Never turn your back on running trains...

[Anonymous]

I was out in my train room earlier today running my trains and everything was going fine until I walked into the next room to get a tool, and as I reentered the train room heard that all too familiar sound of cars derailing and crashing. This is not the first time this has happened. It's as if the train knows I'm no longer in the room and it derails just to spite me...
A friend of mine tells me it has to do with one of Murphy's laws.

Does this ever happen to any of you folks ?.

trainluver1

[Anonymous]

no

[csmith9474]

My trains chew up the furniture if I ignore them or am away too long.

[AggroJones]

Nope. My derailments tend to happen right infront of me. Like I'm looking at a train too hard and force it off the rails. I rarely leave trains running unattended though.

[SpaceMouse]

My son gets bored if a train derails. Plus he causes them. Last night he was running a train at the club and flipped the directions witch back and forth about 5 times and the train took off full speed and would not respond to the throttle. Running sky hook saved that but by the time I got control of the train, he was gone causing trouble somewhere else.

Derails happen anywhere my son is.

[BRAKIE]

My derailments only happen when guest is about..[}:)][:0][B)]
Never get ahead of yourself when you're DS'ing(dispatching)its bound to bite you in the end..[:0][}:)][8][B)][:(]

[selector]

My derailments just...happen. It's a quantum physics thing.

Although, one time I left my steamers too long one day and one of them (casts a baleful eye over to the LL 0-6-0) left a pile of cinders right in the middle bay of the roundhouse.

Any casualties, trainluver?

[rrinker]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

Nope. My derailments tend to happen right infront of me. Like I'm looking at a train too hard and force it off the rails. I rarely leave trains running unattended though.

The Force is strong in this one!

[:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

Derailments only result when I put force on my train. Otherwise, it never occurs.

[dinwitty]

what derailment..?

(quickly 5 fingers it back on)

[espeefoamer]

For some reason, my derailments usually happen when a train runs through a switch that "somebody[:-^]"left thrown in the wrong direction[B)].

[howmus]

Derailments ONLY happen when you invite someone over to see how "great" your layout is. The day before you can run every loco, every car, any size train, any speed and nothing, I say, nothing will derail. When the guest gets there, no loco, no car, nor any train will be able to move more than 3 feet before a derailment happens. It is caused by a relative of the gremlins that get into sound cables and tangle them all up between gigs! LOL

[rexhea]

It's the little people.

REX

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by selector

My derailments just...happen. It's a quantum physics thing.

Although, one time I left my steamers too long one day and one of them (casts a baleful eye over to the LL 0-6-0) left a pile of cinders right in the middle bay of the roundhouse.

Any casualties, trainluver?

Only a yard limit sign Mr. selector, only a yard limit sign...

trainluver1

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by howmus

Derailments ONLY happen when you invite someone over to see how "great" your layout is. The day before you can run every loco, every car, any size train, any speed and nothing, I say, nothing will derail. When the guest gets there, no loco, no car, nor any train will be able to move more than 3 feet before a derailment happens. It is caused by a relative of the gremlins that get into sound cables and tangle them all up between gigs! LOL

Ain't it the truth Mr. howmus...

trainluver1

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse

. . . Last night he was running a train at the club and flipped the directions witch back and forth about 5 times and the train took off full speed and would not respond to the throttle. . .

She must have cast a spell that derailed the train as revenge for being flipped.

[trainboyH16-44]

All the time. Plus, my power fails when guests are over, and with guests that have been there before, trains derail and the scenery self destructs.
Matthew

[BurlingtonJohn]

(using the voice of the great Cliff Clavin)

"Its a well known fact that the likelihood of a model train derailment is increased as soon as the modeler leaves the room. The severity of the crash is directly linked to the distance that the modeler has to travel to shut everything off. Beer Normie?"

Regards,
Burlington John

[cwclark]

I learned a long time ago to stop the trains before leaving the building...a couple of steps to the power pack or the hand held will save lots of grief later....that's one thing that's a sure bet...the trains are sooner or later going to derail and as howmus said...usually when the guests arrive...chuck

[Anonymous]

Murphy is one of the wee folk....gnomes, gremlins, little people that plague RR's big and small.Your'e not the exception laddy.

[mcouvillion]

trainluver1,

Ain't is amazing! Everyone seems to have the same experience with the little gremlins of the railroad (or is it railWAY). It seems that just as soon as you turn your back, the things jump the track, no matter how much effort you put into laying the track, setting up the cars, or gauging the wheels. It does not seem to matter whether it is a beginner's layout or a seasoned pro's. When you want it to perform the best, it performs the worst!

Mark C.

[Train 284]

Yes and no. Most of the time, I am there to catch it before it happens, but there is always those times when you leave the room for a few seconds and when you come, ack, your train is on the ground!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by howmus

Derailments ONLY happen when you invite someone over to see how "great" your layout is. The day before you can run every loco, every car, any size train, any speed and nothing, I say, nothing will derail. When the guest gets there, no loco, no car, nor any train will be able to move more than 3 feet before a derailment happens. It is caused by a relative of the gremlins that get into sound cables and tangle them all up between gigs! LOL

You are totally right!

[Anonymous]

You think you are the only one that has this problem, it is prototypical to derail.

Check Trainorders and how the Union Pacific and BNSF derail something almost weekly now, it not daily some recent weeks.

It is when they hit the floor that causes me to worry.

[tatans]

Question: would someone put track close enough to the edge of a layout that a derailment would send the cars to the floor? that would make me very nervous, a small rise or hill or fence or trees might be the answer to prevent very valuable equipment from becoming scrap loads for gondola cars, just a suggestion.

[Anonymous]

I did just that on my old layout tatans. Plus it was 7 feet up!. I left the room one time and my brand new spectrum dash 8 hit the floor hard. I was able to fix it with some TLC ( Time Love and CA) though.

[Anonymous]

Yep, I learned my lesson the hard way.

[lesterperry]

Try having an open house, not only will they come off the track but they will stop running. And they won't do it where they can be easily reached only where you must remove an access lift out piece to get to them. Also it only happens when there are at least 5 people there

[spidge]

I regret that I tore down a N-scale 3X6 layout that would run and run. I would open the garage and people would just come on in as they walked,drove, cycled by and I would be so nerveous, waiting for the big derailment. It rarely did, usually when somebody disturbed the railroad by leaning or bumping. I haven't had as complette a railroad since(5 years) and the wife and 2 daughters always remind me. I think one of the best things with this small layout was to have a fair size minimum radius and all locos were 2 axle.
Anyway enough rambling( thanks for listning), my new garage layout is about to get the backdrop and subroadbed, ya.