Points & crossings (turnouts) — questions with answers

Q1.As per RDSO drawings T/5856 and T/6068, the tongue rail of a derailing switch is given a pre-curvature of radius about ______.

1. 441.36 m
2. 784.99 m
3. 1283.1 m
4. 232.26 m

Q2.The length of a 1 in 12 CMS crossing is ______.

1. 4350 mm
2. 5970 mm
3. 3330 mm
4. 5400 mm

Q3.The overall length of a turnout is measured along the straight from ______.

1. Stock rail joint to heel of crossing
2. Actual toe of switch to TNC
3. Heel of switch to toe of crossing
4. Stock rail joint to ANC

Q4.Concept of ______ is used in calculating TQI values

1. Averaging peaks
2. maximum and minimum values of peaks
3. Standard deviation
4. All the above

Q5.Web stiffeners are provided on curved tongue rails when the switch length exceeds ______.

1. 4500 mm
2. 10125 mm
3. 12480 mm
4. 6400 mm

Q6.The permissible gauge in the crossing portion of a turnout on PSC sleepers (new laying and maintenance) is ______.

1. 1673 to 1677 mm
2. 1676 to 1680 mm
3. 1670 to 1676 mm
4. 1673 to 1680 mm

Q7.On a fan-shaped lay-out same sleepers can be used for a right hand T/O and left hand T/O. For this purpose

1. Right end of the sleepers should remain on right side
2. Right end of the sleepers should be brought towards the left side by rotating the sleepers
3. Sleepers in the switch should remain as it is but those in the lead should be rotated to bring the right end to the left side
4. Sleepers in the switch should rotated but those in the lead should not be rotated to bring the right end to the left side

Q8.Laying of which turnout in similar flexure on a curve is not permissible?

1. 1 in 12
2. 1 in 16
3. 1 in 8.5
4. 1 in 20

Q9.In a gapless joint for 52/60 kg rail, the centre of the first bolt hole from the rail end is at ______.

1. 80 mm
2. 56 mm
3. 166 mm
4. 83 mm

Q10.In a gapless (machined) joint, the diameter of the bolt holes in the rail is ______.

1. 32 mm
2. 27 mm
3. 26.5 mm
4. 25 mm

Q11.The switch entry angle (SEA) of a 1 in 8.5 curved switch on PSC sleepers (BG) is ______.

1. 0° 20' 00"
2. 1° 34' 27"
3. 0° 27' 35"
4. 0° 46' 59"

Q12.In a 1 in 8.5 turnout, the lateral force from the tongue rail is transferred to the stock rail through ______, which are bolted to the tongue rail.

1. Slide blocks
2. Switch stops
3. Distance blocks
4. Heel blocks

Q13.For a turnout taking off from a curved main line in similar flexure, the resultant degree of lead curve DR is ______.

1. DM + DS
2. DM − DS
3. DS − DM
4. DM × DS / (DM + DS)

Q14.1 in 8.5 CMS/Weldable Cast Manganese Steel crossing B.G. (1673 mm) for 60E1 rail with R260 grade on PSC sleepers for crossing sub assembly.

1. RT- 9773
2. RT – 9774
3. RT-9775
4. RT-9776

Q15.For 52KG stock rail for 3 and 4 sleeper the holes are drilled at _______ from bottom of rail

1. 66.50 mm
2. 70.50 mm
3. 72.50 mm
4. 74.50 mm

Q16.To eliminate the gap at the crossing for speeds beyond 160 km/h, the solution is ______.

1. CMS crossing
2. Built-up crossing with longer check rails
3. Movable (swing) nose crossing
4. Weldable CMS crossing

Q17.Which of the following is a remedy for inadequate clearance at JOH in a 1 in 12 curved switch?

1. Increasing the switch entry angle
2. Reducing the throw of switch
3. Removing the following stretcher bars
4. Providing a spring setting device

Q18.The lead curve radius of a BG 1 in 12 turnout on PSC sleepers is ______.

1. 232260 mm
2. 784993 mm
3. 1283100 mm
4. 441360 mm

Q19.What is the main advantage of a straight switch over a curved switch?

1. It gives a smoother entry onto the turnout
2. It reduces wear on the tongue rail
3. The same tongue rail can be used for RH and LH turnouts
4. It allows higher speed on the turnout side

Q20.In centre line representation of a turnout, the distance M from the intersection point to TNC is ______.

1. G cot F
2. (G/2) cot (F/2)
3. (G/2) tan (F/2)
4. G cosec F

Q21.Switch length is the distance measured from ______.

1. Stock rail joint to heel of switch
2. Heel of switch to actual toe of switch
3. Actual toe of switch to TNC
4. Heel of switch to toe of crossing

Q22.The clearance between the bottom of the stock rail and the top of the stretcher bar should be ______.

