What was your worse train wreck

Williams Berkshire and Lionel 736 sideswiped on parallel loops because one shifted a little.  No damage, thankfully.

Had an incident where the wall wart power supply for my CAB 1L's fuse blew. Didn't know it but when I  powered up the tracks,  my RK NW2 went flying down a spur and crashed through a bumper only to summersalt 45 inches to the concrete floor. It landed cab first , demolishing the cab and bending the motor shaft at the flywheel. Engine still ran but the shell was a  total loss.  I tried to repair the shell but to no avail. Flywheel has a wobble but doesn't affect movement. I found a replacement for the shell on line and all's well that ends well. Opened up the wall wart and found a blown fuse soldered in line,  PITA. I drilled 2 holes in the wart and connected an in line fuse holder on the outside of the casing.  Now if the fuse blows again, I have easy access to it.

Here's a picture of my NW2  after repair and weathering.

My worst and only wreck involved this Hudson, ....I was using this Hudson as a test bed for motor transplants in a never ending quest for the best power and performance the weight of the locomotive will allow, .....the test involved a very powerful motor far exceeding the traction limits of the locomotive,......she was in the middle of a pull on 22 heavyweights, and a dynometer car, .......under conventional power, the train managed to get moving on O81 curves with some noticeable slipping, as even the traction tires were leaving the rails,......she seemed to level out at 18-20 mph, so more throttle was applied, ......we were already at 14 volts, with all LED cars, ......the dynometer car had mechanical couplers, and the weight of the train was just too much for the armature to hold on to, .....at 45-50 mph, the dynometer car let go of the 22 heavyweights, .....the resulting speed was so much, so great, I couldn’t reach the throttle in time, .....5315 plowed through a row of parked locomotives like they were bowling pins, tumbling over them and finally resting on her side up against an embankment ,..........I can not make this up, even if I tried, I even emailed a good friend and noted NYC aficionado on this forum on what had just happened, ...the damage to 5315 was pretty bad, however, I left the locomotive sit there a while, and went and fetched the cross from the bedroom and placed it along side the locomotive and paused for a moment, .......anybody who’s a NYC guru will completely understand the gravity of what I had done, ....5315 will be rebuilt, and will be be a proud reminder, but it’s days as a test bed are over,......we’ve assigned 5325 to R&D .....

Pat

Someone has pictures of the 4 Lionel Big Boys we derailed at the NJHirailers at a Trainstock event.

Jim D

HO Scale. Some 20 years ago, about this time of year. I was a guest operator on a large club layout for a public Christmas holiday operating session. I'm running a double headed brass Key Import PRR 4-4-2 Atlantics. An E3sd and an E7s. Pulling a string of Spectrum P70 coaches. Flawless for quite awhile. Then from across the room I hear my name being yelled out. And then the word "derailment" being heard. I go for a walk to the derailment site. Seems another modelers train derailed first and fouled my track, on a curve. Funny thing is I only saw one lone derailed tender, a derailed E3sd, its tender and the still on the track passenger cars. Hmmmm. Yep, the lead loco, the E7s took a flying leap to the, ummm, floor. There it was sitting on its side, on a cushion of burlap. I got lucky. Somehow when the 4-4-2 derailed and left the layout it managed to roll down the canvas skirting of the layout and land safely. Well, kinda safely. The pilot was bent a little but easily fixed. Needless to say, I don't take the good stuff any where, any more.

Bill if you run that diesel with a bent motor shaft on flywheel end your end bearing will go bad form the vibration, you should either try to straighten shaft or replace motor!

Alan

the worst accident i ever heard of was a friend of mine mounted wall shelves to display his big heavy BigBoy  engine and shelf  was not mounted correctly and shelf let go and engine dropped to hard wood floor!

