Product Review
Product Review ... Rail Switch Checker Card

Aldon Company, Inc. in early February introduced the Switch Checker, a pocket-sized card designed to teach workers how to read switch points and avoid confusion about switch alignment.

CEO Mike Lannan says the Switch Checker is also useful for confirming switch direction when installing a switch target.

“Switch lining errors, at the least, send a train down the wrong track,” says Lannan, “but can also cause damage to switch gearing, or even cause a derailment.”

Card Design

The two-sided lenticular card, which is waterproof and comes with a protective sleeve, shows facing point views for left- and right-hand turnouts on the front, and trailing point views on the back.

Lannan notes that the lenticular lens holds a double image:

• The position of the points when the switch is lined for the main track.

• The position for the side track.

“Tilt the card up or down,” he adds, “and the view changes. With each view, a circle highlights the position of the gap, and an arrow shows where the train will go.”

To view a video showcasing the Switch Checker, go to aldonco.com/checker-GJ.

This article is taken from the March/April 2021 GRAIN JOURNAL