locomotive lashups

[ClinchValleySD40]

Mainline trains = 3 locos, 25 cars and cab. Branchline trains = 2 locos, 15 cars and cab. Staging trains = 2 locos, either 25 or 15 cars and cab. Locals can have 1 or 2 locos and anything up to 15 cars and cab.
All power consists are mix/match with whatever is available, one of the great beauties of DCC, easy consisting.

[rf16a]

I have a small layout (4x8) with no grades so I only need to run one loco on a train, but I generally run two if diesel and one if steam.

[Anonymous]

Usually I run 2, 3, or 4 units together at a time. Mix and match Alco and EMD road units together, most are Kato, Atlas or Stewart units.[:D] Athearn units run in all-Athearn consists.[:)] Switchers usually run singly.[:D] P2k units (when they run)run by themselves.[:(]
Steam is another story. Doubleheaded steam runs best, but depending on how well I match the speed curves, determines who rides with who.(m?) [%-)]

[Anonymous]

How can you la***wo locomotives together without derailing the one in front?

[Anonymous]

Since I have a rather small layout I run one locomotive.

[Anonymous]

2 the limt for my layout. I am allowed to run 3 at my club but i don't have enough power that is the same manufactuer.

[GDRMCo]

My fleet is now GE AC4400CWs and C44-9Ws.

[Anonymous]

Since I run primarily 4-5 business/excursion trains, I use two powered units back to back. I will mix power just as the real railroads do.
Ch

[Anonymous]

I will usually run 1 engine for a switching job. 2-3 for freight or 4 engines for a ABBA F-unit lashup. And 4-2 engines for passengers.

[Anonymous]

If I'm not pulling, a 30 or more car consist, with my Allegheny, FEF-3 or K5a Hudson I have to double or triple head my Pacifics, Mountains and/or Mikes as it is a hard old go up the 6% grade out of Musquodoboit and into the Mooselands.

[Anonymous]

I am modeiling the SP line over Beaumont hill so i run anywhere from 4 to 10 locomotives on a train. thats one of the reasons that i model that line. very long trains and tons of locomotives.

i have mostly EMD units, but there are a few GE's. in my time period, the C44-9W's are just starting to show up. then there are still some B -7 units and and B -8's

[johncolley]

Mainline freights are 4 units (Stewart FT's) and a really long one will have 2 more units 2/3 way back. Local freights get 2 GP7's or SD9's. My 15 car streamliner gets 2E7's Empire Builder. All my power is green and orange GN. also have 2 EMD and 1 Baldwin yard switcher. johncolley tholcapn

[Anonymous]

The number of units in the consist for me depend on what train I'm pulling. The longer the train, the more engines. Also, the heavier the train type, the more engines. I normally top out at 6 or so, but have gone over that with helper operations. My previous layout had some fairly steap grades and helpers were generally necessary, and fun to model ;)

I run a shortline as well (WCRC) and like many shortlines, since they have older and less reliable motive power, this short runs two engines on all main line runs in case one doesn't make it. I love having a short line as it adds a great deal of smaller operations and diversity to your layout.

About the only time I run single locos is for switch operations. I generally use one or two SW1200s or SW1500s and on occasion older EMD power such as a SD9.

When I run steam they are almost always single engine runs. If I do double head a train, they are of like types. eg. Two Pacifics, or two Big Boys (my favorite to watch)

I only have about 20 steam engines as I model mostly the early-mid 90s, but I love trains of all eras.

As for mixing Diesel types, I do, but I try to follow the prototypes to some degree here such as running AC units together, etc. I have about 75% EMD power, the rest being GE. My primary Class 1 railroad is the UP, but I also model BNSF, some Montana Rail Link, and even some Soo (even though they are wholly owned by CPR since 1990).

My Dad runs transition era, and for his diesels has about 60% EMD (mostly F units and GPs), 30% Alco (mostly RS-1s and RS-3s), and 10% GE (early U-boats he likes). He runs NP and SP&S. He runs mostly consists of two or three. He has quite a lot of steam and generally runs them singly.

Warren

[BNSFNUT]

I run two units most the time but some times run 3 four axel units on some of my intermodel and auto trains. With the size trains I run on my layout 2 six axel units look about right. I also run two GP38s on my branch local.

[Anonymous]

I usually have just one on my trains, but sometimes I doublehead. For quite a while I used to have a really long CN frieght running on my layout pulled by 3 and then 4 units, but not anymore.

[Anonymous]

I'll use one GP40-2 for locals, and the rest of the trains would be powered by two units.

