What exactly is that smell?

[ezdays]

I do remember it when running some old Lionel when I was a kid. We don't discuss how long ago that was....

Why not ?
Despite what others may think, I'm not a fossil yet :o ........I'm still moving !

Slow............,

but still moving. , and I do remember that odor. If I get out my Varney 0-4-0T, and run it, I could probably smell it again.

No, not a fossil, but I understand that you had to wait until they invented electricity before you could run it the first time...

But, having put together electronic control systems for more years than I can remember (yeah, we had electricity by then) , there was always a few signs of when it was time to turn power off when being tested. A whiff of smoke, a sudden spark or the smell of ozone always told you that it was probably too late to save whatever it was that had gone south. I think running trains is one of the few times any of these things are acceptable, and sometimes desirable.