Layout fun gone wrong.............

[Graham Line]

Some idiot likes to leave a Kadee coupler gauge on my track as a joke. Of course it's the older metal type, so nothing ever runs into it - the layout is completely shorted when the power is turned on.

                     --Randy

 

That's a pretty poor joke. People like that don't get invited again.

[Lone Wolf and Santa Fe]

After all construction or long periods of non use I send out a pair of back to back Jordan spreaders with a pair of locos in between them. The spreaders have those dust monkey things on them to clean the track and the plows push any large things out of the way. Usually these things are dead bugs but sometimes other debris gets on the tracks.

Not only does it give me an excuse to run some MOW equipment but I think it helps keep the wheels of my other locos clean. Also the spreaders are the widest cars I have so any scenery which might be too close to the tracks gets hit by them first so I know to make adjustments.

On my layout, Rule 1: Nothing is allowed on the layout except for scale models. No tools, (kadee couple height gauge is the only exception), no paperwork or car cards, no unused track, no unused building materials, no food or drinks, NOTHING!

[BRAKIE]

RR_Mel

If a true model railroader hasn’t had that happen then he’s either too smart to be in the hobby or hasn’t been model railroading very long!

 

Mel

 

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

Mel,I've been in the hobby 60s and never had that to happen but,I learn that lesson from seeing the aftermath of brand new United brass PRR K4 that plowed into a pair of  electrical pliers or wire stripper  left carelessly laying on the track--wasn't a pretty sight to behold.

[kasskaboose]

Mobilman44,

Sorry to hear about your trials; it is quite humbling to learn that even more experienced poeple have issues. 

Ypour experience reminds me of my dad still walking his entire lawn before cutting it (ALWAYS!).  Why?  To look for any sticks, rocks, etc. that could impede his work.  Recalling that and reading your experience reminds me to do likewise. 

[Medina1128]

I have a couple of those adjustable scratch pens from Micro-Mark. Well, actually I had ONE, but after looking for the old one for a week, I finally broke down and ordered a new one. While walking around the layout, my girlfriend says, "Is this that scratch pen you were looking for?"  Oh yeah, left out in plain sight...I guess that's why I have 5 stubby Phillips screwdrivers...

 

[steemtrayn]

I can't believe it took 63 years for this to happen.

[RR_Mel]

If a true model railroader hasn’t had that happen then he’s either too smart to be in the hobby or hasn’t been model railroading very long!

 

Mel

 

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

[BRAKIE]

Nothing moves on my ISL until I'm sure all is well.

[rrebell]

When I run trains, I always check to see that all is well before I power up as I have had my fill of tools left on the track ect, or a turnout thrown the wrong way.

[rrinker]

 Some idiot likes to leave a Kadee coupler gauge on my track as a joke. Of course it's the older metal type, so nothing ever runs into it - the layout is completely shorted when the power is turned on.

                     --Randy

[dknelson]

I keep a genuinely expendable junk locomotive handy for test runs of that sort.  But Murphy's Law always lurks ....

Dave Nelson

[richhotrain]

Graham Line

Mike's putty knife is probably right next to my roll of Kapton tape.

I have both of those missing items in a small box here at my house. I would return the missing items to both of you, but I cannot find the small box. 

Rich

[Graham Line]

Mike's putty knife is probably right next to my roll of Kapton tape.

Guy switching our branch at the club on Saturday cut off from his train to make a spot and discovered two things. 1. Our cars are very free-rolling. 2. Very little of the branch is dead flat.

 

[mlehman]

Can't say I disagree with that rule. But rules sometimes have to be broken. A mountain railroad like the one here has very few flat spaces and spots. Sometimes the only place where you can get a spot to lay a tool is the track.When you have a flaky back and the alternative is the floor, well, choose your pain.

Being it used to be DC, it's usually easy to shut things down with a nearby switch. So not a problem even with metal stuff. Then the trick is remembering to turn the power back on. Finding the tool can help with that

The stuff that really gets lost is what's not on the track. I've come across things under the layout left there years earlier. I'm missing my favorite putty knife for about a month right now. Wish I'd left it on the track.

[BroadwayLion]

LION = 14 miles of main line track. Tools all over the place. Rule is NOTHING ON THE ROW.

 

Whale ewe noe howe rools are...

But there is just too much track to check. I check where last the LION was wroking, but beyoind that we push the big green button, and if the ameter does not detect a problem, then we are good to go. A 10 amp power supply might not even notice a dead short. But then the same effect hoplds true on the Subways.

ROAR

[BATMAN]

I'm always looking for the idiot that tries to use his NMRA track gauge while I have a train running. What a moron.

[mobilman44]

For the last two months my HO 11x15 two level layout has been in total disaray as I put in "finish" scenery on the outside hard to reach perimeters.  Finally, I got to the point that I could get things back in order and run trains for awhile, at least until I got around to doing the close at hand scenery.

 

So this morning, after making sure all was well, I thought I would run some trains.

 

I decided that my first "assignment" was to get an ATSF warbonnet ABBA F7 set from behind other locos in the terminal, out to the sub main, onto the inner main, onto the outer main, down to the lower level, and then a hook up to the 9 car set of Walthers Super Chief cars, bring them up top, and run them around the layout a few times.   OK, pretty simple...........

 

So first I roll out two RSD15s from in front of the F units, using them to gather up a couple of tank cars on the sub main, and bring them back to another loco terminal track.  This freed up the F units to do their job.

 

Then I fire up the F units, and the Stewarts start to smoothly roll out.  As they slowly go over a turnout, I see the wheels go up and down, so I back up and there were two bits of ballast in the flange way, and I brush them off and commence again.  No big deal of course.

 

Slowly I worked the locos out to the mainlines (inner and then outer), and they wade thru the newly ballasted areas, pushing ballast aside, crunching noises for sure, but they go thru pretty nicely.   All is well.................until.....

 

They get behind the ice house - located in the furthest corner (of course) - and a slow motion crash ensues.   Thankfully, it was a very slow crash.

 

"What happened" (not the words used)???  This is an area of bullet proof track, wide curves, no turnouts, and never a problem!

 

Well, "someone" left a craftsman wood shanty tower on the track, and somehow the A unit got past it, but it worked its way under the first B unit.  Both the A and B units were derailed, the other two units were ok.  

 

I can't believe some idiot left a structure in the middle of the right of way, and not just any structure, but one that came from a craftsman type laser kit.

 

Well, I rerailed and connected the locos, found a home for the shanty, and realized there was no damage whatsoever.

 

And then the wisdom of my 71 years (63 as an MR) kicked in - and I powered down the layout, shut off the power, and went downstairs.......  The Super Chief will be delayed, but that's OK.

 

Now I'm wondering........ anyone else have one of those experiences???