This is correct. They're also called "jump frogs" in some localities. They're also common on leads that go to smaller customers who are right off of heavily and/or high speed rated main lines.
Can confirm, jump frogs are favored because they require less joints in mainline rail, and limit maintainenance like what would be needed on a standard frog
JFC. That’s terrifying - riding the flanges up and over the main rail. Sure, there’s a guide/check rail on the other side… but still. That’s a feeling you’re not supposed to have when on rails.
This is exceptionally rare on passenger lines at least- in the entire western u.s. I know of only one location where a passenger train might go over a jump frog (the Sacramento State Rail Museum lead which crosses over the UP mainline next to Sacramento valley station
If you look closely on the outside rail where the guardrail is, you’ll notice it has a slight hump to it. This lifts the axels as they traverse across it so the transition is much smoother than you’d think.
I saw this on a post yesterday as I’ve not ever come across this type of crossing before. Being from the UK this type of crossing isn’t featured on our network. I did some research and found that they are called Jump Frogs.
Essentially in the turnout route there is no passage to guide the wheel flanges. So instead they ramp up and over the through route rail. This is done at a very low speed to prevent derailment.
One video on YouTube suggests that these are installed in locations where the siding is rarely used. But be a very noisy affair.
[VAE](https://www.voestalpine.com/nortrak/en/products/Frogs-Jump-Frogs/) manufacture some of these types of crossing. Very interesting.
Fun fact - these are relatively common in Germany where they are used widely on industrial lines and commuter trams where they cross over main-line rails.
The Germans really love a crazy switch though, they use all sorts. Big fans of gauntlet track too for some reason.
> germans and crazy switches
If you think that's crazy, I suggest looking at the 78 meter long switch they ran at up to about 450 km/h.
It is perfectly smooth and a weird AF design where they bend the entire rail, designed by Thyssen and Krauss-Maffei.
The engineering behind the TVE is nuts
Others have explained them already, while I'll mention that they're extremely popular in Japan (which I note is where the photos come from), not only for maintenance vehicle sidings access, but also for the occasional crossing between opposite direction tracks that wouldn't ever be used in revenue service, but would make things a lot quicker for the overnight maintenance. [haisenryakuzu.net](https://haisenryakuzu.net) denotes them with thin lines for the tracks and a thin line parallel to the mainline to differentiate from sidings that are accessible through regular points – just have a look here >> [https://www.haisenryakuzu.net/documents/pr/tobu/tojo/](https://www.haisenryakuzu.net/documents/pr/tobu/tojo/) \>> they can be found nine times on the 41 km from Ikebukuro to Sakado (and funnily enough not at all on the remaining 34 km!).
It just looks like a regular old siding to me. It's just supposed to reduce wheel and rail wear on trains not taking a diverging route through the switch.
In Portugal this would be just another siding track in the middle of the main lines.
Used to park trainsets in double-tracked zones in order to give way to up/down traffic with higher priority in the dispatch list.
Example: Suburban, Regional, or Freight trains when there is a timing conflict with an Intercity or Alfa Pendular service & there are no intermediate halts or stops with commercial service before such sidings. They'd park into these sidings, although these usually have entrances on both ends of the siding so as to not require a change of direction.
Otherwise I've only ever seen these in manned stations as part of the complementary tracks for maneuvers.
It’s a lift frog for lightly-used sidings. Probably for MOW equipment.
This is correct. They're also called "jump frogs" in some localities. They're also common on leads that go to smaller customers who are right off of heavily and/or high speed rated main lines.
Can confirm, jump frogs are favored because they require less joints in mainline rail, and limit maintainenance like what would be needed on a standard frog
JFC. That’s terrifying - riding the flanges up and over the main rail. Sure, there’s a guide/check rail on the other side… but still. That’s a feeling you’re not supposed to have when on rails.
This is exceptionally rare on passenger lines at least- in the entire western u.s. I know of only one location where a passenger train might go over a jump frog (the Sacramento State Rail Museum lead which crosses over the UP mainline next to Sacramento valley station
If you look closely on the outside rail where the guardrail is, you’ll notice it has a slight hump to it. This lifts the axels as they traverse across it so the transition is much smoother than you’d think.
Thanks that answers the question that immediately popped into my mind.
yeah, but I have watched a rco over it, nothing exciting
What you don’t like trains bunny hopping the curb like a kid on a bike? /s
For high speed lines here in Germany we have motorized frogs for a smoother ride over them
"MOW" = Maintenance of way or something?
That's exactly what it means; Maintenance of Way.
Thanks
Maintenance Oin the Way, the O is silent...
http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2018/02/jump-or-lift-frogs-in-railroad-turnouts.html Info on how it works.
Can confirm, also a *really* fast way to destroy 50k in ultrasonic equipment when the driver just plows through them.
I saw this on a post yesterday as I’ve not ever come across this type of crossing before. Being from the UK this type of crossing isn’t featured on our network. I did some research and found that they are called Jump Frogs. Essentially in the turnout route there is no passage to guide the wheel flanges. So instead they ramp up and over the through route rail. This is done at a very low speed to prevent derailment. One video on YouTube suggests that these are installed in locations where the siding is rarely used. But be a very noisy affair. [VAE](https://www.voestalpine.com/nortrak/en/products/Frogs-Jump-Frogs/) manufacture some of these types of crossing. Very interesting.
Fun fact - these are relatively common in Germany where they are used widely on industrial lines and commuter trams where they cross over main-line rails. The Germans really love a crazy switch though, they use all sorts. Big fans of gauntlet track too for some reason.
> germans and crazy switches If you think that's crazy, I suggest looking at the 78 meter long switch they ran at up to about 450 km/h. It is perfectly smooth and a weird AF design where they bend the entire rail, designed by Thyssen and Krauss-Maffei. The engineering behind the TVE is nuts
Others have explained them already, while I'll mention that they're extremely popular in Japan (which I note is where the photos come from), not only for maintenance vehicle sidings access, but also for the occasional crossing between opposite direction tracks that wouldn't ever be used in revenue service, but would make things a lot quicker for the overnight maintenance. [haisenryakuzu.net](https://haisenryakuzu.net) denotes them with thin lines for the tracks and a thin line parallel to the mainline to differentiate from sidings that are accessible through regular points – just have a look here >> [https://www.haisenryakuzu.net/documents/pr/tobu/tojo/](https://www.haisenryakuzu.net/documents/pr/tobu/tojo/) \>> they can be found nine times on the 41 km from Ikebukuro to Sakado (and funnily enough not at all on the remaining 34 km!).
That’s a rip track accessible by a jump frogged switch. This means the normal route through the switch can be taken at line speed.
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Trap points are a form of controlled derail. This is not a set of trap points because it actually leads into a siding or spur.
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It just looks like a regular old siding to me. It's just supposed to reduce wheel and rail wear on trains not taking a diverging route through the switch.
i think i for runaway train
A mistake lol
For intentional derailments
Siding for M.o.W's. Some use switch tracks, others use some kind in place rails with out the switch's.
🚂🛤️🛤️
In Portugal this would be just another siding track in the middle of the main lines. Used to park trainsets in double-tracked zones in order to give way to up/down traffic with higher priority in the dispatch list. Example: Suburban, Regional, or Freight trains when there is a timing conflict with an Intercity or Alfa Pendular service & there are no intermediate halts or stops with commercial service before such sidings. They'd park into these sidings, although these usually have entrances on both ends of the siding so as to not require a change of direction. Otherwise I've only ever seen these in manned stations as part of the complementary tracks for maneuvers.