Over the years running trains on an unsceniced RR I and probably many of you have had disasters and or close calls with trains getting knocked off the rails and dropping to the floor. Yesterday I had TWO VERY close calls !! First, while running one loco with my NCE throttle, I had accidentally hit 'recall' and not looking, heard a loud kerplunk ! Turned and my newest boxcar had been pushed off the end of an unfinished track by the other loco !! luckily it was rolling very slow or 6 others would have gone over bench where I am getting ready to install a bridge. If there were no cars in front of engine the engine would have made that kerplunk..I only had to buy a new coupler for the box car today since it only fell about 10 inches to the river bottom (plywood).... The second and more frightening close one was I was working on powering a frog and adding a ground throw at a switch..I had an engine near by to make tests with. I don't know how I did it (was not shirt sleave) but my hand knocked the engine off the rails and I caught it in mid air in about one second flat by jabbing my hand below 10" wide shelf-like grid bench work as it dropped through to rear of 3" wide sub-roadbed ply...!! Phew , that WAS CLOSE !! My heart was now pounding !! About 6 years ago I also knocked a brass loco my dad bought me in 1957 through the grid to the slab floor ....It got bent in several places..I was able to bend things straight and CA glue split boiler section..Each time these have happened I have thought why not devise a temporary safety net strung under the open grid or L girder bench work ...something which can be moved out of the way when ,say doing wiring or riser re- positioning and things ? If we then are going to test a train we'd re-string net before rolling trains through the work site..And of course leave it fully strung when just running trains ,until scenery is installed ( plaster, foam, et al.). As I haven't yet done it (Doh !) I'd be curious to hear your ideas on it.....if you like it and your method...
We utilize safety nets inside our tunnels at the pikemasters because they are open grid to allow easy rerailing. They work pretty well, until the point you get so many derail cars in the net it pulls from the staples. Don't ask how I know that! They work great and do save equipment. Assuming the equipment picks a spot where one is.....
I too have been thinking of ways to do this. Ive had too many beyond close calls that have pretty much ruined some equipment. lol its always one of my favorite pieces too! What type of net are you using? I have thought about using old sheets and attaching them with velcro, but i dont think that the velcro will hold much weight. I would like them to be able to come off quickly, but then that brings the worry that they wont hold the train when it plumets to the earth. I have also thought about using eyelets and hooks, but then i might need to learn how to sew. Ohh ... what about bubble wrap ...
we use screen door mesh at the club. In some areas its stapled to the benchwork and in areas where it needs to be removable we have some giant thumbtacks.
It is just an idea I had . I haven't done it yet . But I am thinking more toward a bright orange netting I'd seen in maybe Home Depot or such..Then maybe screw in eye hooks on insides of frame in many places and hook the net on them..It would catch the fallen loco or car until scenery is in..It wouldn't have to be too deep either...nearly right up near frame bottom...So, why haven't I done it ? Go figure !!