Alan

Many years ago my youngest son joined the "Flying GG1" Corps.  The early issue 2332 and it's Madison cars were the pride of our fleet and at that time our most valuable train set.  While my back was turned, my son put the throttle on full and the engine and cars ran for Plasticville Curve at high speed. Fortunately the cars came loose and stayed on the layout. The GG1  went airborne and landed on its side three feet away and three feet down on the concrete floor.  Despite my  greatest fears and my tirade, the engine had absolutely no damage; not even a scratch! It landed squarely on it's side on the floor without sliding. It made one heck of a "splat" but nothing was broken.  Needless to say the engine and cars became display case queens.  I still have them.  The engineer was forced into retirement....just kidding.  Years later  when I taught driving lessons to this same son, he couldn't wait to push the throttle to the floor. But that's another story (No he never wrecked a car). Thanks be to God!

Earl               

This is not the worse but it is the one with photos.  NH Joe

I bought this mohawk with the hopes of putting tmcc in it, but I have yet to do that. I went to power on my track the one night to see the signal bridge I just installed and I didn't realize it was sitting on the track. Being a conventional engine it lurched forward and since I didn't have the lift-out in place it fell head-first, 40 inches onto the hardwood floor. Not a scratch on the engine whatsoever! I couldn't believe it! I can't say the same for the hardwood floor though 😂

Not my proudest moment but it's a testament to how well Lionel built these locomotives!

Two major hazmat incidents:

nobody tops Gomez Addams --still remember that perfect Lionel M&StL GP9 going up in flames

@20centuryhudson posted:

nobody tops Gomez Addams --still remember that perfect Lionel M&StL GP9 going up in flames

Oh really? How's about two 224's shooting fire out their sides?

@TrainDane3768 posted:

I bought this mohawk with the hopes of putting tmcc in it, but I have yet to do that. I went to power on my track the one night to see the signal bridge I just installed and I didn't realize it was sitting on the track. Being a conventional engine it lurched forward and since I didn't have the lift-out in place it fell head-first, 40 inches onto the hardwood floor. Not a scratch on the engine whatsoever! I couldn't believe it! I can't say the same for the hardwood floor though 😂

Not my proudest moment but it's a testament to how well Lionel built these locomotives!

Now you know why the Central had so many Mohawks on the roster,.....trusted, dependable, tough!....the model, although sparse in detail, clearly depicts the tough part,.....probably runs better after the fall,....😉

Pat

This year I slammed a MTH premier CN F7 A-B-A unit into a parked train in a tunnel  (Atlas O MBTA comet II and MTH F40ph). The F-7s were doing 40 SMPH and pulling 9 passenger cars including my prized GGD brass super dome car. I will never forget the thud and shutter that went through that train.

No real cosmetic damage, but 9168 has been malfunctioning in lash up mode and starting without command. It most likely will be getting a new board next year.

Sorry no pictures of accident.

@Alan Mancus posted:

Bill if you run that diesel with a bent motor shaft on flywheel end your end bearing will go bad form the vibration, you should either try to straighten shaft or replace motor!

Alan

Thanks Alan,

I did what you said and straightened the shaft as much as possible,  now only a very slight wobble.  Since it's a switcher and gets run at slow speeds in both directions about the same amount, I'm not too worried about bearing failure.  I'll address it when it happens.  I don't want to replace the motor since I did it once before in another locomotive.  The hardest part was trying to pull the worm gear from the bad motor and putting it on the new one.

Aside from my first wife...

I had a Christmas layout on a 6 x 10. Outer loop and a folded figure 8 inside. Used trestles to raise the inner loop. Going up the loop you had to watch it, engine would slow down if you didn't stay on the throttle. I have a Lionel 44 tonner. I goosed it going up … and instead of making the left it um, huh, have you ever seen a flying engine? Busted one coupler but it seems to be Ok.

