# Derailed inside the tunnel



## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Dang!
Had a little excitement this evening while running my 14-car Amtrak around the circuit.
The double locos entered my 5-foot long tunnel as normal. Then, there was the nasty sound of cars derailing! 
Everything came to a grinding HALT. I killed the power and crossed my fingers because this had NEVER happened before during hundreds of laps around that same circuit. 
Thankfully, I had installed a trap door in the rear of the tunnel and within minutes was able to untangle the cars and put them all back on the track. 
Somehow, someway, the lead loco had picked up one of the scenery ties I had laying along the tracks near the entrance to the tunnel. It dragged the tie underneath the loco until it finally caught on the rerailer section of track. Then, all hell broke loose and there was instant chaos.
Moral of the story.......if you create a tunnel on your layout, be sure to also create an easy way to get at your loco/rolling stock in the event of a derailment.
Sure made my pulse rate go for a ride.
Bob


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)




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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

If that keeps happening, you're going to have to daylight that tunnel.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Cool....Model trains go wild. 
Should have had a video. 

That is the first thing I say when someone is building a tunnel.
Make sure that you have access to the inside. :smokin:

That silly wabbit is annoying, while trying to read the post.
Maybe slow it down some.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

That wabbit is a trained tunnel clearing wabbit. It will push your wrecked train cars out the other end of the tunnel. Clever idea.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

D&J Railroad said:


> If that keeps happening, you're going to have to daylight that tunnel.


I have one of those hand-held LED flashlights that STAYS in the tunnel for events like this.
Sure came in handy!! 
Bob


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

At my club Murphy's law usually rules. Derailments happen in the most inaccessible parts of the layout, the furthest reach in a tunnel, the highest point of a helix, places where a step ladder leaves me on my tip toes dangling over a new part of the layout, etc... :laugh:


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

To be perfectly honest, I'm really HAPPY the derailment took place inside the tunnel.
Why?
Because the tunnel is a 5 foot section of a 33 foot loop where I run the 14-car Amtrak consist.
About 75% of the remaining 33 feet runs along the edges of the layout with a 38" drop to the concrete floor. Had the derailment taken place anywhere else it's possible that several pretty pricey Amtrak Superliner cars would have taken a swan dive. Ouch!!
As I mentioned earlier, I've run that consist around that loop hundreds of times without a derailment. How in H that little piece of wood got sucked under the loco is a mystery to me. 
Anywho, it all turned out A-OK.
Bob


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

The close to the edge running is one of the reasons I redesigned and built a new layout. To many close calls. Only lost one engine and a few cars over a six year period but was too close to many times.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

tkruger said:


> The close to the edge running is one of the reasons I redesigned and built a new layout. To many close calls. Only lost one engine and a few cars over a six year period but was too close to many times.


I'm giving some serious thought to putting up a plexiglass "catch wall" on the sides where the tracks are close to the edge. Maybe about 4" above track level.


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## rrgrassi (May 3, 2012)

raleets said:


> I'm giving some serious thought to putting up a plexiglass "catch wall" on the sides where the tracks are close to the edge. Maybe about 4" above track level.


That would be a good thing to do.


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