Which item is a component of a turnout?

Which item is a component of a turnout?

• A. Amperes
• B. Resistor bank
• C. Switch motors
• D. Catenary

Answer: (C)

Turnouts redirect trains by moving the switch points, and this requires an actuation device to shift the blades and hold them in place. The switch motor (often called a point motor) is exactly that device, powering the movement of the turnout’s points and enabling the chosen route to be locked in. Other items aren’t physical parts of the turnout: amperes is just a current measurement, a resistor bank isn’t a standard turnout component, and catenary is the overhead power line, separate from the turnout mechanism. So, the switch motor is the component that actually drives the turnout.

Turnouts redirect trains by moving the switch points, and this requires an actuation device to shift the blades and hold them in place. The switch motor (often called a point motor) is exactly that device, powering the movement of the turnout’s points and enabling the chosen route to be locked in. Other items aren’t physical parts of the turnout: amperes is just a current measurement, a resistor bank isn’t a standard turnout component, and catenary is the overhead power line, separate from the turnout mechanism. So, the switch motor is the component that actually drives the turnout.