I was trackside on friday and saw a locomotive with the front trucks sitting lower. I asked if it hit the groung and was told "It picked a switch point". Can anyone tell me what this means?
Could have been that the flanges or a flange on the truck was worn thin to a critical point and/or the switch point wasn't properly closed or worn too thin. Difficult to say without being right there inspecting from up close.The truck will actually "pick" the switch as someone would "pick" a lock. Where did this occur? Sounds like it could be a failure due to improper inspection or shody switch maintenance or below standard switch handling. Not unusual, but not something anyone wants to do or experience.Could be serious or fatal depending on circumstances. CT
Last one I saw the switch points were chipped combined with a sharp flange on a covered hopper. It just rode up on the point until it finally derailed.
To add to Charlie's explanation, there could also be the problem of a sunken heel (where the switch flexes) which causes the tip to lift off the chair and open as a wheel goes over it. Sometimes the switch will remain slightly open when it drops down as the wheel moves past the heelblock. Generally a sign of poor track conditions and worn switch components.
normally this would go on "Story time...." but I think it is apropos to this thread. Several years ago, the BNSF installed solar powered switches in both East and West Yards at Eola(IL). This one particular switch controlled the "high/low" or "front/back"leads (tracks 4-11 & 12-13 respectively) in East Yard. This particular evening an "old head" conductor was called from the conductors extra list to work as switch foreman on an East Yard job. They had a derailment during their switching, not a severe one but one where one truck went one way and the other down another track. The foreman was claiming that the switch "flopped" all by itself. During the investigation at the site of the derailment, the Trainmaster was claiming that the foreman threw the switch under the car attempting to sabotage the carrier. The discussion was getting pretty hot and heavy and the TM was threatening with jail time etc and stating that it was "impossible" for that switch to flop itself. Now mind you, the involved parties were standing at the "scene of the crime" and no sooner had the TM gotten his "impossible" claim out of his mouth than the switch flopped all by itself!!! ROFL All the solar switches were removed from service shortly thereafter. CT
You could see the front truck lower in the picture. I will post it latee once I get home from work. The funny thing was it was the 2nd locomotive and the crew needed to fix the handrails on the locomotive in front. Thanks for the answers.
"Picked the switch point" means a wheel of the engine passed between the point and the stock rail on the closed side and derailed. As others have mentioned there are numerous reasons or combinations of reasons why it might happen. Dave H.
