Trains, not slot cars!...

[Tracklayer]

Hi gang.

I've had more than one friend or family member over to see my layout that insisted that I was running my trains "way too slow". The fact is I run my trains at scale speed (as best I can guess) between 35 to 50 mph depending on whether it's a steam loco or diesel. Anyways, I keep having to remind these folks that these are trains not slot cars. I do admit however that once in a great while I might goose them up to a much higher speed just for fun but only let them run that way for just a few seconds.

Tracklayer  

 

[Master of Big Sky Blue]

I thought it would be a neat Idea if I could findt he room to build a Race Way on my layout and demonstrate the differences in scale speed. But like all those others nice to haves it often gets cut out. Besides With all my model air planes an air plane museum would get squeesed in first.

James

[alfadawg01]

I run mine basically at prototypical speeds but I like to run just the locomotives at full speed after I've serviced them to shake out the cobwebs.  

Do you have them tow a track cleaner to pick up the cobwebs?

[loathar]

You mean "coal drags" aren't supposed to be a race??

[Hoople]

I run trains at scale speeds. I do like to rev up with a passenger sometimes, or get to a nice clip. I've tried flooring it in my genesis challenger on DCC, but I stopped accellerating at 2/3 full throttle, it was going pretty fast then and I slowed it down before (I thought) it would tip over.

That engine can get going pretty fast.

 

[tomikawaTT]

Back in the day, the NYC and PRR did have informal drag races on their parallel mains eastbound from Chicago.  IIRC, the PRR K-4 could out-accelerate a NYC Hudson, but the Hudson would win out with a higher top speed.  (Yes, Matilda, a bigger firebox does make a difference!)

Of course, Art Arfons (or a ten year old on a bicycle) could whup both their butts in 1/4 mile from a standing start.

As for my layout, the JNR has a 70kph speed limit, plus permanent speed restrictions on some of its curves - and the area I model has more curves than a Hawaiian Tropic competition.  Anyone who doesn't like that is welcome to model the Shinkansen, TGV, maglev or a NHRA drag strip in their own garage.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - at prototype speed)

[Nagrom1]

 I know what you mean. I like to "burn out the carbon" every now and again, but, if I were to max my locos out, it would take about 10 seconds to cover the loop, so I don't do that often. It is too depressing...

[ChrisNH]

When I was a kid I always wanted the Tyco slot car track section that was also an HO railroad crossing. Then you could loop an HO train around and your slot car could try to beat the train.. what awesome racing! Probably not a good lesson in crossing grade safety. I never did get it.

 

Chris 

[Tracklayer]

When I was a kid I always wanted the Tyco slot car track section that was also an HO railroad crossing. Then you could loop an HO train around and your slot car could try to beat the train.. what awesome racing! Probably not a good lesson in crossing grade safety. I never did get it.

 

Chris 

It seems like I remember those. I also recall a car and track set where in the commercial they show cars jumping an HO train, one from each direction.

Tracklayer

[loathar]

You mean this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YngIuQoBRIs

With Dare Devil Jump! I love the fact that it has a slot car controller instead of a power pack!

[BCSJ]

When asked the #1 most frequently asked question about my trains "How fast do they go?" the correct answer is "Much faster than they should!".

All John Astin (played Gomez Addams in the TV show The Addams Family) impersonators will be asked to leave the train dungeon forthwith.

Regards,

Charlie Comstock 

[Autobus Prime]

I run mine basically at prototypical speeds but I like to run just the locomotives at full speed after I've serviced them to shake out the cobwebs.  

Do you have them tow a track cleaner to pick up the cobwebs?

a:

I do that! Not for cobwebs, but dust.   I let a Lifelike F7 run for an half-hour or so at breakneck speed, towing the cleaning car.

Another amusing game I sometimes play out of madness is to take a couple of warp-driven switchers (a Lima 0-4-0 and an old Tyco Plymouth) and then run both on the same pack at maximum speed.  The trick, since they have slightly different speeds (antimatter vs. interphase, I suppose) is to select one or the other of two different-length routes in the double-track section (half is single).  Good way to polish the track adn blow off steam.

 

[saronaterry]

When asked the #1 most frequently asked question about my trains "How fast do they go?" the correct answer is "Much faster than they should!".

All John Astin (played Gomez Addams in the TV show The Addams Family) impersonators will be asked to leave the train dungeon forthwith.

