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No.  I never run my trains fast enough to derail on curves, especially not the highly detailed models.  Most locos today have speed control.  So even if a loco uncouples from the train and keeps going, it shouldn't speed up to the point of derailing. 

And that brings me to another sore point... the gear ratios.  Most of our models are geared too tall!  You have the biggest layout I know of.  You MIGHT have a need for more than 60 mph on your long straightaways.  For the rest of us working with a couple of 4x8's, two feet per second is plenty fast.  Using a lower gear ratio would prevent damage in those instances when a command control loco DOES take off at full speed.  From reading these boards I know it happens sometimes, and the current "safety" programming doesn't seem to prevent it. 

Finally there's the option to put halt / panic buttons at strategic locations around the layout.  Cut the power and they'll stop no matter what their on-board circuitry is telling them to do.

I've been to the New Jersey Hi-Railers layout twice and saw the frustration with my own eyes.  Even our 20 x 28 club layout was sometimes plagued with stalling because of weak / lost signal.  I stand by my original recommendation: put an OPTIONAL setting in the software (or a jumper on the circuit board) to keep going at the SAME speed if you lose the signal.  Some of us would be better off, and nobody would be worse off.  My $.02.

Last edited by Ted S

If your running TMCC, one track over or under another, it’s signal issues my guess. I had this issue when one of my TMCC engines ran under another TMCC engine many years ago..We solved the issue with ground plain wiring. Running a wire from the middle screw of an electrical receptical to a terminal strip. From the terminal strip we ran wires under the upper level tracks and that flattened the signal causing the problem.  Give that a try... 

I ended up  today eliminating one  uncoupling track and I put extra power and grounds in between all the switches  and it works better  I do think its a problem with the ac motor  (old school) and tight turns at this point BUT it is not bad since running the trains will be more  hands on  than  just watching and not operating..

Sorry if I missed it, but just want to make sure you are running a 14ga ground bus wire around your layout also, with drops every so often. If your switches have fiber pins in some of the outside rails, you possibly are not sending the return current back to the transformer through both outside rails from all areas between switches. As you know, return path is as important has the hot path.

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