Back about 1998 just after I bought my PS1 MTH Hudson it took a dive off the layout and bent the cab roof pretty bad. I was very fortunate that I had a really great MTH Dealer in Catoctin Trains and Hobby in Thurmont, MD who took it down to MTH and the repaired to new standards. Now did they replace the boiler or just straighten the cab roof I dod not know and did not ask because they did it for free. Been a huge MTH fan and customer every since until Paul closed the store. He wanted to retire!!

As young rambunctious boys, my brother and I at the controls of Dad's Lionel trains on the elevated Christmas platform would intentionally run the trains at high speeds to make them wreck, causing the engine most times to roll over and crash to the floor, some three feet below. Over the more responsible years, I have had many derailments, but no damage. Years ago, I built a shelf layout under a covered patio attached to my workshop, and the track is about 7 feet above a brick and limestone patio. I had an MTH Santa Fe caboose take a tumble, and a small corner of the roof overhang broke, which I glued. My most recent run on the wrong Way RR, (named because of my occasionally having switches in the wrong direction, causing some collisions), I had left several cars on the track. My wife reminded me to remove them, so as I was taking the cars down, I dropped a K Line PRR caboose to the patio floor. The entire overhang section of the roof snapped off, and the roof ladder as well. Although it's not a wreck in the traditional sense from running trains, the damage is the same either way.

After viewing some of the wrecks, was Hulcher or Cranemasters called to clear the wreck site?

A friend of mine ran his favorite steamer through an open bridge and onto the floor. Mine happened when I was working at P&D. I was showing a used MPC diesel to a customer and it wouldn't move so I left the power on while I jiggled the engine. Yep it took off, right off the end of the counter. It was repairable but I sold the customer a different engine that day.

Once apon a Trainstock at NJ Hirailers, two of my lionchief+ engines each pulling six 15" kline heavyweights. One of my children and I was having a race, on the same track, it went into the tunnel, first train lost signal and jumped the track and STOPPED, my train went into the tunnel, not knowing the first one didn't come out the other side, rear ended the observation car, all told, the observation-my engine-my baggage car were found on the floor. Our accident shut down the main line, took three people from NJ Hirailers to get into the tunnel to hand out under and through the trackside opening to clear up the derailment. Needless to say, my kids ragged on me the whole drive home. The lionchief+ steamer that hit the floor had no damage and the observation car that hit the floor did it on the claw coupler. Which bent the metal floor, so all I had to do was take apart the car and return the metal floor to it's original flat condition.....

So far...after having someone attempt to steal part of my collection and doing cosmetic damage to several due to stacking my prized display items in the getaway vehicle like cord-wood...the almost total loss is an MTH Class A...which I had plans on trying to salvage...but alas...while placing my treasures in temporary storage...it got knocked off its storage track by an adjacent lionel tmcc class a which slowly laid over and quietly knocked the MTH off into about a four-foot fall.

I was unaware until I heard the ugly dull thud of the engine solidify landing on concrete.

I was going to eventually upgrade it to ps2/3...but now am thinking it may have become spare parts.

Sad...it was one of my favorites...

Just before last Christmas, I was oiling my new Premier CP Holiday Engine on a soft cloth laying on it's side.  The board beneath it was propped up on a slight angle because my layout was under construction and I was being a little sloppy.  When I raised my hands the brand new engine rolled over toward me, slipped in front of the table and ended up on the floor.  Broken before it ever hit the rails!  The front end has a slightly cracked steps and I had to touch up the paint there.  Fortunately it's difficult to see the crack and the engine continues to run perfectly.  Unfortunately, I know it's there and when the subject comes up it still bugs me.  From then on I never put an engine on anything other than a foam cradle AND a flat surface when I am doing the maintenance!

