I got me a question about rerailers

[railfan619]

Whenever I go passed a RR bridge or even a grade crossing. I see two piceces of what looks like rails and. I think those are rerailers so when a car derails train crews will pull that car up to the rerailer and the car would go back onto the rails.Now do these actully work because I have never seen this done before so I was wondering if anyone has seen this done before could you tell me how it is done and if it works. [%-)][%-)]

[espeefoamer]

I believe the real purpose of the second set of rails is to hold the trucks in line so a train won't derail on the bridge.

[csxengineer98]

they are called gard rails... they keep the wheels in line that if one should derail..it says in somewhat of a stright line so the car dont jacknife on the bridge..and thus taking out the bridge structer...
csx engineer

[mvlandsw]

The ones in grade crossings keep the paving away from the running rails to maintain the flangeway.

[adrianspeeder]

On a bridge, or other sensitive area, it is kind of a last ditch effort to keep a derailed car from goin over the edge.

Adrianspeeder

[mudchicken]

The guard rails are positioned to keep the wheelsets on the ties. Off the ties, the wheels tend to dig in and bury themselves/ pile-up. This is why you sometimes see guardrails on sharp curves as well as bridges.

[Hugh Jampton]

Guard rails on sharp curves are actually check rails. Placed close to the inner rail. It's function is to prevent excessive flange contact on the outr rail which results in very high lateral forces. The back of the inner wheel rubs against the chech rail taling some of the load..
Least they do round here.

[mudchicken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Hugh Jampton

Guard rails on sharp curves are actually check rails. Placed close to the inner rail. It's function is to prevent excessive flange contact on the outr rail which results in very high lateral forces. The back of the inner wheel rubs against the chech rail taling some of the load..
Least they do round here.

Hugh: You have those as well with the base of rail partially removed. What I'm talking about here is the pessemists that we are protecting against a long car- short car derailment in a curve over 10-12 degrees on heavilly used track.

[Hugh Jampton]

So do they prevent the derailment,, or merely contain it once it's happened?

[Anonymous]

I got me an answer...

Rerailing frogs are carried on locomotives and track vehicles for rerailing of "simple" derailments (where wheels are near the rails and trucks have not slewed).

LC

[Puckdropper]

Model railroad rerailers are designed to put the trucks back on the rails, but I don't think a full size railroad would do that. You'd damage the flanges, rail head, or equipment trying to drag it back on.

There's no 0-5-0 switcher here.

[csxengineer98]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Puckdropper

Model railroad rerailers are designed to put the trucks back on the rails, but I don't think a full size railroad would do that. You'd damage the flanges, rail head, or equipment trying to drag it back on.

There's no 0-5-0 switcher here.

thats what cribbing blocks are for...with some blocks of oak cribbing..you can rerail a car without to much damamge to the railhead or the wheels if any damage at all... if thier happens to be any type of damage..the MOW people will be thier when its rerailed anyways..so they can inspect it for defects to repair once the car is rerailed...and the mechanical people are the ones that do the rerailing..so they will also inspect the car for defects and damage so it can be reparied and put back in service
csx engineer

[BR60103]

The online magazine "Model Railways Online" had a picture a while back that showed a prototype version of a model re-railer at the end of a bridge. Made of steel angles (?) it hadd the same consiguration as an HO gauge re-railing track.