Shortline Sammie Wrote:
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> Report on another forum indicated that a derail
> was in place and the cars apparently had gained
> sufficient speed that the derail was ineffective.
>
>
> Portable derails such as pictured as well as the
> "flopover" type are limited to slow speed
> applications and must be located near the car to
> be derailed.
>
> The only sure way to stop a runaway is with a
> split point derail or better yet a double point
> derail.
>
> Dick Samuels
> Oregon Pacific Railroad

True enough. I've seen plenty of cases where trains failed to derail on these types. It's really false security but it looks good to management that has "solved" a problem thus justifying their jobs. The best derail is a full switch heading to another track. This was common in New Zealand at the ends of all sidings on both the main and siding as I recall. There was (is?) one at Mossmain MT on the east end of Laurel yard. It protected the NP main from GN trains coming down the hill to a switch entering the WB NP main. A section foreman told me of some CB&Q engines (run-through, lease?) buried up to the walkways in dirt but clear of the NP main.