Diesel Re-railers

[hotrainlover]

Dear All,
You think I would have noticed this kind of thing before...

I see in the current issue of MR that in the detaling of SP 70 Ton switcher, that there is a Rerailer built onto the foreward truck.  How does this work? Is this common on switchers, or on ALL diesels?

Are there other examples I could look at?

Thanks for the help!

hotrarainlover

[RAM]

lots of locomotives have hooks to hang rerailers.  On steam locomotives it was common to hang them on the tender. They are used for rerailing in miner derailments.  The reailer frog is placed next to the rail and the wheel go up and over the rail.  Time I saw this done, they used a comealong to pull the wheel over the the rerailer.  It is not an easy job.

[Guilford Guy]

Details West makes a set...
http://www.mgdecals.com/Details%20West%20Part%20Pics/119.htm

[rogertra]

I've used both "V" rerailers and the single sided ones as well as just bulks of timber, ties, 2 x 4s etc., etc.,  and 25ton and 50 ton jacks to rerail cars.

You use whatever you have to hand.

[Redtail67]

FROGS...Lord how I hated them...

We used mainly two types 'CAMEL BACK" and "BAT WING" the "bat wings" were the best as they would pick up wheels further from the rail and usualy guide the wheels right back on only one problem...."HEAVY HEAVY"

When i hired out all units were equipped with their own set and all cabooses as well. I have carried or helped carry frogs 60 car lengths..ready for bed when the day was done.

Then the railroad took them off the engines and cabooses. they had them in vehicles that would be sent out so as to drive them right to the derailed car or cars. the main reason was to stop injuries to crews that carried them many car lengths causeing many a hurt back.

That stopped us from rerailing cars without the company ever knowing we had derailed. We also made use of any planks, boards, blocking, or ties that we could find. our most common practice was, if possible , run the cars slow slow to a switch and use the frog of the switch to rerail the car.

engines were a different story because of the weight, we would cut out the traction motor on the first up truck and run the locomotive up on the frogs. we would cut the derailed unit off if it had one traction motor to pull itself to the frog..this to keep from derailing them all account rail spreading underneath the units.

Hope they melted them all down...

Redtail67