Today’s entry in the “hard to photograph” category is a low resolution test print of a working flop-over derail, used on sidings, etc.
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I have seen these on the real railroad. What is their purpose. Is it to intentionally derail cars should they venture down the siding by mistake? Their name sounds ominous. If this is what they are for what is the purpose for derailing the car, to slow it down?
After you beautiful windows that pint is harsh to look at. But I also realize it is low res and just a test print. It does look like it will work well.
Yup. To keep a stray car from fouling the main if it starts to roll for any reason.
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On my railroad they would constantly be doing their job. Most of my outdoor sidings are up-grade from the main. I could use a flip up brake! I use Harbor Freight picks for brakes.
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Devon,
They serve one purpose and one purpose only.
To cause a pee test for a crew that forgets to take the derail down.
In all seriousness they exist to intentionally derail a car before it hits something critical. Like say a mainline…
Usually they are set up to derail the car away from the mainline.
Okay, now it makes sense. I had thing backwards in my mind. So they derail a car that is sitting on a siding to prevent it from rolling onto the mainline. That makes sense and I am almost embarrassed that I did not realize this right off. I was imagining it derailing something leaving the mainline and entering the siding. But this makes much more sense. It would be extremely slow speed and would cause the car to stop before rolling onto the mainline and causing a horrific accident.
I blame it on the brain damage from the hole in my head.
Don’t blame yourself. You too busy other thinking your super secret project. BTW, I hope it’s working out? 
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I am waiting for two of the big pieces to be printed. But at least in design it’s turning out awesome
Out here, the plantations used them to prevent their trains from going onto the OR&L mainline unless they weret supposed to be out on OR&L tracks. All but one of the main plantations all used 3’ gauge like the OR&L, so I imagine this must have been a distinct possibility! Now I know what the derail might have looked like!
Eric
This is the old, expensive way of stopping a runaway in a side track from hitting the mainline:
The derailers are the modern cheap way of doing the same thing.
But Bob, you have the derail going the wrong way! The piece on top of the rail should push the wheel outside the rail, making the other wheel drop onto the ties. If you try to divert it inwards, the other wheel might object and merely cause the wheel to roll over the derail.
It will. Look at the top of the derail, and imagine a train coming from left to right. The top angle piece will force the wheel to go to the outside of the track.
Second attempt at the derail base, still printing in horrible resolution.
Removed the idea of having a cross-pin, and instead just went for a couple half-round nubs the actual derail part will snap into. Better design overall.
Yeah, when switching my sidings that sloped I used a marking flag on a wire staff - the same type that utility companies use, but I ended up getting WAY TOO many from Amazon.
I like them because you can SEE them easily - I first used an old RR spike, but continually ran over it because I didn’t see it. (Slow learner, I guess??? 
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But these sure do LOOK great! Job well done.
Neat design Bob.
For those of you that have NEVER tried 3D printing, the EASY parts are the doors and windows - just about everything else is trial and error. Lots of both. BUT, it’s so cool when your design works the way you thought it would and you can print out…well, probably a couple… Neat stuff all along!
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Very educational thread, I never knew what a derail was for either, or how it worked. (I don’t think the V&T ever used them, but I’ll have to ask).
Bob, your design looks great, res or low res. What will your final material be? FDM’d ABS?
And to make the hinge last, maybe consider a stainless brad or finish nail through it as a pin?
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Probably PETG, I have a couple spools of it to experiment with.
Interesting. We sometimes use PETG sheets in place of standard acrylic for signs. The only sheets I’ve ever gotten in were clear.