If you are hit by a detector for a hot wheel or hot journal, you must not travel over which switch while the engineer pulls up for inspection?

• A. Diverging Route Switch
• B. Switch Facing Point Switch
• C. Grade Crossing Switch
• D. Mainline-Crossover Switch

Answer: (B)

When a detector flags a hot wheel or hot journal, the train must stop and the crew will inspect. The safety issue is crossing a switch that is facing the point while the locomotive is still in the process of stopping and the switch may not be secured for the train’s route. A facing-point switch has the points ahead of the train’s lead axle, so if the switch isn’t properly lined and locked, the wheel can be forced onto the wrong rail as you pass, risking a derailment. For that reason, you must not travel over that switch until the engineer has completed the inspection and the switch is confirmed to be correctly relined and secured. Other switch types may be managed or protected differently, but the facing-point switch presents the most immediate derailment risk in this scenario.