slutväxeln

Slutväxeln is a Swedish term used mainly in railway engineering. The word is composed of slut (end) and växel (switch or turnout). In railway terminology, slutväxeln refers to the turnout situated at the end of a track, near a buffer stop or terminus, whose purpose is to determine the final alignment of a train and to prevent overrunning beyond the terminal. The slutväxeln is typically part of a controlled set of points, often integrated with signals, interlocking, and track circuits to ensure safe movements and to route trains arriving at a terminal to appropriate storage or departure tracks. Maintenance involves inspection of the switch blades, springs, and mechanical linkage, and testing of the associated safety devices.

In other contexts, the term is sometimes encountered in industrial automation to describe an end-position switch or limit switch that detects the final position of a moving component. The general sense is that it marks an endpoint of movement and triggers a control action or safety cut-off.

Origin and usage: Slutväxeln has long been part of Swedish railway engineering lexicon as rail infrastructure matured in the 19th and 20th centuries.

See also: Växel; Signals; Limit switch.