1. 1.5 mm to 3 mm
2. 0 to 1 mm
3. 5 mm to 8 mm
4. 10 mm to 12 mm

Q23.In the case of Contrary flexure, cant on turnout is

1. Negative
2. Positive
3. It may be both as per site
4. None of the above

Q24.The permissible check rail clearance opposite the nose of crossing on PSC sleepers is ______.

1. 44 to 48 mm
2. 38 to 41 mm
3. 48 to 52 mm
4. 41 to 45 mm

Q25.Points and crossings are laid without cant, while the approach rails are canted at ______.

1. 1 in 40
2. 1 in 20
3. 1 in 10
4. 1 in 30

Q26.________ tolerances for track alone cannot be prescribed in isolation.

1. UML
2. maintenance
3. condemnation
4. safety

Q27.In the crossing portion of a fan-shaped layout, sleepers are laid ______.

1. Perpendicular to the main line
2. Perpendicular to the bisector of the crossing angle
3. Parallel to the turnout side rail
4. Along the bisector of the crossing angle

Q28.A scissors crossover contains ______.

1. Four acute crossings and two obtuse crossings
2. Four acute crossings and four obtuse crossings
3. Two acute crossings and two obtuse crossings
4. Six acute crossings and two obtuse crossings

Q29.For a crossover between straight parallel tracks with normal spacing D and same crossing number N, the overall length is ______.

1. D·N + A
2. 2D·N + A
3. D·N + 2B
4. D·N + 2A

Q30.A so-called gapless joint at a CMS crossing can open up to a maximum gap of about ______ at temperatures lower than at installation.

1. 3.5 mm
2. 0 mm
3. 1.5 mm
4. 6 mm

Q31.At the heel of switch and distance blocks behind the heel, spherical washers are provided on the ______.

1. Right hand side, irrespective of LH or RH turnout
2. Left hand side, irrespective of LH or RH turnout
3. Turnout side only
4. Both sides of the web

Q32.If F is the angle of crossing, the crossing number N is defined (right-angle method) as ______.

1. N = cot F
2. N = tan F
3. N = cosec F
4. N = cot (F/2)

Q33.The permissible variation of versines on a curved tongue rail of a thick web switch from the designed value is ______.

1. ± 1 mm
2. ± 3 mm
3. ± 5 mm
4. ± 2 mm

Q34.The imaginary point where the gauge lines of the vee piece, when produced, intersect is called ______.

1. Actual nose of crossing (ANC)
2. Throat of crossing
3. Theoretical nose of crossing (TNC)
4. Toe of crossing

Q35.On Indian Railways, turnouts are designated according to their ______.

1. Crossing number
2. Switch length
3. Lead radius
4. Rail section

Q36.The angle of crossing of a 1 in 16 turnout is ______.

1. 4° 45' 49"
2. 3° 34' 35"
3. 2° 51' 45"
4. 6° 42' 35"

Q37.The point at which the wing rails of a crossing are closest to each other is called the ______.

1. Actual nose of crossing
2. Throat of crossing
3. Heel of crossing
4. Toe of crossing

Q38.New track tolerances in track recording SD Value for Alignment parameter AL-1 for Speeds up to 100 Kmph is ______ mm

1. 1.5
2. 2.5
3. 1.4
4. 2.4

Q39.Tentative life of insulated glued joints 60kg rail section with 6mm thick end post is

1. 150 GMT
2. 200 GMT
3. 300 GMT
4. 400 GMT

Q40.The heel divergence of a BG 1 in 8.5 curved switch on PSC sleepers is ______.

1. 175 mm
2. 145 mm
3. 182.5 mm
4. 160 mm

Q41.To avoid hitting by wheels, the nose of a crossing is tapered down by ______.

1. 3 mm in a length of 90 mm
2. 6 mm in a length of 150 mm
3. 6 mm in a length of 90 mm
4. 10 mm in a length of 100 mm

Q42.Why is a derailing switch provided on a loop line?

1. To prevent a runaway vehicle from the loop from infringing the main line
2. To allow trains to enter the loop at higher speed
3. To permit simultaneous shunting on the main line
4. To reduce wear on the turn-in curve

Q43.The location where the tongue rail acquires its full head width is called ______.

1. Actual toe of switch
2. Heel of switch
3. Junction of Heads (JOH)
4. Throat of switch

Q44.A layout in which a track splits into two directions with equal radii is called a ______.

1. Scissors crossover
2. Symmetrical split
3. Diamond crossing
4. Single slip

Q45.What is the limitation of curved switches in a 1 in 12 turnout?

