Lol so at the club meeting today We found out that cold shrinks track. And on the curves that means it can come off the ladder at least part way. I ran my train down this grade several times but the reversed direction and I guess the string lining caused it to pull it off the track.
Thankfully the new work car didn’t take a roll down the hill
Cold and wet, ain’t that always when the poor wreck crews have to come out!
Hey, I see some advertising for the windmill company - “Will it last? you ask. It’s built to stop a train!”
But, its hard to stop a Trane.
Why is it that train wrecks are so photogenic?
Steve its the same reason people stop to look at car accidents. Its something we don’t see everyday, and we are fascinated with destruction and carnage.
Man, I’d be scared to death running my nice billboard reefers through there. Time for a major shoring up track and roadbed and rock pile or re-think that whole area, eh Devon?
Michael Kirrene said:
Man, I’d be scared to death running my nice billboard reefers through there. Time for a major shoring up track and roadbed and rock pile or re-think that whole area, eh Devon?
Actually a couple of screws fixed it. This is all ladder roadbed. Its aluminum track and the cold shrank it and pulled it to the inside of the corner enough that about half the track was off the ladder. The owner just pulled it up onto the ladder and affixed it with a couple screws and we ran through it no problem. He can’t build up the area right there. The windmill is siting on the septic tank cover. The design is fine it just needed a small fix.
David Maynard said:
and we are fascinated with destruction and carnage.
I have this vision of people lining up to look at my checkbook …
Glad the fix was simple.
so Devon, did the track come off the ladder and get out of crosslevel? Stringlining because track out of level?
Just curious,
Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
so Devon, did the track come off the ladder and get out of crosslevel? Stringlining because track out of level?
Just curious,
Greg
Well I am purely speculating on exactly what happened. I was on the other side of the layout visiting and looked just in time to see the cars leaning way to far over. Before I could stop the loco over it went. When we examined it the center line of the track was on the edge of the ladder. Now I came down this slight hill several times with no issue. But this was the first trip up the grade. So all I can think is that when pulling up all the cars were string lining because of the up hill grade and that just increased the problem. When they were coming down I didn’t notice even a slight lean. So not real sure what caused it one way and not the other.
So a suggestion: get down near the level of the track when this happens and see if you have a crosslevel issue.
Or, you can carry a small pocket level to go across the rails.
Might help isolate (and fix!!) the problem.
Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
So a suggestion: get down near the level of the track when this happens and see if you have a crosslevel issue.
Or, you can carry a small pocket level to go across the rails.
Might help isolate (and fix!!) the problem.
Greg
It most definitely was a cross level issue. When the train hit it and half of it was not supported by the ladder it dipped the inside edge as it was falling off the ladder. The fix was to put it firmly back on the ladder and screw it down so it was supported again. There was no need to guess what the problem was or what the fix was. I just don’t know why it did it only going up hill and not down. The issue is completely fixed now.
Forrest Scott Wood said:
David Maynard said:
and we are fascinated with destruction and carnage.
I have this vision of people lining up to look at my checkbook …
Ah, yea. I have had times like that too.
possibly it didn’t move until after last trip down grade and before trip upgrade. Glad there was apparently no to minor damage to your rolling stock. Good thing it didn’t send your locomotive tumbling
My layout is two parallel tracks the entire length. I was running 2 trains in opposite directions a couple of years ago for the trick-or-treaters and just as the two met one derailed and side swiped the other as it passed. I had a great pile up 3 deep (did not know that was possible on a model train layout). Parents were watching as the whole thinking happened. I explained what happened on prototype railroads, quickly moved the broken cars off to the side, hooked up the trains (one being a double stack) and proceeded to finish the night. It took about $150 worth of parts to repair all the broken pieces. The bad thing of the situation was that it was night and I could not take any pictures.
That’s a lot of damage Ron. how fast were they going?
Devon Sinsley said:
Michael Kirrene said:
Man, I’d be scared to death running my nice billboard reefers through there. Time for a major shoring up track and roadbed and rock pile or re-think that whole area, eh Devon?
Actually a couple of screws fixed it. This is all ladder roadbed. Its aluminum track and the cold shrank it and pulled it to the inside of the corner enough that about half the track was off the ladder. The owner just pulled it up onto the ladder and affixed it with a couple screws and we ran through it no problem. He can’t build up the area right there. The windmill is siting on the septic tank cover. The design is fine it just needed a small fix.
What’s the windmill pumping and where?
Oh crap!
Oh, crap.
Oh, crap?