Garden Railway Accidents

South-Trethevy · Post by **South-Trethevy** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:42 pm

If thats what happens in a row i'd hate 2 b there in a tantrum

ptlrcecil · Post by **ptlrcecil** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:48 pm

No we could sense tantrums so we pegged it. Ah the good old days.

laalratty · Post by **laalratty** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:52 pm

Hmm from that experiance, might be an idea to keep stock away from low flying mothers!!!!! (and one of my steam locos lives on a plinth in the lounge!)

ptlrcecil · Post by **ptlrcecil** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:55 pm

Oh aye there well away now. About 3 miles did the trick.

laalratty · Post by **laalratty** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:02 pm

LOL, luckily I think my mum realises that if she ever tried anything like that she WOULD be paying for a replacement
And the rest of my stock is safely in my room

New Haven Neil · Post by **New Haven Neil** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:50 am

Here's an OMG that happened a few weeks ago on the Leodest & Larivane....

A new friend visited for the first time - he's new-ish to the island and we hadn't met, but had e mailed. He brought two gorgeous Roundhouse locos, lined by lightline....both had just been re-gauged to 45mm, as his previous line was 32mm.

Loco ran around the line perfectly - on the raised section too. Second trip around, the reverse loop is traversed the other direction - out of sight behind a large bush, is an LGB R3 point - leading nowhere currently, but screwed over to avoid

accidents. Said loco disappears behind bush, and crrrunch...falls to the floor, 18'' or so, onto the only paving the line crosses - damaged bunker, cab and tank, and a very, very embarrased line owner....

Investigated the cause - turns out the Roundhouse back to back gauge is WAY too tight for LGB points, loco had picked the facing point blade and overturned.....second loco was re-gauged before running!!! He was very good about it, I was mortified. Roundhouse repaired the damage very cheaply, I think the owner is still speaking.....anyway he's coming again this Saturday!

Here's an odd thing though - my two Roundhouse locos were supplied by them for 45mm, to a much wider back to back than their own gauge indicated.....

Moral of the story - on first runs around an unfamiliar line, keep a close watch on your loco!

And to 'Trackshack John' (no connection, well, OK, connection as a friend and customer

), if you read here - you're a gentleman! I would have cried.....stropped......etc!

Neil.

SillyBilly · Post by **SillyBilly** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:52 pm

Owch!

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:08 pm

As you say,

on first runs around an unfamiliar line, keep a close watch on your loco

I've joined the 16mm NGM and the local West of Scotland Group has twice monthly meetings at one of the member's railways. So far I've only managed to visit once, and not having the IP Jane ready had to take a diesel instead. Fortunately it runs at a sedate scale speed flat out, but there was a position on that line where it goes out of sight behind a garden shed. I relied on the noise generator on the diesel whilst awaiting it to reappear.

Hopefully Roundhouse will put out a warning to owners using LGB track to prevent reoccurrence.

MuzTrem · Post by **MuzTrem** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 5:51 pm

New Haven Neil wrote:Investigated the cause - turns out the Roundhouse back to back gauge is WAY too tight for LGB points, loco had picked the facing point blade and overturned

That's very interesting...I wonder if that's why so much of my stock derails on the points at Rutton? May call for some further investigation, if I ever get the time!

We've had our fair share of accidents on the MVR. I remember when we built our first temporary line on breezeblocks, we had dreailments every few minutes...fortunately, we were only using the LGB stock then, which is built like tanks!

Then when Russell was brand new, we laid a circuit on the patio to run her in. However, with hindsight we laid the track a little too close to the edge, and when she inevitably derailed she rolled right off and landed in a flowerbed! Fortunately, there was no damage done, but I was mortified that such an accident should befall my new pride and joy, and refused to run her again for some months afterwards for fear of a repeat performance!

The most serious accident since the MVR proper opened was a couple of years ago, when Russell was being piloted by a visiting Millie. For some reason she derailed on the curve round the big conifer, came right off the track and was only saved from falling into the flowerbed below by the coupling chain linking her to Russell! (Shades of the the Railway Series story "Bulldog"!) It was lucky that coupling chain held, as I wouldn't have fancied having to retrieve a hot engine from an area completed closed in by the breezeblock trackbed and the tree....

New Haven Neil · Post by **New Haven Neil** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:52 am

I'll measure the back to back I now use and let you know!

laalratty · Post by **laalratty** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 9:02 pm

Long while since a post on this, but here is a pic of PTLRcecils Beeson/Beck engine Gussie off the road on the "other" Silverdale light railway of Peter Hutton. Note he gave me permission to put it on the forum just before he took it on my camera

mhlr · Post by **mhlr** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 9:05 pm

ouch... get the jack out lads!!!

bungle80a · Post by **bungle80a** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 11:59 pm

I think it'll need a little more than a jack to put that loco right, but i'll let Cecil explain waht he's done to it!

All I can say is.....

....WHOOPS!

mhlr · Post by **mhlr** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 12:29 am

bungle80a wrote:I think it'll need a little more than a jack to put that loco right, but i'll let Cecil explain waht he's done to it!

All I can say is.....

....WHOOPS!

a jack n a traction engine then rofl! i dont think you could get a crane out there!

MuzTrem · Post by **MuzTrem** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:42 am

As a postcript to my above post, a few weeks ago my brakevan K2 caught some very dry and stiff overhaning branches on the curve round the big conifer. It fell off the wall, and before I could grab it the rest of the train had been pulled of as well! Fortunately Russell stayed on the wall, but one of K1's couplings broke off, as did one of W2's wheelsets and U1's roof!

U1 is now repaired, but one of W2's axlebox bearings is lost in the undergrowth so I shall have to write to IP and ask for a spare before she can run again...

laalratty · Post by **laalratty** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 9:25 pm

bungle80a wrote:I think it'll need a little more than a jack to put that loco right, but i'll let Cecil explain waht he's done to it!

All I can say is.....

....WHOOPS!

Is that the cowcatcher breaking off on the way back from the SLR or something else?

bungle80a · Post by **bungle80a** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 11:49 pm

that was the start of it. put it this way, he should learn from my mistakes!

ptlrcecil · Post by **ptlrcecil** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:47 pm

I did, and it still took the bloody paint work off.

ptlrcecil · Post by **ptlrcecil** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:48 pm

Wait did I just post that on the internet. Drat Drat and double drat.

laalratty · Post by **laalratty** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:53 pm

oh dear, is there a re-paint comming for Gussie?

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