by Markku Nummelin
The author of this illustrated guide to a vital element of railway trackwork is Maintenance Director at Finnish Rail Administration, and he was Finnish State Railways' turnout and permanent way expert between 1982 and 1995.
Originally published in Finnish in 1994, this updated 116-page English-language edition is aimed at engineers, students and consultants. There are 162 photographs and diagrams showing all kinds of turnouts, ranging from an example using both concrete and wood sleepers at Hua Hin in Thailand to a sector turnout for loading train ferries at Turku in Finland.
There are details of the pointwork on Japanese high speed lines, as well as Australian heavy haul routes and mountain rack railways in Switzerland. The book has a particular emphasis on the Nordic countries, where warm summers and winter temperatures down to -40íC demand high quality and functionality.
The author suggests there are too many national specifications for turnouts, and says further international standardisation is needed.
ISBN 952-445-096-9.
€30 + VAT/postage from Finnish Rail Administration, PL 185, Kaivokatu 6, FIN-00101 Helsinki, FinlandSinikka.kiikka@rhk.fi
