Ever lose yer cool on your RR?

[sparkingbolt]

[banghead] Today I lost it. I figured out how to make my manually thrown turnouts work much smoother and proceeded to work my way from left to right across the layout replacing and reworking turnout controls. It was difficult work but I was progressing along and the improvements were really working great too, 'cept....

Well this one didn't seem to work well enough, the points wouldn't close. So I found out why and fixed it. The push-pull rod was binding.That wasn't it so I found another thing, fixed it, a lever issue. Nope. Oh, the hole thru the sub road bed not big enough. Made it bigger. No diff. OK! Now I can see that the hole in the tie rod between the points isn't big enough and the throw pin is binding. Fixed it. To no avail. I have systematically replaced every component in this whole switch mechanism, this switch is no different than the 19 others and it WON'T WORK!!!!

Yeah, that's when I gently took hold of this #4 code 70 hand laid left, and ripped it out of the layout. That wasn't enough, I also reached under the layout and took hold of the push-pull rod that goes from the panel to the switch and yanked it out. Of course, the DPDT frog and power routing switch on this unit, while identical to the rest, was the strongest one on the whole layout cuz it stayed in tact and pulled the guts out of all the surrounding ones by the wires. (This is where you laugh) I'm sure it looked as comical as it sounds. (I 'sposeIf my mother was here though, she'da beat my 46 yr old butt.)

I have a lot of repairing to do, along with building a new lefty, (good opportunity to put a 6 in at least) plus buy the DPDTs, I even have to figure out how to rewire cuz I don't know what all has been ripped from where.

Not that you would, but don't bother trying to suggest what may be the problem on the turnout or control NONE of it is there. The problem is me when I lose it like this.

I'm embarrassed and ashamed, yet at the same time I feel a twisted sort of liberation, relieved even, like this particular component isn't going to bother me again. And now I'm unloading on you guys. Part of my self imposed punishment is to 'fess up.

I have often been one who could not walk away from a technical problem and come back later, I have to conquer it or obsess. ( Watch, I'll have it all back together by the end of the weekend) This doesn't happen real often or I wouldnt have a layout at all. But this is far from the first time.The other day I did scrap a rather expirimental loco project. I didn't "lose it", I just decided to give up and move on.[xx(]

So with some trepidation i must ask: Am I in any company in the way I sometimes "finish" a project, or do I stand alone with my nose in the corner as the sole idiot? - sparkingDOLT

[BRAKIE]

Suffice it to say I *may* miss my welcome at the pearly gates for saying some very dirty words more then once over the years.[:O] [banghead]

[newhavenguy]

Nope we've all done something like that. I call it stress relief! [banghead]

[Anonymous]

Fear not.[:D]

We all do it from time to time.[banghead] If we didn't, then it could be because we are either A) perfect or B) don't care.

I'm not perfect, so dont ask me to "fix" your switch machines![;)][:-,]

[Anonymous]

Everyone does it. The trick is to spot that you're about to do it and walk away before you do some serious damage! However, when the switch machine still refuses to work in one direction despite your checking and rechecking the power feeds and motor (the one on my layout works if I put a "jump lead" (piece of wire with two small crocodile clips) between it and the power pack, but not via the installed wiring...) It's easy to become frustrated. I'm planning some rewiring that should make my electrics more robust and solve the problem - I plan to have switch controls mounted on the module that they operate rather than all grouped on one board. Another advantage is that I'll only need 4 wires between boards, 2 for track power and 2 for switch machine power.

[philnrunt]

sparkingbolt- Does it ever happen? Does it ever NOT happen?!?! In my job, I am bombarded by stupidity, and I attempt to maintain a Mr. Spock-like demeanor the entire 8 hours ( my co-workers might claim it's more of a Klingon attitude), bemused by the twists and turnsof life.
Then I come home and try to work with 1) My trains 2) my trucks or 3) any of the huge number of things that need repaired, and it seems that within 10 minutes things are flying thru the air with my special[censored]bon voyage.
I think I've said before, it's like philzilla in downtown Tokyo.
My Bronco II has a dent from a (way too) handy ball peen hammer, so now when I work on anything, I first try to clear the area of any weapons of mass destruction.
Oddly enough, much like you, I feel no guilt, but relief, for much the same reasons.
Oh no brother, you are definitely not alone.

[Anonymous]

I've been known to lose my temper on occaision, but I've never taken it out on my layout or trains, only my vocal cords. But, I have very interesting story that a friend of mine told me about an experience that he had with his anger that ought to give you a laugh.

