Are toy trains made to be run fast?

[FJ and G]

I often attend the local Greenberg shows and I gotta tell you, they, meaning the hi-rail club and the "tinplate" tracker club, and even the S toy train club, run their trains fast; often 80+ smph.

Like other visitors, I stoop down to watch the train go by and before you know it, it's gone in a flash. No chance to really see it because it's moving so fast. I suppose it looks more spectacular going pedal to the metal (throttle to the metal)? Also, these layout are usually much bigger than our home layouts so they get a longer run.

But cranking up the speed on a smaller home layout, often makes the train appear to be chasing it's tail, if the layout is oval in shape. I've been told that toy train motors are even geared to go faster than scale trains, at the expense of slower speeds.

I run the trains as slow as possible to increase the illusion of vast distances. Nothing against anyone running them fast; I just get dizzy seeing them spinning around the room. When they crash onto the concrete floor at breakneck speeds, however, I must admit that it is much more visually spectacular.

dave vergun

[Anonymous]

Like you, Dave, I prefer slower speeds.

The toy store down the road that carries Lionel and other stock has a TMCC layout. It's small; maybe 6x8. The train department man, though, runs the trains at something like 60 scale mph, which to me is way too fast. I generally run mine, which are all traditional, as slow as they will go, and that means around 20 smph, more or less. It varies with each locomotive, of course.

I find the high-speed approach a little nerve-wracking, but, as has been said many times in these forums, set them up and run them the way you like them.

[Roger Bielen]

I run my freights as slow as reasonable, no Oddessy, without having to fiddle with the throttle and my passenger consistes a hair faster. In prototype you usually don't see trains much over 50 mph except maybe commuters or freights in the desert.

[eZAK]

I like to run 'em slow too.

But I think they run 'em fast for the kids.

When I have kids over to watch the trains I always hear "Is that as fast as they go?"
Then I turn 'em up rather than explain proto to them.

[Anonymous]

I like them fast. Ever try running a Marx 333 or 999? Will fly right off your layout.

pax[C):-)]

[macdannyk1]

Yeah, and who ever heard of running a Pennsy Turbine at low speeds...ridiculous, I say! :)

[fjerome]

i run mine pretty slow. even the streamliners, while moving faster than the freights, are probably not doing more than 40 smph.

i especially like to run my lionmaster challenger at slow speed so the engines are out of synch...love that sound!

[:D]

[cwburfle]

Certainly. Time is money!

[Anonymous]

I run my frieghts pretty darn slow. It comes from being stuck in traffic all my life watching them grind almost in reverse! But as for my passenger service--ZOOOOOOOM!! As fast they'll take the 072 curves!

I can't wait for that Acela! I'm gonna run the flanges off the wheels!! My goal is to make it go so fast that the Lionel speed sensor on the walkover malfunctions! [:p]

[wallyworld]

When I have company over and they want to see the trains I run them at a prototypical speed so they can appreciate the realism and blah blah... Then as soon as I hear their footsteps fading away, I slowly and discretely close the door behind me and immediately lash up a GG1 to a full string of coaches and let er rip at an impossibly fantasical warp speed with the horn blaring as the wheels nearly fly off the railheads.Yeah man, look out...she's coming through on fire. Whoa, coupler broke free...damn these couplers...ooooh look out ..I'm headed for a cornfield meet with my own train...a smokin emergency stop....now! As my dazed and disoriented model passengers debark from my whirling NASA centrifuge with only a reasonable amount of serious spinal injuries, I breathe a contented sigh of relief .Another catastrophe averted. Whew.. maybe I should crazy glue these couplers together....