Derails sit on industry tracks, spurs and yard leads to protect the main track and the people working nearby: a car that rolls away is deliberately put on the ground before it can foul a busier track. Hinged or portable derails flip onto the rail head, while split-rail derails use a set of moving points. They are painted yellow, and a crew must know whether each one is on or off before moving, because shoving over a derail that is on puts cars on the ground every time.
Derail's on at the plant, conductor's going to take it off and lock it, then we'll shove in slow.
Treat every derail as on until you have seen it off with your own eyes; weeds and snow hide them well.
Also heard as
- derailer
Related terms
Spur
A short dead-end track branching off to serve an industry or to store cars.
Blue flag
A blue signal marking equipment that workers are on, under or between, which no one may couple to or move.
On the ground
Derailed: off the rails with at least one wheel down on the ties or ballast.
Shove
To push cars with the locomotive behind them, as opposed to pulling them.