He had this camera that he had just used to take a whole bunch of railfanning pictures with. He couldn't get it to open to take the film out. Finally he got so mad and went to his wife and said, "if I stomped on this camera, how many pieces do you think it would break into?" He then did just that. He made no mention to me of just how many pieces it actually did break into, though. He later on took the lens from the destroyed camera and used it as a window in a station that he scratchbuilt for his layout.

[Anonymous]

let me just say i don't have a layout any more (luckly it was 1*4)

-no name[angel][oops][soapbox][tdn]

[Anonymous]

i never had patience as a kid. it still suprises me that i can actually build all the locomotives that i do, and add all the tiny parts.

but every once in a while, i just want to throw one, but then i realize how expensive the thing is.

but the cheaper items arent so lucky. i had 2 boxcars that just would not owrk. they would not glue together very well, they wouldnt track very well, and overall, they looked like crap. so, one got 3 M80's twisted together and shoved in the door. not much left of that car. the other one got set up on a fencepost i the back of my 10 acres, and used as a.30-06 target. i hit the *** on the second shot from 100yds.

kids, DO NOT try this at home [:D][:D]

[sparkingbolt]

Sheesh! It's like reading letters I may have wrote! I even have this mystical ball peen hammer that has been used to put other tools that did less, or perhaps more , than theyr'e 'posta out of my misery. Only when I go get it, I'm no nonger mad, it's a controlled step of bringing closure to the process of officially not trying anymore to make something work. Kinda cerimonial even.

I once very calmly and without anger took a mid-priced airbrush and got the hammer out, set up an anvil and went to work. I had 2 of these, identical twins, with identical problems, they came to identical ends, because I wanted a better one and knew I'd never get one as long as I had these.

One thing I do know, and I now obey this rule strictly: When I am already seriously stressed by life outside the hobby and need a vent, don't go near ANYTHING model related. Including operating the trains.

Brakie: I hear ya there.
Brit: Actually I do walk away the vast majority of the time. I had just fused when I posted.
Phil: Philzilla? that's great!
Nightcrawler: Yup, gotta admit, cost plays a factor in how long something can persecute me. Oh, and good shot!
Everyone else: Thanks for the replies. It's no excuse but that I'm not alone sorta helps. Dan

[Anonymous]

Try and not get to ramped up folks, it's just a hobby.

It's supposed to be fun.

It can be hard at times, but when something isn't working right and I have been at it too long I take a break and do something else for a while.

Another good strategy is to get a friend or family memeber to look over the problem and get a fresh mind on the scene.....sometimes the problem is more obvious than we realize.

Remember --
If you're not having fun, then why are you doing it?

[Anonymous]

[}:)] I did when I made my first serious effort at building a layout. It seemed like I had invisible gremlins thwarting my efforts. If you stacked the number of expletives that roared from my mouth on top of one another they'd have been as tall as a 30-story office tower. And this was a small layout! But in the end I learned from my mistakes and had a good laugh or two with friends about my trials and tribulations. Starting over, I've learned to just take it s-l-o-w...that there's no rush...and to enjoy every single facet of the process as much as possible. [:)]

[BNSFNUT]

The splat mark on the back wall was a box car.

[Anonymous]

Ya my last locomotive I threw up agenst the wall......later did I realise I called it...Amtrak[:D]!

[Fergmiester]

As an officer I don't swear I just use some colourful marine lingo! though the odd ocassional rail car might sprout wings and fly!

Thus proofing the theory for every force there is an equal and opposite force.

[dano99a]

I have/had a boxcar with wings once.

Now days, I made one out of foam and even glued a wieght and some trucks and wheels on the bottom of it.

When things go off the deep end I run for that thing and throw it at the wall useing a few choice words. Multiple times.

Hey, beats buying something twice.

[Roadtrp]

I about got there once. I FINALLY had my track laid so that my train ran around it forwards and backwards with no stalls or derailments. In fact everything had been running pretty much perfectly for a couple of weeks.

Until I decided to lay some more track and a couple of more turnouts. All of a sudden NOTHING was working. Sections of track that had worked flawlessly were now giving me unbelievable problems. I didn't throw anything, but I started swearing like I hadn't done in 10 years.

My wife came in to the room and said “Jerry, this stuff is supposed to be fun. Stop for tonight.” It was harder than the devil to walk away from it, but I did. I knew my wife was right.

