Model Railroading > Propane spur question

I have a question regarding safety appliances and propane deliveries.

In the past, I've seen a propane dealer's spur that had a derail and blue flag set to derail an incoming locomotive instead of a runaway car. This was late 70's N&W in Indiana, if that matters. My layout will have a dealer, but the spur is a switchback. What kind of practices may or would be applicable here? The easiest would be locking the switch; would a derail still be used?

Does the whole switchback exist strictly to serve the propane dealer? If not are there any other industries or railroad-owned sidings or spurs that are fed via this switchback trackage?

-Ryan

BN7149 Wrote:
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> Does the whole switchback exist strictly to serve
> the propane dealer? If not are there any other
> industries or railroad-owned sidings or spurs that
> are fed via this switchback trackage?
>
> -Ryan

Each leg of the switchback has an industry, the tail has enough length that a tank can be spotted without clearing the other industry. FWIW, the whole arrangement is a stretched Timesaver, and represents a real location where I grew up.

find the amtrak yard at beech grove indiana on google maps (heck-just drive over there) and look for Jones Chemical. their spur is accessed through a switchback accessed inside beech grove shops...
just a blue flag at the fence is all that's needed to keep a railroad crew out!

If I had to guess (which I do since I'm not speaking from any first-hand knowledge) it would make sense to me if the switch which ties the switchback arrangement to the main track had a derail to prevent cars escaping either industry. The era may play a role in how the real railroads would do it, as in modern roads being hyper-sensitive about double or triple redundant safety measures may dictate derails for any industry ahead of where cars are spotted. I hope you don't mind me speculating out loud, maybe someone else can chime in with an official rule.

-Ryan

DrLoco Wrote:
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> find the amtrak yard at beech grove indiana on
> google maps (heck-just drive over there) and look
> for Jones Chemical. their spur is accessed
> through a switchback accessed inside beech grove
> shops...
> just a blue flag at the fence is all that's needed
> to keep a railroad crew out!

Doc, I know the spur. I used to live in Indy up to '03.