Editing Railroad switch (section)

=== Single-point switch ===
[[File:ON-TTC 20071110 StreetcarTrackSwitchPoint.jpg|thumb|left|A single-point switch on the [[Toronto streetcar system]]]]

Single point switches, known as Tongue and Plain Mate switches, are sometimes used on freight railways in slow speed operation in paved areas such as in ports. In the United States, they are regulated by provision 213.135(i) of the Federal Railroad Administration Track Safety Standards.

On streetcar ([[tram]]) systems using [[Tramway track#Grooved rail|grooved rail]]s, if the wheels on both sides of the car are connected by a rigid solid axle, only one switchpoint is needed to steer it onto one or the other track. The switchpoint will be on inside rail of the switch's curve route. When a streetcar enters the curve route of the switch, the wheel on the inside of the curve (the right side of the car on a right turn) is pulled into the turn, and through the axle, directs the wheel on the outside to also follow the curve.<ref name="Munro 2011">{{cite web |last=Munro |first=Steve |author-link=Steve Munro |date=10 November 2011 |url=https://stevemunro.ca/2011/11/10/ttc-unveils-new-streetcar-design-and-mockup/ |title=TTC Unveils New Streetcar Design and Mockup |access-date=2 October 2016 }}</ref> The outside wheel is supported for a short distance by its flange running in the groove.

Some low floor streetcar designs use split axles (a separate half-axle for the wheel on each side of the car). Such streetcars are unsuitable for use with single-point switches as there would be no mechanism to transfer the force from the inner to outer wheels at switches.<ref name="Munro 2011" />

A single-point switch is cheaper to build, especially in street trackage, as there is no need to link to a second switchpoint.<ref name="Munro 2011" />

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