Any car can pick a switch, although it is quite unusual to pick on the normal (straight) path. One would then have to pick the protected point; quite impossible unless it is mis-adjusted to be somewhat open - and then derailment is highly likely in combination with a bad flange (worn to a sharp point instead of the prescibed radius).

But since the trailing truck appears to take the siding right smartly, it appears from the video that both rails guided the car off - meaning that the switch was thrown early. I hope no one was hurt, but the sudden tilt of the car would have thrown people around pretty good - I wouldn't bet on it.

If indeed that is what happened, one might wonder what rulebook is being used by such tourist railroads. Didn't the standard rulebook require that whoever attended a siding switch remain at least one hundred feet away from the switch stand until after the approaching train had cleared. That would have prevented such a booboo!

If nearly two hundred years of railroading has taught us anything, it is that railroads (like all machinery) are inherently dangerous - and that innocent human error should be expected from anyone at anytime for any cause - and that only vigilent adherence to long established and tested procedure will prevent such human errors from causing accident or injury.

The standard rulebook was written in nearly two hundred years of such blood! It should be respected - even by low speed tourist lines and especially any amateur operation.

OPB