Railway points operating apparatus

摘要

A railway points operator 22 is particularly suitable for operating railway points 10 comprising pairs of parallel, static stock rails (12, 14, Figure 1) and a pair of switch rails 16 movable between first and second positions to select a first or second route defined respectively by the stock rail pairs, and comprises an actuator 35 and a lock 56. Actuator 35, preferably driven by an electric motor 38, moves switch rails 16 transversely and vertically about a preferably semi-circular arc between the first and second positions to raise and lower switch rails 16 relative to the stock rails during transverse movement. Lock 56 prevents transverse horizontal movement of the switch rails 16 from the first and second positions. Switch rails 16 may be mounted on an upper surface of a support member 26 having a plurality of transversely spaced semi-circular recesses 32 on a lower surface.