A turnout is

a track panel

that diverts trains from one track to another. The length of the turnout is determined by angle of the turnout casting (referred to as a “frog”). The shorter the turnout, the sharper the angle of divergence will be, which restricts train operating speeds through the turnout. The initial point of divergence where the two tracks effectively meet is referred to as the “switch” and the moveable rails at that location referred to as a “switch point”.