Think I lost my engineer's license

You may not have lost your license, yet. We have had a few incidents on our modular club pike. Whenever this occurs, discussion surrounds calling the NTSB, drug testing the engineer, and unpaid leave. Since there was no property damage, or loss of life I'd suggest a cover-up. However you've pretty well blown that here by telling everyone.

 

Is there someone else you can blame?

Yes, I think you'll find yourself in good company. I've had my share of derailments, sideswiping, and the occasional 'cornfield meet.' Now, for simplicity, each train has its own route and dedicated track...

I had a good one this past Sunday afternoon.  Left a switch misaligned and ran a freight into the side of a passenger train.  No injuries, but boy, the people in the diner sure were upset. 

 

Curt

I always enjoyo the Forumites replies when this topic surfaces !

Seem to help me get my day started off right !

Rufus

Thank goodness for the "All Stop" button on the MTH remote. Even though that has helped, still have some misalined switches into equpiment.I also do not have hidden parking spots!

 

Dan 

Not lately, but I did find out a Lionel 9200 series passenger car can jump up two feet and then fall four feet to the floor and survive a couple of months ago.

     Ed

Well I have run an engine into a engine house and out the end. I had the switch throw earlier when I took a engine out then started running a SD60 CSX freight and forgot the switch was still headed for the engine house.

Sounds like a typical day at the club.

Just last night. Left a switch open and ran a 681 into the back of a DT&I 8111 that was parked on the inner loop.

Kev.

This is why I have no problems letting my kids or their friends run the layout.  There is no way they could cause more problems than I do on my own.  Thanks for sharing.

 

Wes

Ok Gomez Addams..... settle down!

Sounds like how my grandson drives.   He loves the max speed button on the Legacy controller, I have to be quick to hit the "all stop" key on mine to kill things before the crash.

 

Of course, while admonishing him about trying to go too fast, I managed to run into the train that he had stopped!

Which is probably part of his plan.  "But Grandpa...  *I* didn't crash the train..."  

Operator errors are not very frequent on the Hodgson Valley RR UNLESS there are visitors.  Visitors seem to bring out all the faults in the layout, the trains, and the operator (me).

 

Oh mercy, I have been there done that.  The last major crash happen last year.  I had a TMCC Lionel C&O F-3 ABA on the same line as a TMCC Lionel SD 90 Union Pacific freight on a sideing.  Let the SD 90 go out on the main line right into the C&O F-3.  After I came to, no harm, no foul.  All was right with the two engines, and cars.

 

Since then I do a complete check of what is on the track to insure this will not happen again.  One open heart surgery is enough at this address.

 

Many thanks,

 

Billy C     

I guess if you get multiple trains moving (or sometimes just one), eventually a crash is bound to happen.

Which is why my engine house has a door on the other end.

 

There was a time I made two police officers wait two hours over dinner before getting my well deserved parking ticket. But that would be another day long ago.

 

On the club layout I managed to get past the summit only to stall on the frog of a hand built number 20 something switch. Fortunately no one was looking when I give it a nudge.

I've had my share of mishaps on my model railroad.  However on the prototype, I was never involved in a major accident.  I think the difference is that on the real thing, you are actually on board and can see what's ahead of you, i.e. train, engine, railroad car, stop signal, derail, switch not properly lined or broken rail.

 

Ray

Maybe my addition of a cab camera will help.  I have the camera, just have to find a likely candidate to mount it in.

"Attention Pennsydave:

 

In regard to the incident involving the collision between the train in your charge, and the stationary train stopped within the rules, it has been decided there will be an Official Investigation to determine the long-term course of action by The Railroad.

 

Until said Investigation, you are required to surrender your Engineer's Cerfication to the proper Railroad Official effective immediately, and thus relieved of your duties until final determination post-Official Investigation.

 

The Official Investigation is tentatively scheduled for next Monday, at 0800 hours.  Your attendance will be mandatory to insure the possiblility of continued employment by The Railroad.

 

Sincerly,

 

I.M. Abloughardt

General Superintendant"

 

 

Wow, Pennsy... looks like you've been de-Certified pending an investiagtion!!!

 

Andre

 

 

 

Not to mention he'll have to take a drug test now...

Well, about a year ago on the Glancy Modular layout I had a nice little wreck (not my fault though).  We have a three track mainline and a couple of our modules have crossover sections so trains on the outside track can move to the inner track.  Well, I was setting a train up on the middle track (no switches on that line, just the 45 degree crossing where outer line passes on it's way to the inner) and a show visitor must have bumped/changed the switch on the outer track to the crossover just as a beautiful Lionel Santa Fe diesel pulling a freight passed by and continued right through the train I was setting up.  No damage that I'm aware of (the cars I was setting up belonged to another member ) so it was quite entertaining.

 I'm surprised by the lack of explatives at the end of that video

My all-time screwup was when I was pulling a good size freight train with my ABBA Alco SP&S set by MTH.

As it entered a long sweeping curve I noticed the caboose "looked" like one truck was off the rail.  Not really thinking I reached out and for some reason grabbed the rear truck.

The consist immediately "string-lined" and pulled the train off the rails totally derailing the four unit power.  It ended up hanging straight down toward the concrete floor and for some reason remained coupled or in the case of two units, hanging by the teather!

A couple of freight cars immediately behind the locomotives wedged into the rails and the lead unit stopped it's plunge a couple of inches short of the floor.

The Gods of 3 rail trains were smiling that day!

 

Moi?   I don't sweat the small stuff. 

I read this earlier in the day and smiled, and then about an hour ago drove my K-4 right into the back of and EOT well car.

 

Of course, I don't have to worry about losing my engineering license because I never actually had it....  

I had a weird accident once where a caboose uncoupled from a freight pulled by my K-Line J1e Scale Hudson and there was a nice, spectacular wreck before I could stop anything. I had my Engineer's license suspended for two weeks for that one, I think, and also had to fix the coupler on the Bay Window caboose that I rear-ended.

 

--Freddo

I can see where high speed running with long trains is a danger, sooner or later a coupler will let go.  I'm seriously considering getting a ton of little black rubber bands to hold the couplers together for long const's.

  Not my fault really, but a giant 8 month old boy attacked my Lionel 726 and caused all kinds o' havoc w/ the train.

None the less, the panel still finds you negligent with respect to "containment".