On my previous layout, I had a liftout section in front of a door way out of the basement.      After an operating session one night, the guys had gone home.    I removed the bridge to allow access to the garage.    Then for some reason long since forgotten, I decided to back up a train sitting in a siding on one side of the basement.   I was watching the engine slowly work the valve gear as it backed up and I heard the plop - plop behind me.    The Quality Craft kit built wood caboose and at least one other car hit the floor because I had also forgotten that I had takne the bridge out.    I put quite a few hours into that caboose and was rather upset.     It landed on the end and broke down a corner of the roof back to the cabin, and also smashed all the end detail.     I was able to restore it but it took a whole new paint job too I think.    The roof was set back and glued and filled and sanded and the cast end details had to be replaced.    The wire ones could be salvaged.    I think one freight car at least also hit the floor before I stopped, but I can't remember the damage there.   I still have the caboose.

Almost had one a few hours ago.  Was running my MTH Alco RS 27 on a freighter at a pretty good clip and I forgot to throw a switch going into a siding.  The train went into the siding and hit an MPC gondola car with a load.  The siding is at the edge of the train table so gondola almost hit the floor--I was able to catch it and luckily the track power at the siding was off so the engine stopped just as it hit the gondola.. Close call..

Merry Christmas all!

The 300 Loft catenary system has proven to be an extremely robust, durable and reliable form of current delivery since it first went into service in April of 2015.  There has only been one true 'accident' that I can recall.  Conrail E44 #4417 was testing a new Faiveley-style pantograph, and was the second half of a consist hauling a long coal drag.  After a few hours of smooth operation, I heard a ruckus on the southeast end of the system.  The images below depict the tangled mess I arrived to.  I am still not entirely sure how this happened, as the physics of the pantograph / wire interaction shouldn't allow this type of failure.  It remains the only snag that the system has ever experienced.  Needless to say, this pantograph design was subsequently retired in short order.

@Pantenary posted:

Merry Christmas all!

The 300 Loft catenary system has proven to be an extremely robust, durable and reliable form of current delivery since it first went into service in April of 2015.  There has only been one true 'accident' that I can recall.  Conrail E44 #4417 was testing a new Faiveley-style pantograph, and was the second half of a consist hauling a long coal drag.  After a few hours of smooth operation, I heard a ruckus on the southeast end of the system.  The images below depict the tangled mess I arrived to.  I am still not entirely sure how this happened, as the physics of the pantograph / wire interaction shouldn't allow this type of failure.  It remains the only snag that the system has ever experienced.  Needless to say, this pantograph design was subsequently retired in short order.

Well it wrecked just like the prototype!

Did you scratch build your pantographs, or is that a super detailed MTH one?  

A train wreck of sorts: no power this Christmas morning because of the storm in the Northeast late last night! Trains are down and it's still dark in the basement! LOL, Arnold

Any windups Arnold?

WE lucked out, no power outage in my area, storm was not as bad as predicted here on LI

@Lionelski posted:

Any windups Arnold?

WE lucked out, no power outage in my area, storm was not as bad as predicted here on LI

OMG, that reminds me, as a toddler I did have a wind up metal black steam locomotive with a few metal cars and some 2 rail track before I started getting Lionel trains. Those wind up trains were thrown out when I got older.

Anyone know who might have made such a wind up set of trains in the early 1950s?

Arnold

@M J Breen posted:

Well it wrecked just like the prototype!

Did you scratch build your pantographs, or is that a super detailed MTH one?  

Hi M. J:

The shoes and head are mine, as is the base spring-loading configuration for better upward pressure against the catenary.  The single-stage arm and base structure are MTH, from the Taurus models.  They are good representations of the Faiveley DSA150 class pans, which were developed for the Euro heavy rail market.  This particular MTH pantograph's overall structure proved to be a little too 'light-duty' for the workload my electric motors usually shoulder.

When I was a kid, I got a Tyco HO spirit of 76 train set for X mas. I set it up on an old dinning room table down in the basement. The track just barely fit on the table. I was thinking to myself that I''ll just let it go around a few times and then I''ll move it. It almost made it around but derailed and the engine hit the floor and never work again. My mother asked me one day, why don't you ever play with your train, so I told her what happen.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

OMG, that reminds me, as a toddler I did have a wind up metal black steam locomotive with a few metal cars and some 2 rail track before I started getting Lionel trains. Those wind up trains were thrown out when I got older.

