World's Longest Model Train Record??

[Anonymous]

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]

[Anonymous]

Got me by the shorthairs.

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]

[trainfreek92]

wow!!!! should be cool to se that record. hopefully someone comes over with the information

[Fergmiester]

I'm up to 70 before calamity strikes, then its wheels, cars and cabooses everywhere!

Fergie

[joecool1212]

I was at a train show at Raritan Center NJ last year and there was a model rr club with 220 cars on a modular layout in I think N scale. Was really cool might have been Union Model N scale or somthing. Dont know if this helps. Joe A.

[coborn35]

Well, our club layout limit is around 20 (when nobody's looking.....[:-,]) so that must have been HUGE!

[lesterperry]

My record is 100 coal cars with caboose. Took it around layout about 3 or 4 times got nervus and stopped had a witness also, he couldn't believe it. I pull up to 75 cars several times during open house because it looks realy cool and it is neet when a visitor has to wait for train to pass before they can raise the lift up section to enter.

[Cthetrains]

I've seen 135 4-bay BNSF coal hoppers before..but guys..we gotta set one rule:

ORE CARS DO NOT COUNT..(I've run almost 200 ore cars at a time before..the total length was only the equivalent of MAYBE 45 or 50 heavyweight passenger coaches)..if anyone is interested, it ran smooth as glass at high speed; it also shattered like glass during high-speed cornering...thank god they landed on shag carpet...

[Tracklayer]

Funny, but I've never even thought about such a thing. I did however get in one of my odd moods and put all of my freight cars on my layout several months ago to the point that the front loco was only an inch or two from the caboose, and left it that way for a week or so until I got tired of it.

Tracklayer

[Anonymous]

I've seen 95 boxcars and 66 hoppers get moved around a layout with a 2.5% percent grade WITHOUT HELPERS many times with no problems.

[JohnT14808]

During the County Fair we had one member hook up 4 diesels pulling about 85 or 90 3bay hoopers. The train went the whole length of the main line on the upper level. He made it around once; the second time around the train started coming apart with coupler failure in a couple of places. Looked cool, but no other train could run on that line as he was moving kinda slow.

[Anonymous]

Didn't know there were records of model trains. Records of real trains, yes, but model trains? I dunno about that.

Unless you meant "World's record for the longest model train"?

Dunno that either.

[loathar]

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

[Berk-fan284]

The longest I have run is 43 box cars behind a single Rivarossi Big Boy, Challenger, Allegheny (all HO scale older Athearn B Box and Roundhouse cars), the longest I've seen is 73 cars behind a single Trix Big Boy (my brother's) without wheel spin or bogging down.

[cacole]

In the earlier part of 2005, a club somewhere in the US was advertising an attempt to construct the longest model train in, I believe, G scale to see if they could get it entered into the Guiness Book of World Records. They were asking for donations of rolling stock or money. I haven't heard any more about their efforts and whether or not they were successful. Their advertisements may have been in Garden Railways magazine.

[RedGrey62]

nkpmikado, you are correct. I cannot remember the exact amount of cars but they did use Atlas SD-35s and 2 bay hoppers. The engines were dispersed throughout the train as helpers/pushers. I remember that Atlas made a big to do about it in their advertising campaign for awhile after that happened. If I remember correctly, it was all Norfolk & Western and touted as the longest train, model or otherwise ever.

Rick

[jondrd]

[2c]
nkpmikado587, continuing a bit off the thread:

I believe MR(not in review section) had a piece about BLI demonstrating its N&W A Class articulated at a Maryland(?) show pulling 165 cars. I assume they were hopper cars.

Hmm, if true 15 N&W A Class locos would theoretically be able to pull 2,475 cars. I can envision all kinds of subclasses to a "record" in Guiness Book:
Longest train with most cost effective loco lashup.
Longest train with 50' boxcars, hopper cars, passenger cars, etc.
Longest train with whatever cars running up a 1%, 2%, 3% grade.
Longest train run on a non-club layout.
Longest train run without blowing out the local utility's substation.
Longest train run on an analog layout, longest -------on a DCC layout, etc, etc

Based upon some of the "world records" posted in Guiness the above variations on longest train are well within their sanctioning parameters. Union, NJ club may have missed being the first with an "official" record.

Jon

[Anonymous]

Photos. Need Photos.

[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.

[Cthetrains]

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

[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.

[joecool1212]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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

[rrandb]

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

[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

[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?