Derailments and Tunnels

August 30, 2012

Regular blog reader John makes a wonderful contribution to the model railroading community by sharing his ideas so others in the hobby can benefit. Here is John’s latest article:

A common cause for a derailment is that the track was not put down properly. This could be an upturned rail joiner, particles from the ends of cut track that have lodged in the wheels of the locomotive or cars, dirty track, a “foreign object” that parks itself in the right-of-way, and pinched curved track that does not form a smooth, even circle. This problem becomes even worse when the wreck occurs inside a tunnel.

The first task is to get the cars out of the tunnel. If the tunnel is fixed in place and you model in a small scale, there might be a problem getting your fingers far enough inside the portals to reach the cars, but this can be remedied. Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, attach the non-brush end tightly with tape to a coat hanger to get the length, then SLOWLY and CAREFULLY pull the cars toward you with the soft brush. It might help if a flashlight is put at the other end of the tunnel to see the trapped cars. Once everything is out of there, put the same toothbrush in a bottle of liquid track cleaner and clean both rails inside the tunnel.

The last step is to check the track and to make sure the portal and tunnel is tall enough and wide enough to accept the largest car in the roster, especially around curves. Also inspect the wheels of the cars to ensure that they are riding on the rails properly, as one misaligned wheel can derail a whole train.

Thanks John!