how long are your trains?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by george745

QUOTE: Originally posted by CoBo
Just curious, since I want to start a US modelRR, wouldn’t the powered helper derail the car's if the front locomotive’s go upgrade???

You would think so, but as long as the helper engine isn't faster than headend units you'll be fine. As the front of the train starts upgrade, The slack in the last cars will compress. Think of a spring going together. If your cars are properly weighted and you have sound track you'll be fine.
Andrew

Andrew, your right!

A real problem is the start of the train when the front of the train is in a curve - this is a thriller.
And I run the train slowly, only with 25 scale mph.

My original train was built with E&C and LBF cars - not enough weight and bad trucks. So I replaced the trucks with Kadee´s, add weight into the tubes (as low as possible) and installed Kadee 5 coupler. Than it works. Derailments are not common!
Now I replace the Bethgons into the new Athearns - better detailed, good weight and trucks. The only change are the couplers, the plastic E-Z will not handle the train weight.

[Roadtrp]

The length isn't really important. It's what you do with what you have...

[:D] [}:)] [;)]

[dragenrider]

I'm like most of you here. I have a small layout so I run small trains.

Beside, I model a short line railroad! That means short trains, right?

The branch line to the mountain top usually pulls 3-4 cars. My main line turn from the Mopac interchange to the Millers Cove yard is almost always 8-9 cars. That's the length of the interchange track and about all my poor little switch engines can handle.

A good operating session is to collect the branch line cars, trundle slowly down the mountain and switch the industries at Millers Cove. Then I form a new train with the prior branch line cars and the new additions from Miller Cove and head off to the Mopac interchange. I switch there and reverse the process.

It takes about an hour and can be loads of fun. Plus, I have small cars and engines for the 1960's and GP-x's and modern cars for the 1980's.

Short trains can be fun! [:D][:D]

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by twhite

I've got a fairly extensive model railroad (24'x24') and fairly wide-radius curves (34" min) and the occasional 2.4% grade, just like Donner Pass. I usually try and run about 20-30 cars (HO) on reefer trains and expidited freights. Peddler freights and locals usually run about 5-10 cars, and passenger trains are about 7-10 cars. Unless I'm using an articulated, I usually have to double-head my locos to get the longer trains to the summit. I've even done a triple-header (BLI locos) and brother, was THAT noisy!

twhite, you mentioned you have 2 brass DM&IR 2-8-8-4s. In what color? Green, gray, or black?

[Anonymous]

Typically, 18-22 car freight trains. 8-10 car passenger trains.

[EL PARRo]

For passenger trains I have 4-6 cars, and for freight, 8-12, depending on the size of the cars.

[Anonymous]

well due to the size of my staging area (small) and the small yard area my trains vary from 4-8 cars. passenger trains typically will be 3-4 harriman cars, 2-3 full length cars otherwise.

my last layout 10x20 ran trains of 30-50 cars, 8 is hard to handle after that. ha

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CoBo
Just curious, since I want to start a US modelRR, wouldn’t the powered helper derail the car's if the front locomotive’s go upgrade???

You would think so, but as long as the helper engine isn't faster than headend units you'll be fine. As the front of the train starts upgrade, The slack in the last cars will compress. Think of a spring going together. If your cars are properly weighted and you have sound track you'll be fine.
Andrew

[AggroJones]

The BLI Cab-forward, she's back, and moving 34 cars through 24" radius curves without struggle. [8D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bigboy4015

Coaltrain: 130 Bethgons (with a powered KATO SD70MAC helper at the rear [:D])

Just curious, since I want to start a US modelRR, wouldn’t the powered helper derail the car's if the front locomotive’s go upgrade???
Was thinking of myself to use dummy's but can find any apart of some Altearns. so thought about taking out the engines of some of my Kato's and Atlas locs.
But reading your comment, maybe it’s not necessary to do so.
Thx for your reply in advance
Kind regards
Cor

[Anonymous]

On my HO Eastern RR, I run 7 or 8 passenger cars and 17 to 19 freght cars

[Anonymous]

Coaltrain: 130 Bethgons (with a powered KATO SD70MAC helper at the rear [:D])
Freighttrains: 40 - 70 cars
Passengertrains: up to 20 cars but most of them: 4 - 10 cars

And I agree with Big_Boy_4005: To start the coaltrain is a real job! I control the layout with a computer control system from Gahler&Ringstmeyer

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by markpierce

What a silly topic. Much more interesting would be describing difficulties in operating longer trains and efforts to increase their length while avoiding derailments.

I disagree, this is a very interesting topic, because it shows that most modelers don't run looooooooooooooooooooong trains during regular operations. It's fun to do once in a while for shows and such, but it isn't really practical.

It isn't easy to run long trains, they start to have many of the problems real trains have. Have you ever gone to emergency with 50 or more cars behind the engine? That many cars have real momentum, and they pile up accordian style, just like the prototype.[swg]

[darth9x9]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kbfcsme

Our club typically runs general freights in the 30-70 car length, but coal drags up to 114 cars. Passengers usually average about 6-10 cars.

