Is it possible to drop a redstone torch so it powers something?

Question

On the black plasma animation "Survival" a character sets up a redstone trap. In one of the sequences, a dropper (or dispenser, couldn't tell) is activated and drops a restone torch. this torch falls nearby a powered rail and activates it. Is this actually possible to do in game?

Answer 1

I don't believe this is possible in-game. An item dropped in that manner would drop as an item and would not power the rail. This was an effect added by (the quite skilled in my opinion) animators. It could however drop onto a wooden pressure plate if you were trying to achieve the same effect.

Answer 2

Unless you use very compact commands or tinker with the game's code, there is no way to do so.

This is probably not what you are asking for but if you drop it on a pressure plate, it will activate, technically the pressure plate is doing it but you get the idea.

You can add to this by using a dropper (or dispenser, which would in this case have the same effect) to drop a redstone torch into a water elevator.

You could transport the torch horizontally with minecarts with chests and if you combine dropping it into a water elevator into a hopper at the top of the elevator which puts it into a minecart with a chest, you could advance this trick a bit!