[AltonFan]

Two units are enough to make the point. (Sorry.) They give the impression of multi-unit diesel operations, without taking up too much precious space. With cab units, I might use three to allow the use of a B-unit, and not have to turn the locomotives.

Of course, with steam, one unit is sufficient.

[Anonymous]

It depends on what I am trying to run. If it is a peddler freight it gets one smaller unit, like a GP7, RS3 or maybe a switcher. If I am trying to run an ore drag I put up to 5 CC units on it, generally ALCO Centuries or GE U-boats. I mix up all of my locos except for the Baldwins, they run only with other Baldwins. But ALCOs, GEs, FMs, and EMDs all run in any combination I want.

[Anonymous]

I tend to run lashups as and when I need to - for example, I have a lengthy modern intermodal train (so far it has an Athearn 3-unit drawbar double stack, an Athearn Gunderson Maxi-III 5-unit double stack, a couple of the Walthers 5-unit spine cars and a 5-unit Athearn Impack, I'm looking to add another Maxi-III and maybe one of the Walthers drawbar-coupled 3-unit sets designed to take 53' containers). This needs more than one loco, so it usually has an Athearn AC4400, a Bachmann Dash 8, and (hopefully) will soon have an Athearn Dash 9 as motive power. Interestingly enough, my Proto 1000 C-Liner A and B units have no trouble with the train!

[Hawks05]

will be running single locomotives until i can finally purchase more and get my layout done.

[AggroJones]

The layout isn't really big enough to warrant lash ups, but occasionally I doubled head a GP38-2 and GP40-2. Also the F3A sometimes run with its B unit. I don't double head the steamers.

[Anonymous]

It'd be a lot of fun putting a challenger behind a big boy and watching them haul a long frieght. But sadly none of thease are mine.......oh well.........I still have lots of fun with my 0-6-0.

[vw-bug]

The old Timber rails only had one to two locos any way. The only time the were lashed up was when the other had broken down. I do however do a nice little SD75M lash up on my uncles basement Layout. He uses DCC and wow that stuff really helps get the loco's looking great along with rather long almost realist train lengths.

[bluepuma]

PA/B, E8A/B, F7A/B, the others didn't look right with one loco, GP9, GP38, SD45, SD35, SD50, SD60M or SD70M, so started getting pairs, after trying to get a second SD35 and SD60M, got the P42 in a set. Want the last paint, so one more, but plan more locos per set, they never run the same, even run in together as a set. Usually don't need the power, a dummy would be fine, but the single GP9 doesn't have enough weight in N. Steam is too light also, small switchers too light. Does it count that my first trains were lash ups of 3-4 Pacific Electric cars? I may do a singe RSD1.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

On my old home layout 1-2 units.At the club I use 4-5 units in a locomotive CONSIST. I use ALCOS,EMDS and GEs in a locomotive CONSIST.

Hint its locomotive CONSIST not LASHUP.

Hello Larry;
Hope you are well.
May I assume that Lash LaRue's real first name was "Con" ?[;)][;)]
Regards
Mike[:D]

[CBQ_Guy]

Well I put two on the survey but the amount I actually am planning to use on the layout will vary from one to four, with two or three being typical. It will depend on the type of train.

I am in the room prep and planning stages of a section of a mainline, class one RR with a proto-freelanced rural branch of the class one. The main will have various trains passing through and, depending on what they are, will have one to four engines, as mentioned previously. A short transfer or caboose hop will have one engine, for example, where a full blown large through freight or coal drag from out west will have three or possibly even four locos. Mostly EMD units though a couple U-Boats mixed in as was typical for my prototype in the era I am modeling (late 1960's).

The branch will typically have one or two GP 7/9's on the short branchline trains plieing those rails, while the branch's coal trains are planned to be powered by three SD7/9's.

[METRO]

for my GO Transit layout the top end on the commuters is 2 units and that is still pretty rare. On the CN freight trains though I run at most 3 and usually they are all of the same model make as that is usually the determining factor, not prototype builder.

[detting]

There is nothing like a pair of K-4s pulling a passenger train around the layout. The Pennsy did not have to many ALCOs (steam) but favored Baldwins and power built in their own Juniata Shops. As for Diesels, I run a pair of Baldwins sharks. I would run more in the set, but I need to get some B-units.

Later...

[BRAKIE]

On my old home layout 1-2 units.At the club I use 4-5 units in a locomotive CONSIST. I use ALCOS,EMDS and GEs in a locomotive CONSIST.

Hint its locomotive CONSIST not LASHUP.