I sat down a few nights later to resume where I left off. I will never figure it out if I live to be 100, but I swear to God that sections of track that were giving me fits two nights before now worked flawlessly. Yes, there were still problems with the turnouts, but I had them resolved within a couple of hours.

Why did all that track that was giving me problems suddenly start to work? I don't have any idea. I'm just glad it did. [:)]

[philnrunt]

macguy-you are absolutely right, it is just a hobby. But, ya know, it's when those UNEXPECTED problems come up that it drives me crazeeee!
If I go in knowing I've got a fight on my hands, I can work on the problem for a long time before I shake my head and walk away, in my mind I know I'll come back and solve it.
It's when your favorite loco is rolling along with your finely tuned cars and suddenly on a section of perfectly laid tangent, it goes into a power slide, kisses the wall and bursts into flame! THATS when the madness begins! By the time your done, you've pulled up track down to the neighbor's house and decided to fill the layout room with cement because that is the only way to seal EVIL so it will never get free!!!
But you're right,it is only a hobby, now if you could just convince the guys over on the UP vs the world posts!

[sparkingbolt]

'Member I said I'd probably have it back together by the end of the weekend? I gathered all the rail pieces of the #4 left, and used them to rebuild. worked well this time. Also got the linkage to work well. And as to the rest, the damage wasn't as bad as I thought, could'a been way worse. Total monetary cost in damage: $1.50 So it's almost done and back to operatin'. [8D] And i'm goin to work on it now some more, with a better attitude. Dan

[philnrunt]

Tho it beat you and it flayed you,
by the living god that made you,
You're a better man than I am, Gunga Dan!

with all apologies to Mr Kipling.

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dano99a

I have/had a boxcar with wings once.

Now days, I made one out of foam and even glued a wieght and some trucks and wheels on the bottom of it.

When things go off the deep end I run for that thing and throw it at the wall useing a few choice words. Multiple times.

Hey, beats buying something twice.

Nerf RR'ng! Ya know there might be a market for this product!

[CP5415]

YUP!

I cut the same piece of wood three times & it was still too short! [;)]

Gordon

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415

YUP!

I cut the same piece of wood three times & it was still too short! [;)]

Gordon

Oh how I hate that!!!! If only they would make a measuring tape that measured properly!!![:(]

[Anonymous]

Read my lips,say it with me.....IT'S ONLY A MODEL LAYOUT!
BNSFfan.

[Fergmiester]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSF9838

Read my lips,say it with me.....IT'S ONLY A MODEL LAYOUT!
BNSFfan.

NO, No your wrong

It's my life!!!!![:D]

Actually it isn't, however sometimes the rate of return is less than the net worth of frustration compounded by the level of interest.

I know "walk away from the table and put your hands where we can see them".

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BNSFNUT

The splat mark on the back wall was a box car.

[bow]PRICELESS![bow] This really got my day off to a good start! [(-D][(-D][(-D]

[michealfarley]

If you must get violent..............

Find something with a "shield" on it, and test it's "armour" against your wall or floor. That way, you relieve aggression, and tell them to stick their license fees at the same time.

Just think of it as another form of "kitbashing".

[Anonymous]

I took the nail remover part of a hammer to the side of a boxcar, when it caused the derailment of a whole train, knoking the engine right into the other parked engine parked on the siding. took me a wile to repair the handrails of both locos.

[Anonymous]

I took the nail remover part of a hammer to the side of a boxcar, when it caused the derailment of a whole train, knoking the engine right into the other parked engine parked on the siding. took me a wile to repair the handrails of both locos.

[philnrunt]

Mrlove- Only a model railroad layout...ONLY A MODEL RAILROAD LAYOUT!!!! It's dreams, hopes and fantasies,
at times better than sex and ice cream and hot joe, at other times it's the Hell Central, SATAN'S OWN SHORTLINE!!!!!
Only a model railroad layout??? It's a perfect world where there are no lawyers, people still stop and talk to each other, the cars don't play music loud enough to wake the dead in your tasteful cemetary next to the church with the newlyweds in front (childhood sweethearts, happily ever after).
Bosses suggest, wives agree, and children listen.
Oh NO, Mrlove, if it is only a model railroad layout to you, then you have reached that special place in the sun reserved for those who have hit the highest spiritual plane. You are a lucky man.
For the rest of us, we will try to control our anger when good layouts go bad, but don't expect to see us up there with you anytime soon!