What is the Shortest Train You Run?

[jimhaleyscomet]

Having recently done a 36" door layout for 6 trains (4 running at any given time) I have developed a fondness for short trains (so they fit in the sidings). My best realistic short trains are beeps with an 027 car and caboose, Thomas, K-line hand car with water trailer, and Lionel Army switcher with 4 K-line mini hoppers.

What is the shortest train with car(s) you run?

Jim H

[Frank53]

here's my newbie question:

what's a beep?

[mcattardo]

On my 031 loop, usually a steamer and a boxcar or 2 then a caboose. I did put the polar express on it for giggles. It's not too bad since my mountain hides about half the track. I see a B&M beep in my future.
Here's some beeps: http://store.yahoo.com/readymadetoys/o-gauge-diesel.html

[Frank53]

thanks

[Jim Duda]

Duda's rule: (applies only to me) Entire train length cannot be longer than the longest straight sections...

On my little table that's usually a diesel and 3 cars or a steamer, tender, car, caboose. Also, anything faster than 15 SMPH doesn't look "right"...

[laz 57]

JIMBO
ON which thumb did that come from? I like it, because sometimes I get carried away with too many cars.
laz57

[TurboOne]

My shortest train is my "gandy dancer" . He is about 1" long. My 6 yr old son has a blast watching the two guys pump their arms out. He like to make them go fast. It is hillarious.
[swg][swg][swg][swg]

We also run Thomas and the two coaches annie and clarabelle. Also Percy and two troublesome trucks.

Tim

[Roger Bielen]

frank53, a "beep" is a compressed GP diesel. I'm sure you'll get more details when owners of same see your post.

[mcattardo]

I like Duda's rule too, but I only have a 5" straight.

[zwbob]

Don't laugh guys but I have a UP challenger with a miller refer and a caboose.[:D]

[cnw1995]

zw, gotta get that Miller to the bar in a hurry. I like that consist. I think I have you all beat - I run an old 2-4-2 whose tender is twisty-tied to a single car from a 1701 streamliner (thanks Bob!) - it's my passenger train.

[brianel027]

Years ago, I got a set of K-Line Budd Cars. Needless to say, I pulled 'em apart, made my standard modifications, repainted a couple, took one motor out of the lead and put that along with another motor in the other dummy units.

So I run my single Budd cars as a one car train, though with my modifications, they'll easily pull a bunch of passenger cars should I wish.

[Anonymous]

LOL @ the Challenger pulling a reefer & caboose.

When I first set up my Christmas layout, my test train just consists of my GP7 and a caboose.

When all the testings done, the shortest train I run is a set from 1948 (?), consisting of a gondola, boxcar, flatcar, & caboose.

However, I rarely settle for so few cars. In recent years, I've added a modern tanker car, MTH Hellicopter car, and a second caboose, to make 7 total cars.

My longest train is my modern Wabash passenger train, that pulls 12 madison cars. Once in a blue moon I'll stick all 19 cars behind the modern 4-6-4, but not for very long.

[Anonymous]

Caboose hop...

At shows, Iv e run a Beep with 2 Tank cars, scaled sized and a caboose and it didnt look half bad..

[Anonymous]

I guess I am odd man out with 7 18 inch passenger cars the shortest. All the rest are longer, but then the layout is 24 feet by 12 feet.
Dave.

[4kitties]

On my industrial spur I have an Atlas SW-1200RS with a single tank car. It's set up with a Pocono Mountain Lines controller so that it continuously runs very slo-o-owly from one end of the spur to the other and back. On my wharf track I run a K-Line Plymouth switcher with a single boxcar. The engine's small size looks great in that setting.

Joel

[jwse30]

Typically, I try to run as long a train as I can, as I only had a starter set (engine, flat, gondola, hopper, caboose) with one extra flatcar for my trainset as a kid. That said, one of my favorite trains to run on my layout is a 2016 (with added smoke unit) with tender, five or six 6014 style boxcars, and an SP caboose (usually my 6457).

When I lived in my apartment, and only had a 3 x 6 layout, I would usually run a train with an engine, 2 cars, and a caboose. The engine would be no bigger than the 2016 for steam, or a GP9 for deisel. The cars would be short boxcars (6014 style), short gondolas (6012? style), or short flatcars (no idea what cat. number they were). The caboose would either be an SP 6017, or an MPC bobber.

Of course, my curent layout has an elevated trolley line, that either runs an MPC era Budd car, or a Bowser trolley (one of the best values in O gauge today, IMHO), but I don't feel a single unit qualifies as a train.

J White

[jimhaleyscomet]

Wow guys. Thank you for all the responses (I have been off line for a few days). I think it is fun to think outside the box once in a while.

Joel, What is a Pocono Mountain Lines controller?

Doug, Thanks for the idea of one passenger car on a steamer. Very protypical!

Jim H