Table key:

R = radius of turnout curve
L = lead from toe to nose
A = length of straight

Prototype pre-nationalisation bullhead track turnout data

by Brian Oldford and Keith Norgrove

Switch Crossing GWR LMS LNER LPTB SR
    R L A R L A R L A R L A R L A
 A 4       130' 42' 10 25/32"   130' 42' 10 3/4"   130' 42' 10 3/4"        
4 1/2       168' 45' 1"   168' 45' 1"   168' 45' 1"        
5       212' 47' 1 3/4"   212' 47' 1 3/4"   212' 47' 1 3/4"   212' 46' 11 1/2"  
5 1/2       264' 49' 1 13/32"   264' 49' 1 1/2"   264' 49' 1 1/2"   264' 49' 0"  
6       326' 50' 11 13/16"   310' 50' 7" 1' 0 1/2" 326' 50' 7"   326' 50' 11 1/4"  
6 1/2       398' 52' 9 3/16"   398' 52' 9 1/4"   398' 52' 9 1/4"   398' 52' 9 1/2"  
7       482' 54' 5"   482' 54' 5"   482' 54' 5"   482' 54' 5"  
7 1/2       482' 54' 7 7/8" 4' 9 11/16" 482' 54' 8 1/4"   482' 54' 7 3/4" 4' 9 11/16" 579' 56' 1"  
8       482' 55' 1 5/32" 9' 2 15/16" 482' 55' 1 1/2"   482' 55' 1 1/2" 9' 2 15/16" 694' 57' 8 1/4"  
B 6 310' 58' 1"   312' 57' 1 1/32"   312' 57' 1"   312' 57' 1"   313' 56' 9 1/8"  
6 1/4 340' 59' 2 3/4"                          
6 1/2 371' 60' 3 1/4"   374' 59' 2 3/4"   374' 59' 2 1/2"   374' 59' 2 1/2"   375' 58' 11 7/8"  
6 3/4 405' 61' 4 5/8"                          
7 439' 62' 5 5/8"   445' 61' 3 3/32"   422' 60' 7 3/4"   445' 61' 3"   445' 61' 1 1/2"  
7 1/4 478' 63' 5 7/8"                          
7 1/2 516' 64' 6 1/4"   524' 63' 2 21/32"   524' 63' 2 3/4"   524' 63' 2 3/4"   524' 63' 1 3/4"  
7 3/4 560' 65' 6 1/4"                          
8 603' 66' 6"   613' 65' 1 3/8"   613' 65' 1 1/2"   613' 65' 1 1/2"   612' 65' 1 1/2"  
8 1/4 652' 67' 5 1/2"                          
8 1/2 702' 68' 5"   613' 65' 3 3/16" 4' 8 5/8"             713' 66' 11 3/4"  
9       613' 65' 8 11/32" 9' 1 1/2" 613' 65' 8 1/4" 9' 8" 613' 65' 8 1/4" 9' 1 1/4" 826' 68' 9 1/2"  
10       613' 67' 1 25/32" 17' 3 5/32" 613' 67' 1 3/4" 17' 10 3/4" 613' 67' 1 3/4" 17' 3 3/4" 1101' 72' 2 7/8"  
11       613' 69' 2 1/4" 24' 8 7/16"       613' 69' 2 1/4" 24' 10 1/4"      
C 7       416' 69' 3 13/16"   416' 69' 3 3/4"   415' 69' 5 1/2"        
7 1/2       485' 71' 6 3/32"   485' 71' 6"   485' 71' 7 3/4"        
8 558' 74' 11 1'4"   562' 73' 7 1/2"   562' 73' 7 1/2"   561' 73' 9 1/2"   563' 73' 5 1/2"  
8 1/4 598' 76' 0 1/8"                          
8 1/2 641' 77' 1"   647' 75' 7 5/8"               647' 75' 6 3/4"  
8 3/4 686' 78' 1 1'2"                          
9 732' 79' 2"   740' 77' 7 15/16"   740' 77' 8"   740' 77'8"   740' 77' 7 1/4"  
9 1/2 832' 81' 2 1/8"   844' 79' 7 1/8"               842' 79' 6 3/4"  
10 942' 83' 1 5/8"   960' 81' 5"   955' 81' 6 1/4"   960' 81' 5"   960' 81' 5"  
10 1/2 1062' 85' 0 1/2"   960' 81' 7 11/32" 4' 6 21/32"             1082' 83' 3 1/8"  
11       960' 81' 11 1/2" 9' 0 17/32" 918' 81' 6 1/4" 10' 5 1/2" 960' 81' 11 1/2" 9' 0 17/32" 1219' 85' 0 7/8"  
