I usual have one big derailment a year, typical at ntrak layout, a car will pick a switch, a bridge on the mountain line or derail on joiner track mid-way back, then with 3 or 4 sd80mac on the front, it becomes real easy to stringline a good 20, 30, or 40 coal cars even on the widest of curves. the most cars was about 55 coal cars when a rail joiner popped loose and dragged about 20 cars along on the ground until the rest of them decide to "roll over and play dead".
I don't have a picture of any wrecks on my layout, but I do have a disaster picture. For a long time, I wanted to individually photograph all my locomotives. A while back, I dug them all out, set up some flex track on the base of my Christmas layout (HO track) and took some pictures. Here's one of the entire group: While setting up for another shot, I was watching through the viewfinder while backing up. I bumped into the backrest of a sofa and pitched over backwards. As I went over, my feet swung and bumped the table that the locos were set up on. Here's the result of my gracefulness: Fortunately, neither I nor any locos were harmed, but the spill ended my group shots. I set up a small area for individual photos and got them all done. I want to do the same thing for my rolling stock, but I'm worried about a repeat performance! LOL Darrell, quiet...for now
You win, I don't think anyone will better that number of locos going over in one go. Well done!!!! Note: No locos were harmed in the making of this picture.
Not as spectacular as some shown here, but I have to say this one was my own darn fault. I took the time to set up functional block signals that protect all mainline switches, but they don't do any good if I don't pay attention to them...
Wow, I don't feel so bad. Back in 1986, our local Ntrak club had traveled to a Great American Train Show in Kansas City, MO to join up with other Ntrak clubs for one big layout. I was at the controls of a BN unit coal train, and made the mistake of "big-holing" the train (stopping suddenly). Result- a nice accordion pileup of coal hoppers behind the power! Afterwards, I was reeeaall careful with the throttle when running trains of ANY length.
There aren't any pictures... ...but the best- I mean uh, the worst wreck I was ever involved with had to do with backing a HO FEF-Onion Specific-48 O 88 type steam loco back across a viaduct about YAY high over the chasm- say- 5 foot. Well, when I cracked the throttle of that little pearl in the reverse mode- she just a started shoving them perrty passngers cars back over the viaduct (on of account of the yard was full and the train was blocking the main) when all of a sudden I saw a something- looked weird to me but- the loco just lurched a bit, like a bad rail joint- then I saw the wave of an arm from the loco. It had only backed up 12 inches over the 36 inch long viaduct. Well, the next thing I saw was what appeared to be the the loco rising up in the air on crutches. I can appreciate that since I have been on crutches. The locomotive then immediatley threw itself on the floor and splattered into a few hundred pieces. The screw backed out of the driving rod and allowed it to dig into ground and pole vault the loco to the F L O O R #$%^%^$&^%&^%. I was great- I mean bad to see happen. I'm glad Burt was okay with it- sorry Burt. But it was great to see. How else are ya going to experience a thing like that? Mark
I don't know,I'll just get two light engine moves to meet at a diamond.:tb-tongue: Depending on how many engines are in the move,one might be able to top it.
This is a really old photo and some of you have probably seen it before. But since we're on the topic of derailments here's my major one. Haven't had one like this since then. This all happened during a photo shoot for a magazine article I was doing. I brought this section of the layout outside for some natural sunlight shots and a gust of wind blew the train off at just the right moment. The photo caught everything in mid air. Luckily nothing broke.
C&HV calls all derailments avoidable and takes a very dim view if the accident is caused by human error. While not a major derailment it was enough to tie up Slate Creek industrial yard for 2 days since this happen on Saturday CDBI didn't authorize cleanup till Monday due to the amount of overtime involved. The investigation reveal the brakeman failed to lock the switch handle in place and force of the wheels cause the switch points to partially open.. He recieved a 3 day suspension. The BRT is appealing the suspension.
i found a pair of photos of my derailments, the first one when i rear-ended a parked passenger train on a siding after the switch was left thrown. the other one was when a hopper car derailed and stuck inside a truss bridge, resulting in a stringlineing of coal cars around a corner module.
I learned the hard way that my Shinkansen 400 is a little too fast to turn up past 70 on the power pack.
