I am asking this question based on a lot of what I read here on the fourms. I have a 9X9 railroad in one of my out buildings in my yard. I seldom have derailments almost never in my 3 or 4 hour operating sessions, if you have taken time to test and re-test again your track work you shouldn’t have many derailments at all. When new about 6 or 7 years ago I could leave my trains running for as long as 8 to 10 HOURS with out any derailments. I have heard some people say they can’t leave the room with out knowing something will be wrong when they come back. Now how much enjoyment can a person get from that??? laying track is the one skill you must master before you can build a railroad. It’s not something to be taken lightly it’s more important than the finest detail on any locomotive, you best weathering job on any peice of rolling stock, or the people in your buildings. It is and should be your primary focus[:(!]!!! My opinion. Sorry for venting.[:(]
Derailments are extremely rare on our 20x40 foot HO scale club layout because the track was carefully installed from the get-go and we used only Peco turnouts wherever possible. The few derailments that occur can usually be traced to a low coupler pin, wheels out of gauge, or a turnout set wrong.
Very few on my layout. None over the past few months - happens when you don’t run any trains…
Primary causes are usually low trip pins and turnouts not being set properly.
shoot im a rookie then, i have an average of 3-5 per hour, but i guess im still learning
I Never Ever have derailments on the Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western! That is unless a friend comes over and wants to see the layout run. Then they happen constantly. Fetridge’s Law ya know. “Nothing ever happens until it is no longer favorable to happen.” Actually most derailments on my layout happen because of a turnout left the wrong way, or a small piece of “whatever” left on the track or because the layout got bumped when I was working on it and didn’t notice the row of cars I derailed.
None, I check every joint as I lay track. I can best describe it as the track must flow, no kinks. Take your time. This is the most important part of the layout. Watch switches,they must not have any grade changes in them.I laid most of the track on our club layout, 600’ + main and a 20 track yard 20, long.
My home layout On30 using Peco track and turnouts. I use NMRA standards for weight, this also helps.
Almost never. Occationally, I have a guage problem with the track or wheelsets. Usually, though it’s a low coupler trip pin.
Nick
Hardly ever - usually it’s an item that’s on its first test run and needs some adjustment, or operator error such as trying to run through a switch that’s set the wrong way. I also have one car that’s rather choosy about where it runs - Rail Power Products 56ft well car, built from the kit (before Athearn offered them RTR - my LHS had one for a very small sum and as it came with decals, etc I decided to have a go) and fitted with Kadee trucks. This really doesn’t like the two Peco medium switches I have at one end of the layout (think it’s a case of the couplers trying to move too far) but is fine if you move it out the other way (where there’s a short section of flextrack between the switches). I’m considering adding a couple of ballasted containers in an effort to solve the problem.
Hey, you know what?? Just thought of something funnny The people who have derailments are never going to say anythng here. hehehehehe
I have a few derailments. Almost always though, it is because the EZ Track turnout doesn’t completely open against the rail. I’m not sure how to solve this. I’m realtively sure that something has gotten under the throw bar and is creating friction.
However, if I set a train running, I can walk away.
Now Isnt that the truth LoL…But I seldome do Not have any problems. If i do i always find the cause and take care of it right away otherwise i can run trains for 24 hrs if i wanted without a problem.
Carl…
Under normal operations, I have very few derailments. Usually if they happen it’s going to be in the yard, and then usually because I’m running a switching operation too fast. Out on the main I was having trouble with one of my curved turnouts (the points are right under a bridge, naturally), but found out that the heat of the summer had shifted the track. Quick cure with some re-setting and re-ballasting (garage layout, you know, uninsulated). Works okay, now.
But like a lot of people say: If you’re going to have a derailment, the chances are 80-20% it will happen when company’s over. Murphy’s Law.
Tom
One word: Turnouts
I’m not exactly sure why I don’t have better luck with turnouts. Might be a little ballast that is interfering, or if a turnout is not on a completely flat spot. But overall not that big of a problem. I only have two turnouts where this is a concern and they both run with the flow of general traffic.
Another cause of derailments though is cars uncoupling. While rare, it has happened a few times and while you’re whistling away maybe not paying 100% attention, they uncouple and along comes another train (love DCC!) and WHAM!!!
Even better, on grade and the cars start rolling backwards downhill and WHAM!!!
Jawbone
I derailed one time and that was enough for me…Sept. 28, 1903[;)]
Running too fast on old poorly installed track can cause problems. [B)]
Wreck of Old 97 - Thought some of you may enjoy this. [:D]
http://www.salisburypost.com/area/284537876723188.php
This photo was taken within an hour after the Old 97 crashed in 1903.
By Buddy Gettys, For the Salisbury Post
The summer lingered on into fall. The trees were beginning to show various colors, but under a clear blue sky, the temperature reached the mid 80s by early afternoon. It was Sept. 28, 1903, in Danville, “The heart of Southside, Virginia.”
John Wiley and Ethel Faust picnicked on a grassy hill overlooking Still House railroad trestle, which also offered a clear view of the Dan River and the Riverside Cotton Mill, where John worked for $4 a week. The trestle had been there for almost 30 years, built in 1874 and named from the old Still House on the creek bank that made good Danville whisky. It was Sunday and John’s only day off. In November, he would turn 16.
Seventy miles north, Southern mail train No. 97 crossed the James River Bridge. The train has just taken on a new crew at Union Station in Monroe for the next leg of its run — 168 miles to Spencer, N.C.
Old 97 had a reputation for speed but was 52 minutes behind schedule this day. Earlier that morning, Old 97 had been held up for an hour in Washington, waiting on a late mail train from the north.
Engine No. 1102, a ten-wheeler, pulled the train. In railroad jargon, that is a 4-6-0 Baldwin Class F-14 locomotive. It weighed 160,000 pounds and had a wooden cab. The train consisted of two postal cars, an express car and one baggage car. It had an average speed of 37 1/2 mph, running between Washington
I very seldom have any derailments on my On30 Tres Arboles RR. I use Micro-Engineering codes 70 and 83 flex-track and have a little bit of hand-laid track. I use Walther’s/Shinohara and Micro-Engineering HO turnouts. I converted them to On30 by replacing the ties. I make sure all joints are in gauge and flow smoothly. I also use all metal wheels on the rolling stock.
Very rarely…as long as you don’t count the times when the *@%$$ hogger tries to run a switch that isn’t thrown. Also you can’t count the time I was backing a 12 car streamliner on a friend’s yard and didn’t realize the crossovers were #6’s. Funny how 85 foot cars don’t like that! jc5729
pretty Rare on my layout. The only time i have them is when i run my dash 9 to slow it jumps the tracks.
Oh yea? To quote Carl Sagan…billions and billions…
Even though I went out and bought a coupler gauge. Took a day and went through all my cars and locos and set everything. Works fine for a day or two and then it seems like the couplers start sagging and causing problems. KD and McHenry. I’m almost ready to cut those friggin trip pins off! I’m not going to use uncouplers or run my stuff on club layouts. Any thoughts?
Yes I have an idea,[:D] I think you should cut the trip pins off. Not complely but you should shorten them. I always cut them short and bend them up a little to keep them from giving me trouble
I have one most times I run trains because I forget to throw a switch. It only happens once per session, and is a reminder that I have to be focused. Now, if I were to simply leave the switch in the wrong position, in most cases the train just passes through. But I try to wait for a gap and throw the snap EZ-Track switches (the wide radius ones with the black button that slides sideways) between truck passages…which is where I sometimes get into trouble. [|(]
Also, my Harriman pax cars don’t seem to like being shoved through points every once in a while. Pulling is always okay by them.