World's Longest Model Train Record??

[Anonymous]

the longest train i've run was a 30 car mixed freight and all the cars had non free rolling wheels(they pull hard) power was an Atlas U33C and a b-b GP38-2 both engines worked hard pulling that over the hill (maybe 0.5% grade) i ran it 10 minutes and had a nasty derailment a few cars hit the floor and shattered

[dxr8007nz]

QUOTE: Originally posted by loathar

I saw a 100 car N gauge coal drag about 10 years ago. (4 locos) I thought that was pretty cool.

[?] 4 of locomotive how many of unpower ( Dummy ) and power too ?
I try to put 2x locomotive power but too much feed power doesn't go fast enough

[Anonymous]

120 at the show my club was at last june...... Thats the most i've seen.... Had to lead engines... I believe they were Atlas... GP 60's? I'm probably wrong on that one!

[Leon Silverman]

Running a long train does NOT require an absolutely level track. In fact this would help the situation. I had a layout with an over and under loop on it. This was located in a basement space approximately 15 feet square (HO). As I added cars to the train, I naturally had to add locomotives to the front of the train, but only up to a point. Beyond this point, I could ad cars to the back of the train without adding locomotives to the front.
This reason for this "critical train length" was that part of the train was always decending a grade and another portion of the train is always ascending the grade. When this point was reached, adding more cars to the train did not increase the drag. The train length is then limited to the point where the lead locomotive also becomes the lead helper unit because it is simultaneouly pulling the train in front and pushing it from behind.

[John Busby]

Hi James
Is that Hamersly or Mt Newman.
At one time AMRA west Aus division had the record for the worlds longest
Model train.
I believe they took it off the US it actualy made it on to the TV news the day it was done .
I heard that the US took it back the following year
But it looks like the Germans have it now
regards John

[james saunders]

the worlds longest real train, was run by bhp iron ore here in australia, cant recall how long about 6 miles. OZJIM

[joecool1212]

WOW Now I'm A believer

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by KenMattern


http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/data/cms/en/256/&action=show&wb_nr=253



Now it is OFFICIAL!!!! It is documented but read for yourself:

Guinness World Records Certificate

The longest model train measured 103.59m and consisted of 584 cars and was constructed at Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany, on 19 October 2004.

KJ

That does settle this, though I'm not sure how that managed to eclipse the previous record. As for those club layout records in HO and N that have been mentioned, they may indeed have topped what Guinness published, but are as such unofficial.

[KenMattern]

http://www.miniatur-wunderland.de/data/cms/en/256/&action=show&wb_nr=253



Now it is OFFICIAL!!!! It is documented but read for yourself:

Guinness World Records Certificate

The longest model train measured 103.59m and consisted of 584 cars and was constructed at Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany, on 19 October 2004.

KJ

[bn7026]

A few years ago the world record was set on a layout called Arid Australia (HO) at a local train show. I don't remember the number of cars or locos but there is a framed acknoledgement of the record by "Guinness". I can try to track down the exact figures but it may be a week or two before I get to the club again.

Regards
Tim

[DSchmitt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cnw4001

I would like to know if any of these records were on anything other than straight track and how far did they move the cars?

The 950 car N scale train I posted about earlier was on 7+ scale mile oval, and ran for over 3 hours traveling over 90 scale miles without a derailment or separation..

[Anonymous]

Well now we have a more to go on here. If the O-Scale guys did 700 plus then that is quite a feat in of itself. I wonder if Guiness would allow the auto coupler feature to be disabled?

As I recall the HO Scale exercise, the train was run over the outer loop then in place on the New Jersey club layout and the track was not flat and did have curves although they were the broadest curves on their layout. I think they made 3 complete loops in order to qualify for the record.

Today if the layout is large enough, 500 plus cars could be accomplished with the use of DCC although unless the track is perfectly flat, one would still need multiple engineers to control the train in order to control the slack. Metal couplers(Kadee 148's or 58's) metal wheels and NMRA car weight and track standards(maybe Proto87 track?)
would need to followed also.

So do we have any takers besides my group?

[lesterperry]

Someone mentioned the real train world record as 500 cars in WVa. If I have been told correctly WVa passed a law many years ago limiting trains to 250 cars. The reason was C&O and N&W were tieing up RR crossings to long. Emergency vehicles could not get where they needed to be. A 250 car coal drag doesn't move very fast. This 500 car train may have been the one to cause this to happen.

[ben10ben]

As I recall, one of the requirements being discussed for the new O gauge attempt was that the operating feature of all of the couplers used must be disabled. This is usually done by wrapping a twist-tie or some other such device around the operating part of the coupler. Otherwise, you'd probably never get the train moving without having at least one coupler open.

[joecool1212]

Some people must spend alot of time with there freight cars to just keep them coupled, I get 48 cars together and somewhere a coupler will ride up or down and disconnect the whole thing! When the engine is only a few inches from the rear of the train BAM!@##$%%^ its all over the floor in less than a second. Oh well at least its fun putting them back together. Joe A.

