drill.
5. Clamp Lock Manufacturing
The rail supported between sleepers can be wnsidered as
a girder supported at each end with each wheel load
Themajor adv.mce of the Mark n Clamp Lock is the use creating a bending or flexing actionbetween the supports.
of a one piece casting instead of the Marl< I fabricated and With poorly packed sleepers the support points move
bolted design with quality control difficulties. further out and the amplitude of bending increases. With
concrete sleepers and resilient insulating pads under the
The one piece cast body clamp has been especially rail base support, additional vertical movementrail to top
developed for BRB use. Material is BS 3100 GradeA4 for of sleeper applies. Rail drilling height from the base ofrail
cast steels. GradeA4 is a low carbonmanganese alloy steel needs to be to specification to ensure that the lock
withhighstrengthandlow wearcomparedlocarlxmsteels. mechanism is not subject to impact via the lock arm in the
To comply with BR specification 170 the mechanical open position, by rail flexing with the passage of trains. A
properties are rood ified as follows: nomina! clearance of 9mrn between the base of the stock
rail and the top of the lock arm in the switch blade open
(i) ChaIpy V notch impact value 75 joules/min, 1 0 x
position is specified. To ensure that the switch rail is
1 0000specirnen with standard 2 nnnForm V notch at
restricted in vertical displacement in relation to the stock
20°C.
rail the streicher bar installed adjacent to the clamp lock
(li) Elongation A% min(Lo: 5.65 [So) 22. mechanisms has a kicking rail extending under the stock
rail. Nominal clearance of kickingrail to stockrail is 3mm.
(iii) Radiographic and ultrasonic testing to be 1 00% of In the switch closed position the lock arm (clamp) holds
casting. down the switch blade in relation to the stock rail and
(iv) Remedial welding is not pennitted. restricts relative vertical displacemenl

Current quality standards include for non-destructive

testing including "X-Ray" in 3 different zones. Testing is 7. Clamp Lock Maintenance
by independent laboratory SCRA TA, the Steel Casting
Research and Trade Association - Sheffield England (This Once installed correctly the Clamp Lock Point machine
body indepetidently monitors standards). Once castings requires minimal attention. Checks using standaId gauges,
have been accepted by SCRATA and received by the lubrication and oil levels comprise the majority o f
machine shop the casting is slotted (in line of mounting) maintenance programme. Built on a modular principle it
using electric displacement of metal techoique. This is possible to replace any one mechanical component
penn its the slot to be used as the datmn for all other simply, and the electric detection can if necessary be
processes. The E.DM. leclmique has been developed to replaced in situe entirely. Set as it is between sleepers,
give correctfinishandvery accuratepositioning within the clamp lock does not inhibit other IIack and pm:manent way
casting. The faces, drillings, tappings etc. are all machined maintenance.
on computer controlled machinety. The infonnation is on
tape and dimensions are repeatable on all castings.
8. Cost
Theslide and other componentsaremachined on the same
machineusing similartapesandmethods,sothatcornplete
Prices in the UK for Clamp Lock compare to other Point
control ismaintained. TheLockAlmisrnanufacturedfrom
Machine at approximately 70%. Real benefits also accrue
steel plate to BS 4360 Grade 43A. It was wnsidered that
withreduced labour and installati on costs,andwhere back
machining flame cut blanks in specific areas to reference
or secondary drives are required - and subject to the
points outside the blank was liable to major problems and
number of secondary drives will reduce cost for each to a

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level of 40%. That the secondary drives do not invade track 10. References
or 4 foot areas gives added advantages and safety.
,
1. Noele, O.S., The Protection of Facing Points. The
9. Conclusion Institution of Railway Signal Engineets. London Feb.
1959.

The Electro-Hydraulic Point CIm!p Lock upgrades point 2. Noek, O.S., Editor, RaHway Signa!!jug. Adam & I
Charles Black London 1980.
safety and reliability by direct clamping of the point blade
I
to the rurming mil with positive electric detection of the
3. Heald, BD., BMjC Principles of Sjgnallin:Practice on
points.
Britisb Rail. The Institution of Railway Signal
The present standard Mark II design incoIporates Engineets. London Dec. 1990.
coruponent redesign with improved maierials and 4. Pfiele, H. & Broadley, JR., Turnouts - The H1WgJy'
computercontrolmanufacturing teclmiques. This provides � Conference on Railway Engineering. Adelaide
forahighlevel of quality control and extended service life. Sepll99l.
Design is such as to provide for satisfactory operation
underdeteriorated trackconditions including gauge spread 5. Drover, W.&Duffy,M,Signalljng inQgeenslandRaH
andmoving track. (JIanges Tec!mologies Challenges. (CTC) T h e
Institution of Railway Signal Engineets. Townsville
The use of hydIaulically operated clamp systems give ApriL 1993.
teclmical advantages to the \lSelS. They increase safety,
reduce cost and improve reliability -proven by experience
in British Rail over a 30 year history.

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