Anyone know who might have made such a wind up set of trains in the early 1950s?

Arnold

In the US, it would have most likely been Marx, but possibly Hafner/Wyandotte.  Search for Marx windup trains on EBay and see if you can spot the locomotive.  They produced the streamlined Mercury through '52 or so, the non-streamlined 833 was produced through '53, the larger 933 was made from about '50-'51, and the only remaining black metal windup from Marx was the 533 that was made for much of the mid-50's - it was a metal shell with a plastic insert in the front of the locomotive.  The Hafner/Wyandotte black metal steamer was a streamlined locomotive.

Edit: Here is a Marx set with an 833 from the early 50's - there are several variations of the locomotive that can be found:

@WindupGuy posted:

In the US, it would have most likely been Marx, but possibly Hafner/Wyandotte.  Search for Marx windup trains on EBay and see if you can spot the locomotive.  They produced the streamlined Mercury through '52 or so, the non-streamlined 833 was produced through '53, the larger 933 was made from about '50-'51, and the only remaining black metal windup from Marx was the 533 that was made for much of the mid-50's - it was a metal shell with a plastic insert in the front of the locomotive.  The Hafner/Wyandotte black metal steamer was a streamlined locomotive.

Edit: Here is a Marx set with an 833 from the early 50's - there are several variations of the locomotive that can be found:

Thank you, James. Arnold

Sorry for side-tracking this thread by discussing wind-ups. Will continue discussion under Tinplate Forum shortly, which seems to me to be the best one for such a topic. Arnold

My Williams By Bachmann Baltimore and Ohio E-7 AA set falling off the club layout with the walk thru up would be my worst wreck.  I had just lubed and oiled the locos and I wanted to give them a test run before the train show started.  I had taken my eyes off them when I heard the sickening smacking sound of them hitting the floor of the walk thru.  When I picked them up the only think I noticed was that the pickup roller on the powered engine was bent back which I  had to straighten it out.  Luckily nothing else was cracked or bent.  I placed them back on the layout and then ran ok with just about a minute of flicker on the marker lights which resolved itself.  With the non-powered unit in tow with 7 Weaver 20" aluminum passenger cars they ran like a champ for 2 hours.  They must have landed just right and I believe Williams reputation of making great running bullet proof trains was proven here. Here is a video I took just after the show started of them in action.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

A train wreck of sorts: no power this Christmas morning because of the storm in the Northeast late last night! Trains are down and it's still dark in the basement! LOL, Arnold

Well I will trade places with ya. I am a volunteer Fire Fighter and we have been out on calls since 22:40 last night due to Wires, Tress, Alarms,Accidents and a MAN DOWN call. We cover two townships and one Boro.  Funny part is there are people in both Townships (Hopewell and Stow Creek (Cumberland County SOUTH JERSEY WEST SIDE)) that still don't have electric but I do. Every time I get ready to go upstairs to run trains we get another call. Soon it will be people burning food for their Christmas Meals. SOOOO... PLEASE thank the fire fighters for coming. If we get called we HAVE to respond so at least thank us.

And MERRY CHRISTmas everyone. Remember those on our front lines Military, Nurses, Doctors, Police, EMT and Fire. They are working to PROTECT US so we CAN run trains in a FREE, Safe, Secure and HEALTHY Country!

God Bless Everyone for he gave his son for us, would we do that? I don't think so. Thank You Lord!

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

A train wreck of sorts: no power this Christmas morning because of the storm in the Northeast late last night! Trains are down and it's still dark in the basement! LOL, Arnold

Lionel was thinking ahead on this - LionChief will run on a car or boat battery!

My worst train wreck ?  Hhmm, let me count the ways.

How about a t-bone and I don't mean steak.

Same wreck different view.

Oops, turnout what turnout ?

Oh that turnout.