[eeyore9900]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nkpmikado587

I seem to recall that back in the late 70's/early 80's there was a club that set the world record for the longest model train. I remember reading about it in one of the model railroad magazines but the The Model Train Magazine Index draws a blank on the topic.

If I recall correctly, I think it was The Model Railroad Club, Inc. of Union,NJ that set the record.

Again going on memory, they set the record with around 525 2 bay Atheran hopper cars with Atlas SD-35's as power. Something like it took 15 locos or more to move this massive train!

Any information or leads will be appreciated.[:D]

As I recall, it was in 1979/80 when this occurred. At the time (& I do remember this) the world record for the longest "real" train was 500 cars, on an N&W coal drag between the Williamson, W.Va. area, & Columbus, Ohio. I don't remember the total # of engines, but they did use helpers either in the middle or interspersed in the train.
It was the Model Railroad Club in NJ that successfully ran an HO train of 501cars, 11 engines (I'm pretty sure) & 2-bay coal hoppers. It was supposedly accepted by Guinness as a new world record, & MRC used a photo of it in an ad in MR, for that was the power pack that was used.
I guess I could go digging in the attic to find the issue, but I don't feel that masochistic this evening!

[cnw4001]

I would like to know if any of these records were on anything other than straight track and how far did they move the cars?

[steveblackledge]

Dito, rrandb with space at a premium i'd use ore cars, it would be a bit more difficult to run hundreds of well cars, have you seen these lean on corners when you run 30 plus, scary stuff, ore cars rule

[rrandb]

When did ore cars not count??? I missed that in the Guiness rules. [:P]

[trainfreek92]

my layout is still under construction so i have to admit the most i have run on my own layout is 10 cars!!!!!!!!!!! but as i stated my railroad is under construction and is no were near completion

[canazar]

Our club here in Phoenix isa modular one. We have had layouts setup that will easliy reach 250-300 feet of mainline. At Rail Fair last year 2 guys got together and ran a 230+ coal car train. The coal cars were the modern type. There were 4 Kato SD90 on point, and 4 other units in the middle. They got it around quite a few times with lots of witnesses. And for those doign the math, there wasnt a whole lot of emtpy track left. it was pretty amazing.

[DSchmitt]

At the November 1982 "International Railfar" in Roseville CA on a special "long run layout" 778 N scale cars were pulled 28 scale miles by three locomotives, Jim FitzGeralds custom made "U60 Cotton Brute" (made from two Mitrix U30 chassis) weighing 24 oz and two custom made FP45's (modified Minitrix U28 mechanisms) each weighing 11 oz. The locos were all at the head end and there wasn't room to add more cars.

At the "1983 N Scale Convention" in Houston TX a larger layout was set up. The "Cotton Brute" alone pulled 550 hopper cars. Eventually a 950 car train ran for 3 hours around the 7.58 scale mile loop (over 90 scale miles) The number of locos is not stated, but they were probably the same 3 used at Roseville. With 950 cars the nose of the lead engine was only a few inches from the caboose.

The real record, however, probably belongs to an HO club that ran an 1000+ car train on their club layout. They distributated stock HO locomotives throughout the train. There was an article about this feat in either Model Railroader or Railroad Model Craftsman.

[Anonymous]

Vaguely related, can anyone else remember reading about the longest continuous run by a model train? I think it was set by an Athearn loco and 4 passenger cars, though I'd be amazed if no manufacturers have tried to break it.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ben10ben

The records is 700 and some odd cars pulled by 18 locomotives in O gauge. There have been talks amongst the o-gaugers to try and break this record.

Ding, Ding, Ding, well done Ben. To my knowledge that is still the record. The cars used in setting it were normal Lionel cars, with a number of different paint schemes. After setting the record they were heat stamped for authentification.

Keep in mind, the larger the scale the more space needed. The requirement is that the train travel it's own length under it's own power to qualify. So anyone wanting to attempt such a feat better have a long flat area to set up the track. I seriously doubt that this record could be broken using the smaller scales. Imagine the drawbar tension!!!!

I once considered attempting this at the Mall of America as a publicity stunt, so I investigated the requirements. The plan was to set up a quarter mile circle. It never happened though.

[joecool1212]

700!!!!!!!!!!! Where do you have the space for 700 cars all connected together??????Joe A.

[ARTHILL]

I thought 34 coal cars pulled by my Mountain and assisted by my Sierra up my 5% grade was pretty good. Later I switched to a diesel, the Sierra didn't like to back up to put the cars in the yard.

[Cthetrains]

700!!!?????..dear god..if they try to break that, let me know..I GOTTA SEE IT!!!

[ben10ben]

The records is 700 and some odd cars pulled by 18 locomotives in O gauge. There have been talks amongst the o-gaugers to try and break this record.

[Anonymous]

Photos. Need Photos.