I don't often admit to my stupid mistakes. OK, I've admitted to about 80 of them, but I've probably committed 800. My view is that stupid mistakes happen but, as long as you fix them, you really don't have to admit to all of them. And, if you forget them, you are bound to repeat them. This is a repeat mistake or, as my wife puts it, a RePete mistake. Two years ago, Atlas re-introduced their beer-can shorty tankers. Jeanne thought they were cute, so I bought two of each, about 40 cars in all, for a Christmas gift. They were a hit--Grey One, please note. They were also as fussy as a Kato PA about trackwork. So I nursed the train up to the third level and parked it on the long siding behind the warehouses in Westover. I think I've lost a train up there before. The height of the deck, the length of the siding, and the warehouses, make it nearly impossible to see. So, I'm photographing the layout for the last two months, following a 60-car coal train up the 10-scale-mile hill. I get to the top and think, well, let's park the train on the siding for another consist to carry it off into the netherworld beyond the layout. I've got a Baldwin ABBA consist to take over from the F-3 consist. I take pictures of F-3 train on the third deck. I flip the switch into the siding where the Baldwins will pick it up, having run the Baldwins up the layout on the wrong side of the tracks. I creep the 60-car train past the siding when I hear: crunch, flip-flip flip-flip . . . flip-flip forever! On the top level, the hardest to reach level, I've just derailed the cute 40-car beercan tankers, and a good part of the 60-car coal train. Man, I'm going to have to take 100 cars off the top level, which is too high and behind the warehouses, and rerail them on the bottom, more reachable level. You know, if I didn't run into things I'd forgotten, this railroad would run much better! But I guess that's a comment on my life too. . .
Pete, thank you for an excellent lesson. I hope to make every portion of my new layout accessible when I start construction this summer.....:teeth: I was told often that it wasn't important that I be correct more than 51% of the time, just that I was able recover from my blunders more than 51% of the time...before anyone found out. :angel:
Be thankful you found the tanker train with a coal train and not a fast passenger train mg: Then, you'd be collecting tanker fragments from all corners of the layout...
HAHAHA Occupancy dectection circut! If my brain werent permanently connected, I think? I'd probably find it parked on a similar siding! mg: O.K. Probably derailed....
That's funny! I do have a busy life, but finding a train after two years . . . I think there's another one somewhere, hiding in the tall grass . . . I just know there's a Bachmann 4-8-2 somewhere, except I can't remember its DCC address to find it . . .
You know it just occured to me that a mirror at positioned in the corner of the wall/ceiling for the length of the upper deck would give you a perfect birds eye view to spot the tracks behind buildings when running trains. T
Block occupancy detectors on that third level would solve all your problems Pete. Then your command station would tell you a train is up there. Stay cool and run steam.....
Pete , I assume you knew that in the model railroad world Neuton's law only applies in spots that are not in easy reach!!! That is why my layout has a cloth catch pan under some of the lower deck. Mike
Mark, how'd you know my most embarassing dream? You lawyers got one of those dream penetrating machines that we government folks always wish we had?
One word .. Mirror I use mirror tiles in my drop ceiling to allow me to see whats in hidden staging ..
Originally Posted by Fotheringill Just don't forget to put on your pants before going to the supermarket. Somebody way back when came up with a neat little ditty about how when starting out you are in diapers and when you finish up you are back in diapers. I'm getting a little closer to that 2nd go round with diapers. I carefully put things in a specific place so I will be able to retrieve them later. Then I forget where I so carefully put them away. I mark locations of pictures in books for modeling projects, then can't remember which book it is, since all my books have little sticky post-its protruding from the pages. As my organizational skills have increased and my collection of neat little wood drawer units have proliferated, I'm finding that I can't find anything anymore without opening all the neat little drawers at least twice and going through thier contents. And I'm slowly finding that I have more frequent moments of forgeting to zip up a certain component of my Levis before venturing out. Hmm another regression. And of course those Levis are now "Relaxed Fit".
Pete, you need a Tortoise machine on that siding, witht he Hare or Wabbit--as I understand, either will change the points to avoid a cornfield meet or to protect against running a switch against the points. I like the 'Blame the Dispatcher' comment. That's what I'd do!
pete for hidden tracks maybe you should get an x-10 camera system so you can see what is there always
At a show yesterday Rrrr saw one a light green one that matched her coat - < sighs > "Yes Dear". Sent the order in when I got home. I actualy have 20+ black or white ones that make up my "zebra train".
It looks like I'm bringing up the rear again. Getting in on this after all the fun. You have to admit after the horror of it all it is funny. Admitting a oops like that is ok... and it serves as a reminder for all of us to stay on our toes (whatever that means, this isn't ballerina dancing). Darn dispatcher, can't he remember where he put the trains...grin!? Pete you aren't alone. After installing my main and driving the last old black nail, with some fan fare. I think Steve and I both said in unison... FINALLY! And then Steve said something about this being a landmark moment. I got out my boxed train equipment and begin to unpack. I made up a number of freight trains, as I put my new equipment on the layout for the trail runs... first time! Things started to get crowded and Steve was already operating five (5) ten car trains...on the main. It was getting crowded but working fantastic. I needed room on the main so I put a Santa Fe coal drag into the coal district on the triple helix headed down hill... to store it, until I was ready for it to make it's run. Then after adding one or two more trains, I needed to pull another one off the main. So the empty coal drag went into the same track headed in the same direction. By now the first train had pulled down to the second helix and for the most part out of sight. I unpacked my batch of reefers and made up the express, realizing I needed to store one of the previous trains. So, into the coal district, headed down the triple helix. I'm sure you can guess the rest of the story...grin...but just in case you were as clueless as I was, here is an accounting of it. I wondered why the train stalled and I heard the same sound you did with one exception...ah...those cars were hitting the floor. You know that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach... yeah... and the unspeakable words going through your head. I realized the faster train with the old Atlas high speed motors had run into the rear of a train powered by the newer, slow speed motors. Not funny... at first! However, no casualties and all the sprung parts were found and restored to the train cars. Everything is operational and running great. Lesson learned...for now. Still my human bent to err says I will do it again...half-heimer's...has to be. Yep Pete, your not alone out there. You got company!!!
