I've had a couple. The worst was when my Amtrak train derailed...and went down the steepest grade on the layout. Most of the cars were undamaged, except for the tail car. That had a damaged end, knocked-out glass, and a broken coupler. The F40PH wasn't so lucky. The front Kadee coupler got snapped off, the pilot damaged, and a cracked nose. Oh, and the motor was knocked out of place slightly. However, a little Tenax on the nose cracks, new coupler, and re-seating the motor fixed it.
That wasn't the worst of it though--about a month later, an F7 running light did the same thing. This too lost the front coupler, but that was the worst of it. The cab windows got knocked out, and the motor came out of its mounts. As if that wasn't enough, the falling engine left a *dent* in my 100-year-old workshop floor! However, after some minor repairs, the engine was put back into service. Say what you will about Athearn, but they're built tough.
The BLI M1a fell off a plywood riser over a foot and bounced on impact against the next level down off the plywood surface. 300 dollars out of the window. But amazingly she survived the drop and is still with us.
If she wrecks again, there are LOTS of shiney new Blueline M1a's I can buy for parts. These things are just too expensive to be wrecking.
At an N-trak show we had a long car coal train derail. Another passing train tripped one of the first cars in the coal train, which lead to a domino-like topple that eventually tipped over every car in the train. Once it started all we could do was watch and laugh. The spectators liked it too. No cars damaged, but it took a while to clean it up.
My worst train wreck was when I had to answer a phone call at the club and did not even get to see the incident. I was coming downhill with one of my double weighted 5011 Class Santa Fe engines with about 25 reefer cars making up the train. When I had to take the call, my train would hold up the traffic on the single main and another club member said they would bring it on down the first siding where it could be parked. After I left, the member proceeded to run it down the 2.2% grade and did not notice the siding was occupied by the coal train since the detectors did not show it after the engine had cleared the block.
When I returned, everyone in the place was upset at the member who ran the train and probably me also but they did not say anything to me. The man who owned the coal train was attempting to pick up every car as my heavy weighted 5011 class SF and train had hit the coal train caboose and knocked over every single car on the curve. It was a big mess since some of the coal loads were loose material!
The coal train was owned by none other than my friend, Ray Brown, the person who wrote the "The Brown Book". He was a very nice person normally, but on that night, was not a happy camper. He was not one to get upset often, but on that night, I just helped him pick up, pack up and go home.
We had many laughs together about it later, but at that moment, I did not blame him for being upset at all of us.
Worst...large scale indoor layout, LGB Porter on a run around, ran over a closed switch and derailed, right over the side of the layout and towards the garage floor...lucky for me, I had moved the dogs sleeping pad over next to the layout, where the loco landed right into it. VERY lucky with no damage at all, save some dog hair.
Have fun with your trains
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
My worst wasn't as bad a some of those described already. I was using a P2K SD-9 to test some track. I brought it down the hill and around the curve at "full speed" which for this engine is about 50 smph. It was something I had done many times before. For some reason the front coupler decided to catch on one of the retaining nubs on some Atlas flex track. After its 42 inch fall to the floor, there was no damage to the engine other than glazing coming out and the shell separtaing from the body. It has been sitting on the shelf for the last three years awaiting reassembly.
Tom
Life is simple - eat, drink, play with trains!
Go Big Red!
PA&ERR "If you think you are doing something stupid, you're probably right!"
My moto is dont talk to your Wife while operating the loco's, I ran an SW9 off the end of the track onto the floor, darn thing never ran the same afterwards.
Dave
After losing a Brass 4-6-4 to the cement below (derailed on a #4 switch), I have vowed to end ALL derailments -ALL!
Replacing with 'Top-of-the-line' turnouts, was the first (and most beneficial) step. (There IS a difference in Turnouts with the same Number). Took care of 95%.
OTHER 5% - paying attention to NMRA RP's.
You guys might like to take a look at our club website - ddmrc.com - go to Downloads, then - Video, then - Great Murwinnumbah Train Smash.
We tend to have quite a few at exhibitions and just laugh them off.
My worst scenarios are when I melt locos and cars down, I hold the club record for melting down the most locos at an exhibition - four - N scale.
Sort of a short story that would take ages to tell.
