If you cant fit your loco(s) into the consist, your train may be too long.
If you can fit you loco(s) into the consist, but it takes every loco on your roster to pull it, your train may be too long.
If your train rear-ends itself, your train may be too long.
If your all metal Kadee couplers break under the weight of the cars, you train may be too long.
If your train derails on a straight section of track because the radius is too small, your train may bee too long.
If your train uses up both sides of your 2 track main line, and most of your branch line, you train may be too long.
When you run out the slack and the caboose doesn't follow because the coupler is on the roadbed, your train may be too long.
When your Alco engines are starting to smoke like real Alcos, your train might be too long.
If the cops in two different towns are threatening to give the same engineer a ticket for blocking crossings, your train might be too long (although this has really happened on the old N&W).
When ALL your industrial spurs and your yards are empty, your train might be too long.
Funny thread, Chip.
If you have to walk 30' to get to the other end of the train, Your train is too long.
If your cars derail on a 30" radius corner, Your train might be too long.
If your train takes up at least 3 yard tracks, Your train is too long.
If your engines burn up and catch fire on straight level track, Your train is WAY too long.
My small addition.
Mister contrarian, front and center!
galaxy wrote: If the cost of your consist exceeds the amount your wife spends on diamonds per year, your train my be too long.
If the cost of your consist exceeds the amount your wife spends on diamonds per year, your train my be too long.
One car? (an old Athearn BB, at that.)
If you cant remember why a car is in the consist, even with the aid a bill card, your train may be too long.
Nah. Your memory's too short.
If you have all your cars in one consist, and you own more than fifty, your train may be too long.
If I put all my goods wagons into one consist, it would only be about 1/4 the length of my mainline. It would also be about eight times as long as appropriate for my prototype. It all depends on the layout.
If you need more than a 6 engine lashup, your train may be too long.
Maybe. More likely, your power supply may be inadequate.
If the engine comes out of your 15' back tunnel before the caboose goes in, your train may be to long.
'Taint necessarily so. It all depends on the layout and the prototype. Of course, if my Minamijima-bound train's lead motor appears at the Haruyama Tunnel portal before the brake van disappears into the portal of the Nichigeki Tunnel it might be too long (about three scale kilometers too long!) That would be the least of the problems. There's no catenary through the Haruyama Tunnel.
On the other hand----
Yup, the train might have been too long (At least, too long for the Chrysanthemum Empire!)
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with prototypical length trains)
If the cost of your consist exceeds the amount your wife spends on diamonds per year, your train my be to long.
If you cant remember why a car is in the consist, even with the aid a bill card, your train may be to long.
If you have all your cars in one consist, and you own more than fifty, your train may be to long.
If you need more than a 6 engine lashup, your train may be to long.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
When you're unloading and loading passengers at one station, but the locomotive is stopped in front of the next station up the line.
When your rear-end helper loco looks like it's actually double-heading your lead loco.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
If your lead engine can couple with your caboose, your train might be too long.
If your engine smokes the Goo Gone off your track without moving, your train might be too long.
If you have to break your train to execute a reverse loop, your train might be too long.
If your six-unit coal drag trips the circuit breaker on your DCC unit going up a 1% grade, your train might be too long.
If you have to carry a shoe box to hold the car cards, your train might be too long.
If the engineer can mistake his own FRED for a stop signal, your train might be too long.
If you have to make more than 10 cuts to break it down in your yard, your train might be too long.
If your train sounds like it going 80 smph but moving like it's going 5 smph, your train might be too long.
If the Westbound CSX Extra 10 meets the Northbound NS Extra 904, and they are both pulled by the same engine, your train might be too long.
If you need to break your train into more than 3 pieces to get your engine behind your train to make a set out, your train might be too long.
If you have to lash more than 3 switchers together to get it into the yard, your train might be too long.
If your engine is smoking, and you ran out of that stuff you put in the smoke stack last week, your train might be too long.
If you fill the A/D track in more than one yard at the same time, your train might be too long.
If your passengers can board a train walk to the dining car and have lunch in the next station then walk to the front car and exit at their destination station and the train hasn't moved, your train might be too long.
If you have to perform a saw-by on yourself, your train might be too long.
If your occupancy detector won't let you into the next block becasue your train is still in it, your train might be too long.
If you have to do a manditory engine change before the caboose leaves the departure yard, your train might be too long.
If you can take on ice at more than two cities at the same time, your train might be too long.
If you can't get up a grade because you've trapped the helpers in their siding, your train might be too long.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.