Rerailers?


T

Toolbelt

Member
What is the general consensus on the use of rerailers? Are they a shortcut to overcome poor track layout or poor rolling stock maintenance? I've heard some are used as vehicle crossing pads. Are they frowned upon by the rivet counter set? Are they a necessity always, or just in special circumstances?
 
When I had poor track, I did not notice that they worked all that well. For certain they probably won't help with out of gauge wheels either. On the other hand the museum, which has pretty flawless track, uses them on each staging yard track so the train has to roll over them to get onto the main. There I have seen them re-rail an errant truck. I think the trick might be having enough straight track before and after them.

edit - oh yes. I have used them for a grade crossing.
 
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Just curious, as I'm in the process of setting up/upgrading an old DC layout and converting my stock over from Horn/hooks to Kadees, if there are specific rerailers designed for Kadees, as there is very little clearance on these older rerailers with the Kadees.
 
I think rerailers are worth having about.
Just another option in running smooth operations.
The average bag of tricks a model railroader needs is pretty extensive.
All gained through study, participation and experience which only comes with time. :)
 
I used to have about a dozen in various places on the old layout. I have none on the present (and last) layout. I gave most to a buddy for his 8 year old kid's layout. They're mostly effective if you need them. If I had a tunnel, I would definitely use one at both ends. All of my grade crossings are now scratchbuilt.
 
I have them at most grade crossing, and several in places where derailments are difficult to access. As far as uncoupling ramps are concerned, I haven't used many of those since I converted all my couplers to Kadee. I use them mainly in the yards.
 
I don't use them either since my layout is all flex track, but I have a couple of scratch built grade crossings that do much the same thing.
 
I was at the Cincinnati in motion exhibit last week and a train went by with a derailed car. When it re-appeared after making its hidden loop it was back on track. I don't know if there was a rerailer but seems like a good idea to have one.

Personally, I have only one. It scratchbuilt but modeled after the Atlas or EZ track version and is right after the rotary dumper. Sometimes the cars shift when they are being rotated and the rerailer gets them onto the rails. Most of the time anyway.
 
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I got into the habit of using rerailers on my N-scale layouts, even though I am fully capable of doing proper track laying. I work them in as vehicle crossing pads, whether paved or gravel roads. Just extra insurance when running the trains. It seems like no matter how good your track work is, something is going to derail somewhere at some point in time, for some reason or another.
And that pretty much "somes" it up. :p
 
Toolbelt said:
Just curious, as I'm in the process of setting up/upgrading an old DC layout and converting my stock over from Horn/hooks to Kadees, if there are specific rerailers designed for Kadees, as there is very little clearance on these older rerailers with the Kadees.
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What rerailers are you reffering to specifically? The ones which look like a railroad crossing will work on anything. If your Kadee couplers hit them, then you need to adjust that "air hose" which hangs below, as it's probably not bent up to proper hight.
 
Yes I realize that and am in the process of fine tuning the Kadee couplers. These Kadees seem to have a lot of variation as far as the trip pins are concerned. I have three identical cars with exactly the same specs as far as coupler height (with no sag), and the trip pins vary considerably in height above the track, arc and length. Is that normal for Kadees? All my Kadees are newly installed.
 
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