ICG/SOU
HO & O (3-rail) trainman
So, I had my first trainwreck today. For some reason (not clear to me) my Weaver GP38-2 with TMCC went full throttle and uncontrollable. I couldn't get to the surge protector switch, so I waited until the locomotive was passing me and I picked it up off the tracks.
Well, I didn't think about the cars still coupled. Fortunately, only 3 fell not quite 3 feet to the laminate floor. Damage:
1 Lionel PS2CD 4427cuft covered hopper, one slightly bent stirrup, 2 bent trucks (where the hole is for the bolster, the sheet metal bent) and 2 roller bearing caps. Since the car has mostly metal, it survived of damage. Luckily, I had some spare trucks and was able to put new ones on. The old ones are salvageable, but will not be returned to service. I am amazed how robust the car is.
1 Weaver 50' Single Door box car, only damage is the shell separated from the floor. Nothing that some glue couldn't fix.
1 Atlas Trainman ACF 50' Box car with a broken bolster (it's plastic). I've superglued it, but it looks like I'll be calling Atlas for a replacement if it doesn't hold.
So, what makes TMCC go nuts and uncontrollable? It seems to work now, and there wasn't any derailing equipment to cause a short. Luckily my current layout is a loop, but was thinking about remaking it into a switching module, and if the loco can go nuts like this again, then I'll have to rethink that setup.
Well, I didn't think about the cars still coupled. Fortunately, only 3 fell not quite 3 feet to the laminate floor. Damage:
1 Lionel PS2CD 4427cuft covered hopper, one slightly bent stirrup, 2 bent trucks (where the hole is for the bolster, the sheet metal bent) and 2 roller bearing caps. Since the car has mostly metal, it survived of damage. Luckily, I had some spare trucks and was able to put new ones on. The old ones are salvageable, but will not be returned to service. I am amazed how robust the car is.
1 Weaver 50' Single Door box car, only damage is the shell separated from the floor. Nothing that some glue couldn't fix.
1 Atlas Trainman ACF 50' Box car with a broken bolster (it's plastic). I've superglued it, but it looks like I'll be calling Atlas for a replacement if it doesn't hold.
So, what makes TMCC go nuts and uncontrollable? It seems to work now, and there wasn't any derailing equipment to cause a short. Luckily my current layout is a loop, but was thinking about remaking it into a switching module, and if the loco can go nuts like this again, then I'll have to rethink that setup.
)