Regards,

Charlie Comstock 

I get the Gomez question all the time !! "do ya crash'm inta each other?" AAHHH no, do you drive your Big boat directly up on shore?

Terry

[jeffrey-wimberly]

One layout I built years ago had a race track on it painted gray on which scale size trucks (with trailers) were running at a scale 55 mph. This gave guests a real good comparison between the speed of the trucks and that of the trains.

[Bapou]

Hoople, you could try to set some CVs for top mid andlow speed. Your engine should start creeping at spped step 1, and have a scale max speed.

[Texas Zepher]

I've got the opposite problem my new Proto-2000 F7s for the Empire Builder aren't fast enough.  I can't get them over 69 smph.   It is sort of sad to see the Empire Builder get thrashed by the NCL going by at 105.

[Tilden]

  I run DCC and had a work associate over one night who wanted to run the trains.  It didn't take long to discover what he meant was "I want to see how fast they can go.
  MY girlfriends older boy is also a speed freak with the Thomas locos..
  Needless to say, after a couple eposides I programed all the locos to top out at scale speed.  All new diesels are set to whatever the prototype top speed is.  Mostly that's between 70 and 75 mph.
  If people want speed, I pull out a passenger train like the Zephyr, which is set to 112 smph.  (then I run a freight train and they have to slowdown til a passing siding anyway )

Tilden

[AltonFan]

I once had a guy at a train show try to sell me some Minitrix 2-10-0s (the ones with the K-4 shell on a European chassis), by telling me they were some of the fastest N scale engines he owned...

[reklein]

You can go faster with superelevation,and good trackwork.

[Paul Milenkovic]

When I invite my wife to an operating session, I sometimes have to figure out how to ask her to slow down.

[Paul Milenkovic]

At last Novermber's Milwaukee TrainFest, one group had a layout with tinplate O-gauge set up as "slotcars", and kids lined up to take their turn "drag racing" on that setup.

I think it is great that someone thought to do it because 1) it was a great draw and attention getter, 2) it allowed people to get the racing-steam engines thing out of their system so the rest of the exhibits could operate the normal way.

[dinwitty]

just model the Shinkansen...

 

if you can find an original Athearn Hustler with rubberband drive, they topped at 400smph...

 

[Medina1128]

Years ago, I remember that the Aurora slot cars had a section of track that had slot car track that crossed with a section of HO train track.

[SteamFreak]

You mean this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YngIuQoBRIs

With Dare Devil Jump! I love the fact that it has a slot car controller instead of a power pack!

No, I think they're talking about this...

HO slot car and train set all in one FUN

...which looks more like something the Smash Lab team could handle.

 

[steemtrayn]

How popular would slot cars be if THEY had to operate at scale speeds?

[Medina1128]

Yeah, what's wrong with you? Everyone knows that a bordello is a lumber store in Mexico...

[MisterBeasley]

I occasionally crank the speed up, but it's really just to check for derailment-prone spots on the track.  Of course, you need to do this with each engine and car, all the way around the main, to be thorough.  As others have said, it's a bit depressing when the train gets around the loop in a few seconds, especially when the train itself covers a quarter of the length of the loop!

I've got one of those old Athearn Hustlers.  Somewhere on the project list is to replace the belt drive with the Ernst gear set.

[ICRR1964]

I rememeber my first layout, and what happened when a freind of mine came over for play time. I had a Lima 0-4-0 tanker switcher, this thing I think could reach 200 mph scale speed. We were running trains, had to main line tracks and he wanted to race under my protest. The Lima was pulling a short coal drag of 10 cars or so, and the throttle I was operating had a small AHM 0-6-0 pulling some freight. My buddy decided to crank up the throttle on his in a starit away, but it grew wings and missed the 22'' radius curve and shot right in front of my loco and cars. Both loco's and cars went over the side and to the concrete, with chunks of plastic flying threw the air. LOL! I was mad, and he decided his mother was calling and went home!

I still everyonce in awhile get some one who thinks that fast is more fun, they never think about it when they see box cars leaning themselves hard to the point of one side of the wheels are coming off the track in curves.

[nyc4me]

remember, also, it just might be an illusion of going too slow. the more telphone poles or spaced trees and the like there are, the more it seems to be hustling right along!

[IRONHORSE77]

I don't think a Athearn Hustler would stay on the track if it was banked anything less than 90 degrees.

Chuck