I am thinking about setting up a trouble card system on my layout. This will tell of issues to be addressed by the crew on a train such as hot box / bearing or water level getting low in steam. What are some other problems that could be put on these cards?

Les;

A couple of common occurrences that I dealt with on a regular basis come to mind:

1. Broken air hose. Train going into emergency out on the line can result in considerable delay while the problem is located.

2. Missing or leaking air hose gaskets. Those rubber gaskets get brittle and crack over time and will often blow out of the air hose. Not uncommon when switching to find one missing or leaking and have to replace it. I used to carry a pocket full of them as at least once a day, we'd have that problem.

Other thoughts:

Perhaps a broken coupler knuckle now and then. Something that the train crew can replace, provided they have a spare on the engine or in the cab.

Worse case would be a broken drawbar and have to find a place to set out the offending car as the crew sure couldn't replace that. Along that same vein of thought - train could have a car with some sort of defect discovered along the road and also have to be set out for repairs; i.e.: Dragging equipment - shifted or leaking load.

Crew might have to provide flag protection over a certain highway crossing due to signal failure or just throw in a few speed restrictions at various locations due to track work or other problems.

Waiting on a inbound track to open.

Having the crew to outlaw.

Waiting at a red block because the train ahead hit a car,had a break in two etc.

What era are you modeling?

Thanks for the help. My plan is to make cards kind of like Community Chest on Monopoly board. Place them at a certain place on my layout With blank cards more blank than trouble. As your train passes them you pick one up.

railohio Wrote:What era are you modeling?

Late steam

• Missed train order hoop and has to stop to get them.
  
• Hot bearing journal.
  
• Stops to pick up/drop off company official.
  
• Slow order for track conditions, livestock on the RoW, etc.
  
• Broken knuckle or pulled drawbar.

Order to wait for meet an opposing train at the next siding.
Shifted load.
Unauthorized persons on the tracks.

Low water in a steam locomotive could cause a crew to leave a train and run light to the next water plug.

A "torpedo" going off.
Stalled car on a crossing.
Stalled cow on the tracks.

railohio Wrote:Low water in a steam locomotive could cause a crew to leave a train and run light to the next water plug.

Even worse: low water in the tank.