Playing Trains

I wonder if the layout still goes?

After 20 minutes of cleaning the tracks, it did(!) - so that exceeded expectations and was mildly fun for a while.

I ran three trains around at different times - the three coach passenger and the 6 wagon container trains that were sitting on the tracks for previous pictures; and a freight with three Re 4/4s on the front. That's probably the first triple header I've run, and certainly the first time the power pack has run four locos at once. I only have one pack connected to 'the switchboard' at the moment and used it to power all the layout's blocks - except when I had to judiciously flip a block switch to stop a train in one of the hidden sidings.

It takes just over three minutes to do a complete circuit up and down the layout to the same spot, and on the first circuit,  there were only two slow spots after my track cleaning efforts. These bits, which I must have missed, were resolved with a little more rubbing of the blue Peco track eraser. I was pretty happy with that since there has been a lot of track painting, ballasting and scenicking since the thing last ran. At least 95% of the layout is easy enough to clean, but there are a couple of spots that require poking the eraser at on a stick.

The real thrill was that 30 minutes of normal running produced no derailments - i.e. other than a couple induced by stupidity or by the Layout Gods  - for example, suddenly backing the train uphill for pictures, or one where a pantograph popped up and clipped the top of a tunnel.

Minor disappointment: the single Re 4/4 on the passenger seemed to struggle with this tiny load - especially on the right-side spiral between the middle and top level. I might try adding some weight to it or seeing if there is any friction in the carriage wheelsets that can be freed up.

The locos are still noisy as.