Correction: at the last show, we ran a 128 car coal drag.

QUOTE: Originally posted by markpierce

What a silly topic. Much more interesting would be describing difficulties in operating longer trains and efforts to increase their length while avoiding derailments.

The recipe is simple:
1. Kadee couplers (using a Kadee coupler height guage)
2. Properly weighted cars according to NMRA RPs
3. Metal wheel sets
4. Good trackwork.

Yes, it takes time to do the above four things but the rewards are awesome!

[markpierce]

What a silly topic. Much more interesting would be describing difficulties in operating longer trains and efforts to increase their length while avoiding derailments.

[Anonymous]

Our club typically runs general freights in the 30-70 car length, but coal drags up to 114 cars. Passengers usually average about 6-10 cars.

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by baelbouga

A friend of mine runs PRR mainline during the late Steam-Diesel Transition years. In a good and busy operating session of 8 people, we have 2 yards working full time, and 6 mainline trains operating. Each mainline train is 80 to 100 cars in length with 3 to 4 engines pulling. Occasionally, we have to run pusher services to get up some of the grades. You can bet that the wheels and couples are monitored closely for any issues.

Great! When can I come over? [;)]

[Big_Boy_4005]

I'm planning a huge layout that will have the capacity for well over 1000 cars in O scale. The mainline alone will be over 600 feet. The trains however will be fairly short, 8 -10 cars. I could try to run 50 car trains, but there would be no place to put them.

[Anonymous]

My normal mainline run is a WM F7 ABA and 30 cars. Box, coal, cvrd hoppers, caboose.
My passenger train is a WM 462 3 coaches, and 1 baggage, and at time a box. Now I am running in actual miles (35). Straight runs are 34 feet. I have attempted more but at times they tend to want to fall over on sharper curves.

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine runs PRR mainline during the late Steam-Diesel Transition years. In a good and busy operating session of 8 people, we have 2 yards working full time, and 6 mainline trains operating. Each mainline train is 80 to 100 cars in length with 3 to 4 engines pulling. Occasionally, we have to run pusher services to get up some of the grades. You can bet that the wheels and couples are monitored closely for any issues.

[Anonymous]

Mine is branch line operations so I don't run anything greater than 10. 8 or less seems to be the most common number.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Roadtrp

My passenger trains are usually 4 cars plus a locomotive; my freights are usually 8-10 cars plus a loco. I've run my freights at 18 cars, but it just doesn't look realistic on my 3-1/2 x 7 'N' scale layout...

I have the same issue on my 2 1/2' x 5' N layout. I've run up to 20 cars around for kicks on a rare occasion, but normal operations have never seen a train get more than 10 cars, normally seven or so. They are also predominantly 40' or less for the same reason.

---jps

[IRONROOSTER]

My railroad was planned to run 13 car (40') trains plus caboose and engine. I can run longer trains but they won't fit the staging tracks.
Enjoy
Paul

[AggroJones]

12-15 on average. 20 car trains on my layout is pushing the limits of looking okay since it will take up 37% of the line. But sometimes I'll run 35-40 car freight, kinda like a loco tester special (it almost touches its own caboose). I've discovered a new Rivarossi FEF without tires will move 41 cars. She slips at first, then it gets moving. My AC-5 is still slowly being weathered, so I haven't had a chance to see what she can do yet.

[jfugate]

The longest passing sidings and the yard tracks (both on the layout and in staging) on my HO Siskiyou Line are 18 feet long, which works out to about 25 HO cars (50 foot cars) plus head end power (3 units) and the cab on the back.

We're talking the 1980s SP here, so sometimes I'll run trains as long as 35 cars, but then any opposing train can't be longer than 18 feet or you can't pass at the sidings. And the extra long train will have to take two yard tracks (you split the train in two -- called "doubling" the yard).

[Anonymous]

Let's see passenger trains would be 4 cars and maybe a boxcar for 5

Freight trains would be no more than 15, although i have tested up to 30, just for fun.

[Roadtrp]

My passenger trains are usually 4 cars plus a locomotive; my freights are usually 8-10 cars plus a loco. I've run my freights at 18 cars, but it just doesn't look realistic on my 3-1/2 x 7 'N' scale layout.

[johncolley]

Before we had to dismantle our club layout I was running my 14 car Empire Builder pulled by a pair of BLI E-7's and a 60+car freight pulled by Stewart FT ABBA combo all powered. That was on 24" min.rad.(most larger), and 2% max grades. I will be curious to see what the Stewart FT's will do now that I have converted 3 units to DCC and gutted a B unit to fill with sound, but our layout is history and I have nowhere around here to run them.

[simon1966]

We usually run about 15 to 20 cars at the most. The other day I wandered into the train room and found that my boys (4 and 7) had hooked up a train that went around the entire layout room and was about 2" shy of hooking up on its tail. With about 60 feet in the loop this was the longest we will ever run. The only snag, they had this being pulled by my Atlas S2....... Lets just say it wasn't going anywhere.