Leaping Lizards Larry; Now That's Some Smoke Unit!

One more reason for never leaving the layout powered when you're not in the room.

Wow!  Thank you for sharing your mishap and reason for it, Rod!!

John, you are absolutely correct!

That is scary. It certainly makes one want to add more circuit protection, especially to all accessories and lighting. Thanks for posting this, it explains just how easy it is to have something go wrong and not even know it.

I have become a fanatic about shutting everything off at a master kill switch at the train room's electrical source to the layout when a train is not running. Even when my attention turns to work on the scenery or anything else.
The master kill is a foot operated kill switch so all I have to do is just tap it and everything is off.

Rod's not a stranger to the hobby, so as he noted, this can happen to anyone. With those spring clip attachments, I either tin the end of the wire, or wrap it around the clip, so I've got a good connection.

Although I have all my wiring attached or bundled to wire connectors, on any accessory that can be moved (or may need to be moved for maintenance), I leave some extra loose wire beneath the train board where that accessory wiring comes through.

If something happens like what Rod mentioned, where a light tower is knocked over, with some loose extra wiring underneath, the accessory connections stay put - versus the wiring being tight and then there's no give when an accessory is knocked over or intentionally moved.

I also periodically check things, as any wire connections that aren't soldered (clips and screw connections) are more prone to coming loose with the normal vibration of trains running on the layout.

I'm sure you're thankful Rod, that as you noted, it wasn't worse than it was. A good lesson for all to take note of.

 Larger wires say # 18 would have tripped overloads and not acted like a soldering gun tip lol. Small wire sizes are fine but you should fuse them at a lower ampacity rating

Al

albertstrains posted:

 Larger wires say # 18 would have tripped overloads and not acted like a soldering gun tip lol. Small wire sizes are fine but you should fuse them at a lower ampacity rating

Al

Sage advice Al, and a rule that I rigorously follow. But on this occasion I out-foxed myself by switching my original power supply without considering the small feeders connected to this area of the layout.

"The sad thing about experience is that you often don't have it until just after you needed it"

Rod

 I'm just as guilty as you with the smaller wires Rod I just never have had a layout together long enough to have had that issue, until now lol

Al

Having read other posts like this, I recently added a fire extinguisher to my train room.  IMO, I would fuse #22 AWG at 3 amp.

I wonder if a smoke/gas vapor detector under the layout would sense the hot wire faster...might be worth having anyway.

For those of us who use postwar transformers to power accessories, let this be a warning to use external fuses or breakers.  I don't know of any transformers that have small enough breakers to protect against an overheating 22-gauge.  This example also indicates another reason for using "oversize" wire:  it allows sufficient amperage to flow to pop a breaker or fuse.

Be aware that several old Lionel transformers have no overload protection whatsoever on certain post combinations.  The old type R is an example.  I have breakers on the accessory outputs of the ZWs I use for accessories,  lighting, & powering switches.

cjack posted:

I wonder if a smoke/gas vapor detector under the layout would sense the hot wire faster...might be worth having anyway.

I just stopped by Menards and picked up 2 ionization and photo cell type detectors for $17 each...and 11% off

It's important to get the ionization feature for non smoke vapors.