1. Tongue rails can be used only on wooden sleepers
2. Inadequate clearance between tongue rail and stock rail near JOH
3. Excessive switch entry angle at the toe
4. Heel divergence becomes zero

Q46.The manganese content of a Cast Manganese Steel (CMS) crossing is about ______.

1. 0.95 to 1.40 %
2. 0.80 to 1.30 %
3. 4 to 6 %
4. 11 to 14 %

Q47.A diamond crossing consists of ______.

1. Four acute crossings
2. Four obtuse crossings
3. Two acute and two obtuse crossings
4. One acute and two obtuse crossings

Q48.A spring setting device (SSD) on a switch actuates when ______.

1. The train wheel reaches the actual toe of switch
2. The tongue rail movement started by the point motor reaches about half way
3. The point motor completes the full throw
4. The signal is taken off

Q49.Which factor has the most significant bearing on the speed potential of a turnout?

1. Switch entry angle
2. Absence of transition in the lead
3. Deficiency of superelevation
4. Gap at the crossing

Q50.The running surface of a CMS crossing gets work-hardened after the passage of about ______.

1. 1 GMT
2. 50 GMT
3. 100 GMT
4. 10 GMT

Q51.In case of CMS crossing 52 kg following to be deducted from observed vertical wear to find out actual wear of wing rail.

1. 3.5 mm
2. 3mm
3. 2.5mm
4. 2mm

Q52.Compared with a built-up crossing, a CMS crossing costs about ______ but lasts about ______.

1. 1.5 times more; 2 times longer
2. 2 to 2.5 times more; 5 to 6 times longer
3. 3 to 4 times more; 3 times longer
4. The same; 10 times longer

Q53.As per ORE report D-72, the recommended switch entry angle for a speed of 160 km/h is ______.

1. 0° 15' 00"
2. 0° 08' 00"
3. 0° 25' 00"
4. 0° 40' 30"

Q54.A derailing switch consists of ______.

1. Two stock rails and two tongue rails
2. One stock rail and one tongue rail
3. Two stock rails and one tongue rail
4. One stock rail and two tongue rails

Q55.Excluding approach sleepers, the number of sleepers in a 1 in 12 fan-shaped PSC turnout set is ______.

1. 83
2. 54
3. 101
4. 96

Q56.While fixing curved switches, a minimum setting (housing) of the tongue rail up to ______ sleepers should be ensured for a 1 in 12 turnout.

1. 4
2. 2
3. 3
4. 6

Q57.When the track beyond the heel of crossing curves in the direction opposite to the lead curve, it is called a ______.

1. Connecting curve
2. Turn-in curve
3. Transition curve
4. Reverse lead

Q58.For the initial few sleepers of a switch assembly, half-headed stud bolts are used in order to ______.

1. Reduce the cost of fittings
2. Allow easier insulation for track circuits
3. Avoid obstruction between the webs of stock rail and tongue rail when they butt
4. Increase the toe load on the stock rail

Q59.The distance between TNC and ANC for a 1 in 12 crossing with 60 kg rail is ______.

1. 198 mm
2. 186 mm
3. 141 mm
4. 264 mm

Q60.The throw of switch to be maintained for a thick web switch (TWS) is ______.

1. 115 ± 3 mm
2. 95 ± 3 mm
3. 160 ± 3 mm
4. 140 ± 3 mm

Q61.TRC/OMS results Urgent Maintenance Limit (UML) for Speeds above 110 Kmph and up to 130 Kmph ________

1. Vertical and lateral acceleration peak of 0.25 g
2. Vertical and lateral acceleration peak of 0.30 g
3. Vertical and lateral acceleration peak of 0.20 g
4. Vertical and lateral acceleration peak of 0.35 g

Q62.Turnouts on which trains are received from SRJ side are called as

1. Facing points
2. Trailing points
3. Non interlocked points
4. Interlocked points

Q63.Heel divergence of a switch is equal to ______.

1. Heel clearance + head width of tongue rail
2. Heel clearance − head width of tongue rail
3. Throw of switch + heel clearance
4. Twice the heel clearance

Q64.The distance between the theoretical toe of switch (TTS) and the actual toe of switch (ATS) is given by ______ (t = thickness of tongue rail, β = switch entry angle).

1. t tan β
2. t sin β
3. t cot β
4. t / cos β

Q65.For curved switches of 1 in 12 and 1 in 16 turnouts, the distance from TTS to ATS is ______.

1. 439 mm
2. 186 mm
3. 264 mm
4. 0 mm

Q66.Crossing angle for 1 in 8.5 layout is

1. 4º- 45'- 49"
2. 4º- 45' - 48"
3. 6º- 42' - 34"
4. 6º- 42' - 35"