I knocked my Lionel Mohawk #3000 off the edge of my layout to the concrete floor a couple of years ago. I placed the engine on the track, then the tender with the draw bar attached. I apparently twisted the draw bar in the process, causing the engine to flip off the table faster than I could react to catch it.
After I stopped swearing, I got the courage to pick the engine up. I looked and looked, but couldn't find any damage. I put it on the track and tried to run it, but it wouldn't move. A hum from the motor suggested it was jammed.
Further inspection revealed the sheet metal plate holding the trailing truck was warped and jamming the motor armature. I straightened out the plate, reassembled it and the Mohawk ran fine.
I got lucky due to: (1) solid construction by Lionel, (2) the engine apparently landed trailing truck first and the sheet metal plate absorbed the impact (but no damage to the truck) and (3) the engine hit my leg on the way down. I had a nice bruise on my leg as evidence. It's a heavy engine!
John
