A derail is a device designed to derail equipment if that equipment passes a certain point. Derails are often placed near the fouling point of an industrial railway track and the railway service provider’s track to prevent the unintentional entry of rail equipment by derailing the equipment before it fouls the service provider’s track. Derails are normally operated manually and can be a hinged type, sliding type (usually operated by a switch-stand type mechanism) or a switch point type that guides equipment off its track by the use of switch points.
