Railworks America

As I slowly am building my Apex route (not showing anything for a while for a reason ) It's come to my attention the large number of derails in the area, some permanent and attached to a switch stand style post, some semi-permanent that hinge up and down when unlocked and moved by hand. Is this possible to recreate? If so, why are there no derail models for Railworks? I think it would work as a switch with stand for the permanent kind, and just have an invisible track branch off at the switch and add a derail model to the switch stand so that it moves when the "switch" is thrown. The semi-permanent ones could probably be acheived the same way but with an invisible switch stand. Any ideas/thoughts?

I'd say because of the shiny rail surface, it would look alot better just to make one as a static, non-functional object. Otherwise you'll have a derail that looks like it's been derailing 10 trains daily.

That's the thing though, one of the main tracks in Apex has a derail that must be set on and off before and after the local does its duties. I'd like to include it as it's a big part of the realism. A static one would do for the sidings that are rarely used though.

There is a local chemical company which has a derail (big D on a blue circular field). I know someone has to throw it because UP picks up and drops off new tankers ever week. I think it has to do with preventing runaways from entering the plant (at least from what I can see).

I think your idea of an invisible track could work. You'd need to make track which is invisible on one side and lay it like a junction for it to be functional with signalling etc I think. Then you'd run into problems with it interfering with the non-invisible track. You should ask the dude from 3Dtrainsim.

I just assumed 100 was the maximum value for cab-sway. I'm going to experiment now.

Wow. You're onto something there. Seeing the sway from outside the cab is awesome. I can see potential for setting up a few soft spots on the mainline and getting some realism out of my old sidings.

I got plenty of track ideas to pay you back with. Just played around with it. I've got a 20mph section @ 30% cabsway. Added a 15 meter section @ 300% and ran a 30 car train over it. It replicates a soft spot we used to have here in my town perfectly. Each wagon takes a one sudden lurch and that's about it... there's some dissipating wobble afterwards which is bang on. It's that singular lurch that does it. Nice work mdurdan

Generally, derails are used to prevent runaway cars from entering the mainline track. I believe it's an FRA requirement now. We have one here on the team track in Dyersville. Funny thing is that the entire track is on a slight uphill grade to the main. If any cars are going to roll, they are going to be to the bumper. I've seen derails on some of UP's CTC controlled sidings in California. They will cutoff the power and leave the train in the siding.

A closed switch, even a power switch, is not enough to prevent a car from entering the mainline. Even a caboose can split a switch, and not derail. I know... because I did it very early one morning.

see greatnortherners post on the train order board, a derail should be possible the same way, could make a manual switch stand and animate it then bury a manual junction nearby it would actually be simpler than the train order board

CNWFan, interesting about the caboose, was that ingame or are you a railroad man?

Jason, I just saw that post, downloaded them and am gonna test em out. That sounds like a good idea, it'll work for now untill I feel like making a derail model and custom attaching it to move with the switch stand. Thanks yall!

I am a former railroader... worked for Amtrak for 5 years as a conductor. The caboose incident happened on night while I was on a work train. We were shoving a cut of ballast hoppers into an out-of-service mainline track. The foreman told us that they left the cross-over lined for our move. The conductor dropped off at the first switch... which was lined. I started the shove, riding the caboose platform, and using my latern to check the switch points. Keep in mind, the power switches didn't have targets. Basically, I could have sworn the points were lined for the move, but at midnight on a dark piece of mainline track... well let's just say the slamming of the points as we ran through the switch said it all. I dumped the air using the caboose valve, but not before the caboose and 1 hopper made it through the switch. The only damage to the switch was a bent rod. In the charge letter (formal letter of investigation), I was charged with violating the restricted speed rule. All moves in out-of-service track are made at restricted speed... which basically says I have to stop within 1/2 my range of vision for... among other things... mis-aligned switches. Oh well. I was told your not a true railroader unless you've run through at least one switch, been held out-of-service at least once, and been divorced while working for the railroad. I got 2 out of the 3 in one night. The last one came right at the end of my railroad career.

Oh... and speaking of derails... I can say that they do work... from personal experience. But we'll save that story for another night.

Wow haha sounds like an interesting job!! I want to be a CSX road conductor when I get old enough, then work up to engineer.

if you really want to do it, study up on what it takes i am in the application process at CSX and NS, i have the experience, just takes a long long time to get on, alot of competition

That's awesome dude! I'm gonna ask the conductor in Apex about it, he always loves to talk, he's really friendly.