Little Train Wreck in Plover

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Things got out of hand when I was in the other room, 5-inches away through the tunnel in the wall

and I had to back up a train, without watching what is happening to the head end.

This was the junction, before I added the engine house tracks.

The air hose on the caboose coupler was hanging low and snagged the diamond.

There's nothing like building a model railroad for years and using a 3" vertical clearance, and then I got a 'modern' double stack which needs 3-1/8". I had to raise some bridges and cut and file to open up some tunnels.

Split the switch in the middle of a car.

And there's nothing wrecked in this view, but this month, a real Russel plow and a Jordan Spreader were cut up for scrap in Stevens Point.

I was standing in the other room at the other end of this 5-inch long tunnel through the wall, that had a loose paper picture face, and I hear ker- plunk.

And this train left the yard, and then I walked around the corner and out of sight. And then I look back, and see only the engine moving. Oh, I thought it just uncoupled. Then I looked closer, there had been a caboose between the engine and boxcar, and it had fallen to the lower level of track.

And this one shows the importance of a protective gate, and some padding. I have drawbridges with swinging gates to protect against running a train into the river (onto the floor). And usually it's not the engine that threatens to take a dunk, it's the caboose during a reverse movement that is hidden and not watched by the crew. The caboose must have pressed against the gate, and then popped off to the side. But, luckily, it landed on a roll of toilet paper.

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