@Nation Wide Lines posted:For all of you wondering about the cost of switches, the Marshall & Swift Cost Estimating Guide, commonly used by commercial real estate appraisers, indicates railroad switches to cost anywhere from $26,000 to $58,250, depending on weight of the rail. Those estimated costs include: rails, ties, ballast, spikes, and alignment. The cost estimating guide also notes that the cost per switch is in addition to the cost of the rail (which sounds like the underlying rail/ballast/etc. of the switch).
That may explain the quoted $60k in damages. If I'm being honest, I wouldn't be surprised if I made the same mistake.