Wharton Switch - Questions

[Oxygen]

Hey folks, not sure if this the correct place to post this but maybe you can send me in the right direction.

I came across this old school switch while riding my bicycle. I was looking all over Google but can't seem to find any information on it.

A lot of markings indicate that it's made by Wharton, which I can't find anything about on the internet. Also, most parts are labeled 100 P.S.

Another marking on the switch says "53/4 AJAX PATENTED MARCH 21 1911 53/4"

 

[Oxygen]

Here are some more photos:

 

[bcp]

Wharton:

Wharton switch

Bruce

 

[Bill Anderson]

Where did you see the switches?

 

[ShePointsIDig]

Something is missing here...

That seems like a really odd step in the evolution of rail switching.

Here is another source that "tries" to explain how the Wharton switch works, but I must be missing something.

http://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/railway/wharton.htm Scroll down to the drawing.

I'm assuming the train is moving from left to right on the drawing.

I can't determine how the flange of the wheel on the rail B-B ever comes up and over B-B on to K-H'. Obviously the other wheel flange will go on to G-H, and I get it that the wheels both rise 1-3/4"--once they are on the divergent rails--but how does the flange on the B-B rail ever move over? Can it be brute force? Wouldn't that put a lot of wear on the flanges and the gauge-side of rail right there where the flanges are riding up?

Inquiring minds need to know.

Art

 

[LoganTrackdog]

Look at the angle of that frog! Is that a #5 or #6?? Wow!

Where is this switch located? The Ajax thing is a common cast Manganese guardrail. Those are common.