Patent ID: 7604205

Claim:
A turnout apparatus for a railway track, the turnout apparatus comprising a raised track surface which is adapted to provide a path along which wheels of a train can travel from one railway track to another, wherein the raised track surface is of a sufficient height such that the wheels of the train are arranged to clear the railway tracks, wherein at least a portion of each rail of the raised track surface comprises a rail head portion arranged to lie over or around a supporting member, the supporting member comprising a longitudinal axis which is arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of a rail of the railway track and is arranged to lie over or around the rail of the railway track being crossed, wherein the supporting member comprises at least an upper supporting member and at least a lower supporting member, the upper supporting member being planar and having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface attached to at least a portion of a lower surface of the raised track surface and the lower surface laying on top of an uppermost surface of the lower supporting member, and wherein a pair of lower supporting members are provided at either side of at least a portion of the rail of the railway track being crossed, the pair of lower supporting members combining to provide a substantially similar shape, width and position along the rail of the railway track being crossed as the upper supporting member, and are adapted to be releasably engaged to the upper supporting member and releasably fixed to the upper supporting member.