12       960' 83' 2 11/32" 17' 5 9/16" 960' 83' 2 1/4" 18' 2 1/2" 960' 83' 2 1/2" 17' 5 9/16" 1541' 88' 6 1/4"  
14             960' 85' 4 3/4" 32' 8" 960' 87' 1 3/4" 32' 8 3/4" 2440' 94' 10 5/8"  
D 8       545' 80' 6 3/16"   545' 80' 6 1/4"   545' 80' 6 1/4"   544' 80' 5 3/4"  
9       707' 85' 2"   707' 85' 2"   707' 85' 2"   705' 85' 1 5/8"  
10 868' 93' 6 3/8"   896' 89' 6 29/32"   876' 89' 1 3/4" 10 1/2" 896' 89' 6 3/42   893' 89' 8 1/2"  
10 1/2 969' 95' 8 1/2"   1003' 91' 8 5/16"               999' 91' 10"  
11 1077' 97' 10 1/4"   1118' 93' 9"   1120' 93' 9"   1118' 93' 9"   1114' 93' 11"  
11 1/2 1194' 99' 11 3/8"                     1279' 95' 11 1/4"  
12 1320' 102' 0"   1379' 97' 8 1/2"   1219' 96' 6 1/2"   1379' 97' 8 1/2"   1379' 97' 8 1/2"  
12 1/2 1455' 103' 11 7/8"                          
13 1600' 105' 11 1/2"                     1683' 101' 5 7/8"  
14       1379' 99' 2 9/16" >17' 8 3/4" 1379' 99' 2 1/2" 17' 8 3/4" 1379' 99' 2 1/2" 17' 8 3/4" 2041' 105' 1 1/4"  
16       1379' 102' 9 3/16" 33' 5 3/8" 1379' 102' 9 1/4" 33' 5 1/2" 1379' 102' 9 1/4" 33' 5 3/8" 2971' 111' 10"  
E 10       834' 104' 10 13/32"   806' 104' 1 3/4" 1' 3 3/4" 834' 104 10 1/2"   833' 104' 10 1/2"  
11       1027' 109' 6 1/2"   1027' 109' 6 1/2"   1027' 109' 6 1/2"   1026' 109' 6 3/8"  
12       1246' 114' 0 3/8"   1121' 111' 8 1/2" 4' 7 3/4" 1246' 114' 0 1/2"   1243' 114' 1 3/4"  
13                         1491' 118' 5 1/'2"  
14       1774' 122' 5 3/4"   1774' 122' 5 3/4"   1774' 122' 5 3/4"   1771' 122' 7 1/4"  
15                         2087' 126' 7"  
16       2446' 130' 3 5/8"   2446' 130' 3 1/2"   2446' 130' 3 1/2"   2449' 130' 3 3/4"  
F 16       2255' 146' 7 9/16"               2253' 151' 3 1/4"  
17                         2591' 155' 5 3/4"  
18       2963' 154' 11 3/8"               2693' 159' 6 3/4"  
20       3825' 162' 5 13/16"               3770' 168' 5 1/2"  
30' 13 1504' 127' 8"                          
13 1/2 1626' 130' 10 1/2"                          
14 1752' 134' 0 3/4"                          
14 1/2 1884' 137 2 5/8"                          
15 2021' 140' 4"                          
15 1/2 2163' 143' 5"                          
16 2311' 146' 5 5/8"                          
16 1/2 2464' 149' 6"                          
17 2623' 152' 5 3/4"                          
17 1/2 2788' 155' 5 3/8"                          
18 2958' 158' 4 1/2"                          
18 1/2 3134' 161' 3 3/8"                          
19 3316' 164' 1 3/4"                          
19 1/2 3504' 166' 11 7/8"                          
20 3698' 169' 9 3/4"                          

© Brian Oldford and Keith Norgrove

Editor's note: This page appeared originally on the Scalefour Society website, as a submission from Brian Oldford, but disappeared in the revamp of June 2010. The table reflects Table 7 of "British Railway Track Bullhead Supplement" published by The Permanent Way Institution in 1991, but which seems to be now no longer available.