MTH Engines/Shock Protection

You won't know until you unpack it. So what are you waiting for????

I think it's unlikely to have been damaged if it was in the MTH packaging. Probably no difference in g's from typical handling by shippers. If the box is undamaged, the model is probably undamaged. Some approximate numbers: The impact velocity from a 5-foot vertical drop would be about 18 feet/sec. Your box fell about one foot. That took about 0.25 seconds at 1g. Impact vertical velocity about 8 feet/sec. Your car's panic stop deceleration was less than 1g - probably about 0.5g. Moved horizontally also about 1 foot. That took 0.35 seconds at 0.5g. Impact horizontal velocity about 5.5 feet/sec. Total impact velocity about 10 feet/sec against the floor and soft back surface of the front seat. But the best analysis would include calculating the deceleration of the box as it impacts the seatback and floor. A much more complicated calculation that can't be done on the back of an envelope...

This is what a retired engineer does for amusement...

MELGAR

Just think about how much abuse the engine endured in shipping from the factory in China to you. Falling off a seat in your car is nothing compared to what it went through in shipping. Anyhow you won't know until you put it on the track and run it.

Ken

Tons of people have dropped engines on the floor from a greater height without any box and they survived.  Since you're just speculating, take it out and run it, then you'll know.

Melgar,

To get more accurate Data on the force that the engine was subjected to would be to reenact the event several times with acceleration, force and perhaps some string gauges placed on and in the box to get the actual numbers for a better analysis.

From my perspective as a life long technician, I would open the box inspect the engine (possibly even look inside to see if anything came loose) and run it and enjoy it, and or fix it and enjoy it.

Perhaps, next time you could put the seatbelt around the engine just in case.

@P&LEGuy posted:

I recently purchased a MTH O Gauge GP-35, still in the shipping box. It’s been riding around in my car for a few weeks. Long story short, I had to make a few panic stops and the engine slid from the back seat onto the floor, about a one foot drop. Think there’s any damage? I was once told by the guy who owned Mercer Junction that these engines can actually handle a five foot drop to the floor. Any thoughts/opinions out there?

Let’s not overanalyze this, just open box and run…… simple ideas, simple thoughts, simple solutions,

I think before opening you should hire the above retired engineer to do a transient non-linear structural dynamic analysis with modal analysis to ensure indicated drop did not induce any unwanted vibration, in addition to the shock pulses, that could have induced  some fatigue on the PWB solder joints. Might also want to look at a thermal analysis of the thermal stresses inside the car that could have also reduced some life on said components.  Could probably spend $2000-$20,000 on the analysis depending upon how much detail you want, parametric modeling, documentation, etc.  

Or as GRJ indicates, take a risk that the shipping environment from overseas to your house might be worst case.

@ThatGuy posted:

Let’s not overanalyze this, just open box and run…… simple ideas, simple thoughts, simple solutions,

Sounds entirely reasonable to me!