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sorry to be a spelling enforcer, but you misspelled "coveted our rights-of-way."

This thread should serve as reminder to all that most derailments occur at switches and that regular inspections to ensure that they are in adjustment and good working order is important. My experience with them seems to be that switches need adjustment at least twice a year, at the onset of warm weather and again when the weather cools off. YMMV.

All main track switches need to be equipped with high security locks. Perhaps spike unused/seldom used switches and DON'T leave a spike puller laying around!

Yup, if you don’t lock or at least pin those high stands, the lever can possibly work it’s way up out of the slot. I did forget to mention in my previous post that on your typical low stand there are, or should be, foot operated keepers or latches either on the head blocks or, on some newer ones, the stand itself to hold the arm in a locked position. If properly latched, the throw bar can’t move even without a padlock. In the hopefully rare instance that you don’t have latches, you’re begging for a derailment in very short order.

I won't complain---there are worse things in the world!