Switches no5 MK1 tin

[tigbrand]

Marked L G N /45. Couldn't find much on the switches. Cheers Tig

 

[TimG]

See here -

British Boobytrap mechanims

and scroll down.

And here - https://www.bocn.co.uk/threads/british-switch-manufacturers.100498/#post-302606

TimG

 

[tigbrand]

Thank you Tim, Cheers Tig.

 

[Houndsworth]

Thank you Tim, Cheers Tig.

The British Boobytrap Mechanisms document shows a nice picture of the switch. Below is one with the adjustable extension rod pointing up at us. The thin rod unscrews from the knurled piece, adjusting its length. I think the wartime ones were painted OD and later this brown color.

Might as well mention one use for these. They were used to derail trains by the saboteur digging a hole in the ballast between two sleepers (ties in the U.S.), placing a small piece of wood down, lay the switch on it and run the rod up so it touches the rail. Cordtex runs from the snout down the track 15-20 feet or so to two HE charges 3 feet apart. Engine goes over the switch, weight flexes the rail down a bit, BOOM. Theoretically if three feet of track is removed, the engine will go off there. Reason is train wheels were/are beveled, to put outward pressure on each rail so the train rides straight and doesn't float left and right, hitting the wheel flanges on the rails. Lose a piece of rail and that force is not retained there so the engine goes that direction.

This switch was supposed to be an improvement over the fog signal pressure switch that was strapped to the top of the rail, with a tube sticking out the side that a detonator and Cordtex was attached to. German foot patrols, if present, would spot these. Also they started putting little scrapers on the engines to knock it off before the wheel ran over it.

 

[Duson]

Marked L G N /45. Couldn't find much on the switches. Cheers Tig

Nice box. What are the dimensions please?