To Derail or not to Derail

Heyseed · Aug 19, 2019

Some work happening on a local rail line and I saw this tool attached. I'm guessing it is to keep strays from getting loose into regular traffic. I bet it would make a mess to clean up if it came into play.
I also was interested to see that kink in the right side rail, Maybe that is the kind of thing they are fixing.

markct · Aug 19, 2019

Common railroad practice, better to have a car go off the track than plow thru a crew of workers or onto an unsafe bridge etc

Tony in SD · Aug 19, 2019

This one is well marked. The ones we used in the 70?s were just a Bolton derailer.

Steve@Advance · Aug 19, 2019

I think that's called a "frog".

It's to protect workers, just in case.

Absent Minded Farmer · Aug 19, 2019

Yep. That derail is there to keep the crew safe on the other side. Usually, the car that goes over it isn't going too fast, so there isn't much of a mess. They might be after that kinked joint & ones like it. I'd be interested in knowing what they're doing on that line. Looks pretty good for jointed rail. Whereabouts is that, if you don't mind my asking? The MoW equipment looks like CSX.

Mike

Janicholson · Aug 19, 2019

Sorry Steve, a Frog is a hardware cast steel piece that fits into turnout where the far rail fronm the points lead away on the siding or branch. My son became a solid train buff growing up on the Great Northern High Line, Now BNSF. Jim
Frog.

Charlie M · Aug 19, 2019

We have them in place at our little railroad at our museum. We do it mostly so if a car does get away, maybe cause of vandalism it will derail before it gets somewhere that causes a lot more damage. If we are protecting a work crew we put up a blue flag which works like the lock out-tag out industry uses.

john in la · Aug 19, 2019

That derailer is the same thing as a lock out tag out system a electrician or maintenance worker would use.

Absent Minded Farmer · Aug 19, 2019

Are you referring to the GN line that follows parts of US2? The Builder still roams most of it. Gorgeous territory. Burned up a lot of film through there. Got to see one of the DOD's private cars on one of the rides out. Was not permitted to get pictures of it while we were stopped in Havre, but they couldn't do anything about photography while they were on the move, unless there's suspicious activity involved. So I got my pic as we were weaving in & out of the curves & avalanche sheds W of town. Hehe!

Mike

Steve@Advance · Aug 19, 2019

Place I used to work had a RR siding.

The RR sent the car down the siding too fast, too far. Hit the stops, broke the rails, turned them over on their side, car slid off and sunk in the dirt.

We were still able to unload it, they came and got it out somehow.

But we were left with the responsibility of paying for the repairs.

A really nasty bunch of people to deal with. Very arrogant, knew they had screwed up, but put on this front that somehow it had to be our fault, they weren't admitting to anything.

I heard them talking about locking the siding out, said something about "locking the frog on". That's where I got the term, maybe they were talking about the switch on the main, I don't know, been many years.

johnofnewhaven · Aug 19, 2019

Those tracks look almost as crappy as the tracks that boarder part of my property. The train goes very slow. The train only travels from a large grain elevator to a grain processing plant, about 20-25 miles one way.

sotxbill · Aug 19, 2019

saw a movie about George Westinghouse. he supposiddly invented the frog, air brakes and a bunch of other stuff for the rail road.

M-MAN · Aug 19, 2019

From the looks of the track it should be locked out.

DPittman · Aug 19, 2019

We make the frogs in the foundry I work at. Pretty interesting process. We also make the hardware that
holds the rail to the tie. Little less interesting. Something to do I guess.

jeffcat · Aug 19, 2019

Yes the blue is for "Don't even think of moving this". A lot of places treat that flag with who ever put it there is who removes it. Just like the electrical lock out tags. You hear stories of some smart ***** who moves something anyway and much happens. Someone on another shift put a lock out on a main breaker. Manager told the next shift to turn it on. Not only took out a three phase breaker, took the main pannel controling most of that side of the building. Big boom! Those safty videos you must watch and sign off for cover that stuff like crazy. People can be so stupid.

Trkr · Aug 19, 2019

Abex,Chicago Heights?

Janicholson · Aug 19, 2019

Owned 20 west of Havre on a bench with the Milk river running through it, near the Big Bud Factory. Jim

Heyseed · Aug 20, 2019

This line is in Front Royal, VA.

paul · Aug 20, 2019

Isn?t the derail positioned so as for anything coming down the line towards us, after passing ove the line we see?

Paul

oldhammerhead · Aug 20, 2019

Left rail was pieced short distance between joints, right rail at bottom of picture has been reversed , ties and tie plates shot.

DPittman · Aug 20, 2019

Nortrak Decatur Illinois. Actually an in house supplier for all of Nortrak America.

To Derail or not to Derail

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