I didn’t read the IP document, but the cliff notes version is: Clam is right…

So a railcar has wheels that have flanges on the inside (gauge side) of the rail. The Derail (Lion you had the name right) sits on the rail and acts like a “ramp”. The wheel flange rides up on the derail and lands on the outside of the two rails (field side) and the other wheel falls off the opposite rail.

To fix it you need a jack for a light railcar or a crane for a heavier car or engine. They are ONLY used on sidings so that a full speed train could never hit it. They do much less damage than the stops you see every day when you get off the train in Chicago. Last time I sold one they were about $400.00, want to buy one? I think I still have an account with the manufacturer.

FYI – about 6 years ago I interviewed with the largest emergency railroad contractor in the US. They said there are over 1,200 derailments in the US every day.

From lupechennel's link:
Blue flags and derailers are used to alert railroad switching crews of personnel working on or within 8 ft. of railroad tracks, in order to avoid personnel injury and property damage.
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OK, that makes some sense, I guess. Sounds like an expensive way to do things. (I know, we'll cause the train to jump the tracks causing death and destruction, and then we'll bring in a crane to put them back) Wouldn't it be cheaper to hire a guy to keep a lookout for a train that shouldn't be there in the first place?
Looks more like a piece of equipment a terrorist would use. The one I saw was at the street crossing where the library is now.

quote:

Originally posted by perplexed:
They said there are over 1,200 derailments in the US every day.

Holy C*&P!

Hey I just thought of something... What if what you saw was a Rerailer, not a derailer





OR

No, what I saw was definitely a de-railer. I knew that the A&E was no longer running and I don't remember ever seeing a train on the tracks. It ended service when I was three.
The IPP's site says, "The Aurora Corporation was the name of the company organized to liquidate its assets and the cars, rails and ties disappeared quickly."
I don't know about that. I distinctly remember I was walking around on my own, as there was no one to ask what it was. I must have been a few years older as this was beyond my neighborhood. I did start attending St. Pet's three years after A&E shut down, in 1960, but I think I was much older when I came across this. I knew it was the A&E tracks and not the C&NW.

It’s quite possible that some rails and ties would be left years after the railroad closed. In the 50’s & 60’s when the rail & ties were sold, the contractor performing the “take up” would only take the best rail and ties. Steel was still king and new rail production was going strong. The rail that the Aurora Elgin would have had in track was probably lighter and softer than the rails in use on most railroads of the time. That rail would have been sold to a small industry or used on a siding. The rail had use, but it was limited. Six years ago I sold about 250 tons of rail that was rolled in the late 1800’s; it just took a bit to find the right customer. In the end the rail that was left probably would have been sold for scrap or re-roll (fence posts, bed rails) and the ties would be ground up for utility or coke furnaces.