Teditor
My cat "wreaked" havoc one time and knocked my new Bach Spectrum Dash 8 4' to the cement floor.
Why is it only my good stuff takes the plunge? Never the real cheap crap.
Wow, some really wicked wrecks some of you have had.
My worst was when I caught the cord of an old Southern Crescent Limited steam locomotive "phone" and sent it flying to the floor where most of the details shattered. That phone lost all sound effects after that incident.
Other than that, I'd have to say the cumulative wrecks of my oldest brothers Lionel steam train around the ol' Christmas tree while growing up. That poor abused loco & cars never quit running and even most of the animated cars survived all 5 kids over the years. Tough design!
Rob
loathar wrote: My cat "wreaked" havoc one time and knocked my new Bach Spectrum Dash 8 4' to the cement floor.Why is it only my good stuff takes the plunge? Never the real cheap crap.
i was just after adding a lake with that resin stuff that dries to look like water and was running my only loco and all my boxcars when it derailed(on a moth it had chased out of a tunnel), rolled down an embankment and into the lake.... which wasnt yet dry.l had to repaint everything and replace all the trucks on the boxcars, the loco still doesnt run as good...
murpheys law, i guess. it would have to derail at the worst possible time.
This is one of those times finding the prior thread of the same topic and adding on to it would be advantageous:
http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/854207/ShowPost.aspxhttp://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/477237/ShowPost.aspx
Wow This is Weird,
I had two happen today at the MR club meet. I was running the club's Mike, and doing some switching at one of the stations on the branch. Well, the yard limit ends at the trestle, and one of the cars de-railed through the unset switch, which sent 3 cars over the side, however, the mike that was pushing stopped before the trestle.
The next was when I was running an old Mallet which is hardly ever used. After oiling it, it ran fine, with a lengthy train on the main. Well, my brakeman (operating partner) set the wrong switch, and I rear-ended a passenger train stopped at the depot. I meant to pass it, but, my switchman was not to familiar with the switch boards. LOL.
The passenger cars were scattered everywhere, and the Mallet came to rest on some people on the platform, with a pile of heavy (they had weights and metal wheels) cars behind the engine. luckily, there was only 2 or 3 broken couplers, which were soon re-placed with some spare parts from the club's junk bin.
Cheese
Nick! :)
corksean12 wrote: i was just after adding a lake with that resin stuff that dries to look like water and was running my only loco and all my boxcars when it derailed(on a moth it had chased out of a tunnel), rolled down an embankment and into the lake.... which wasnt yet dry.l had to repaint everything and replace all the trucks on the boxcars, the loco still doesnt run as good...murpheys law, i guess. it would have to derail at the worst possible time.
Ouch! YUCK!!
davidmbedard wrote: What is a wreak? I dont have any wreaks on my layout, let alone bad ones....David B
What is a wreak? I dont have any wreaks on my layout, let alone bad ones....
David B
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Now there's a reason I love and hate the metal frame on Atlas GP7s. My brand new one decided to take the plunge 42 inches to the hardwood. I managed to, through my ever-so-cat-like-reflexes (yea, right) grab hold of the shell hoping to catch the engine. Well, the shell stayed in my hand just fine, but the rest of it kept going, and made a nice little chip in my floors. However, because it was a metal frame, there was no damage, save for needing a new set of handrails since they got mangled when the shell came off.
Cheers!
~METRO
lol mine was when my Santa Fe F7 was on an incline plane about 3* i didnt realise that there was a gap in te track and it fell about 7 inches The coupler broke (front) and a window fell out
In 1946, I'm almost sure it was 1946, just after the war, my dad bought me a Lionel set.
Had a 2-6-2 steamer, tender 4 freight cars and a caboose. I build a layout in my dad's basement...2 4x8's, automated milk car and what not.
Ran the engine off the back end of the table. Cracked the tile floor. Tender was o.k also.
Engine never ran better. That stuff was kill proof.
Howardr wrote:In 1946, I'm almost sure it was 1946, just after the war, my dad bought me a Lionel set.Had a 2-6-2 steamer, tender 4 freight cars and a caboose. I build a layout in my dad's basement...2 4x8's, automated milk car and what not.Ran the engine off the back end of the table. Cracked the tile floor. Tender was o.k also.Engine never ran better. That stuff was kill proof.