I'm thinking the orange railer came with a shelving system.
It's not as hard to make it all the way around a loop of HO with a derailed truck. ... 1. the O tie count leaves gaps that cause harder wheel strikes and bigger bounces 2. O is more likely to short because of the center rail and outer rail gets bridged by a metal axle.
Using the rerailers as road crossings in ho was pretty brilliant.(they really do need them ) Im thinking inside a girder bridge would be another decent place to hide one.
I'd go with a hardwood to make one, I think it would work out ok. You might want to use a roller truck in design to ensure it works for the rollers too (otherwise why bother really, lit cabooses are probably the worst offenders.)
I doubt 2rail O folks would be interested because of a lack of prototypes. It would have to be hidden; like on a bridge not easily seen.
Ive gotton to the point I can often rail things without touching a wheel; including steam. (that trailing truck is pure luck though) On cars I tilt/rol it way to the side to rest the wheels on the far rail until all four wheels on the other side car are sitting on the rail head, then roll the car to flat. OR I hold one truck and hook the opposite end coupler to a train and pull gently to straighten that truck, then drop that end, fingers ready to guide the remaining end down accurately, sometimes pulling the next car right into position with my pinkie.
Gramps would yell at us all for not scooping them by the wheels and railing them the same way, then straightening with one hand on each side of a truck. You didn't touch the bodies unless necessary. (or touch his best at all without white gloves on)
