The thread “facing point switches on mainlines” started me thinking more about operations in today’s railroading. Is there much of a difference in the potential for derailment in a reverse move through a switch versus having the engine lead? Is a reverse move with a heavy car (loaded 286,000) leading have more or less derailment potential than a light car (empty hopper)? How about an 86 foot flat leading a reverse move versus an ore jenny?
Thanks
dd
I’m nowhere near being a physicist nor a mechanical engineer (I’m a software engineer), but I’d think that a heavier car would require more force to overcome inertia to get the car rolling, and that impact/shock, if it were right on the points of the turnout, might impose a higher risk of derailment than a lighter car. If the train is rolling at a steady pace by the time it reaches the switch, I wouldn’t guess there’d be much difference.
For what it’s worth, on my N scale model railroad, even with my old-fashioned Rapido couplers that can buckle-up, I can shove 15 cars all over my yards with the heavier cars nearest the locomotive.
If the switch points are gapped, it makes no difference, you will get on the ground…although the odds are better that an empty car will crawl up the switch point or over a frog, where as a load will shove the points back into position…but as for the odds on derailing on a switch that is good, very unlikely…if shoving over switches were a problem, there would be no push pull passenger trains…I kick cars all day long into a bunch of facing point switchs…again, as long as the switch is maintained properly, no problem.