Not being with the Botanic anymore, I don’t experience them as often, but even I had a gremlin week before last.
Being a rabid member of the battery “dark side,” I often can run on the modular layout when the other guys can’t.
But last weekend, my Susquehana box car WOULD NOT stay on the track. I labeled it “pernicious,” and set it aside. I found one axle was set pretty wide. Try it again at Marty’s.
Oh, the week before, something funny happened:
Madam Chesapeake Mallet stopped on the south side of the layout. She had been running for a couple hours, so I figured it was battery. When I put a fresh battery in (none of mine are “new”), she refused to go. Now what? Red led is on. Green led blinks when I push a button. Those are good signs. I backed up. I went forward, but she slammed to a sudden stop. Now what’s that all about? I went to back up, but nothing. No response. I looked inside the tender again. Red LED is on, but green LED doesn’t blink when I push a button. Well, now what the? So I took the remote apart and changed the batteries. No change. I was contemplating the rather arduous task of pulling her off the track when I noticed something: The little LED that blinks red on the top of the remote is blinking green. Oh. I must have bumped the channel button. Back on ch 7. Again, she backs up. Going forward, she slams to a sudden stop.
There’s a little freight station with 1 screw that holds it to the layout. Somebody had turned it a little and the right front cylinder was hitting the platform. You know, a mallet is 3ft too wide across the front cylinders. “Sorry 'bout the corner of your platform there, Bill. Madam Mallet took a bite out of it.”
“Tom, could you come look at my…”
“I think I’ve goofed up enough stuff for a few minutes. How 'bout later?”
