passenger or freight ?

[Anonymous]

The layout here is dominated by freight trains. I tend to favor freight as passengers cars are so long and bulky. They look rediculous on my curves. [:(]
If it were up to me, I'd have 3 sets of passenger trains. so sleek and stylish. I'm especially fond of mail trains.

[CP5415]

Both here!

While my layout once again takes a second seat to everything else in my life, I'm continually improving my ideas & rolling stock for my layout.

After selling most of my Rivarossi fleet a couple of years ago because I was thinking about not having any passenger trains along comes Walthers making almost everything I ever wanted in the way of passenger cars, so passenger trains are now part of my railroad emipre again.
I'm in the middle of a large passenger car purchase. I've bought 15 out of 19 passenger cars I've ordered this year.

How's this for one consist?

Proto 2000 ALCO D&H PA #17, 2 Walthers D&H Stainless Fluted sided 52 seat Budd Coach & a Walthers D&H Budd Dome Coach.
Wow 300' of stainless steel. WOO HOO!

As for freight op's, I'm also re-arranging my track plan to make it more of a challenge to operate both types of trains.
I don't want to make it too easy for myself!

Just my 2 cents

Gordon

[Anonymous]

Passenger trains look better, but switching frieght and running fastclocks is awesome. I like them both the same. I run both kinds of trains on my layout.

[PennsyHoosier]

I live by a line that has both passenger and freight service. Not surprisingly, I model both passenger and freight service. Seems to me that passenger service is like the icing on the cake. You don't need to have it, but it makes the cake better.

[TrainFreak409]

I would prefer to model both passenger and freight on a layout to have the maximum fun and challenger, but, I like freight better. I believe that freight has more possibilities. There is more of a variety with freight cars than there is passenger. Plus, on a freight layout, you can branch off the main to an unlimited number of industrial sidings, and then switching yards, and so on. Then you have train length. Freights can easily exceed 100 cars, passengers don't. When I get my layout up and running, it will be devoted mainly to freight, but of course I have to have one or two passenger trains. Not to mention the Bowman Business Train.[:D]

~[8]~ TrainFreak409 ~[8]~

[Anonymous]

I forgot to mention the commuter cars. I like to string half a dozen of them together too.
Ken

[Anonymous]

I love the long brightly painted passenger cars of the 50's that serviced the big cities. The C B & Q with the polished stainless steel cars was an awsome sight in the bright sunlight.
Now I see old faded box cars on the siding and I cry.
Ken

[Nieuweboer]

Passenger and commuter trains take up too much room on my lauyout, so I stick to local freights. However I have a jewel of a small brass Consolidation,t the original Ma&Pa, and a couple of wooden coaches and lo there's my tourist train. The tourist can also choose my doodlebug and some of them do. So there's some passenger traffic after all.

[eastcoast]

I am currently working to wire my freight line so all of
my layout will fully operate. Soon will be able to really
focus on scenery full time.

[krump]

has anyone ever put cattle INSIDE the passenger dome cars etc. I'm gonna do that for just one passenger car (dining car ?) and wait for reactions... call it the Great Escape [:o)]

[Anonymous]

Passenger trains rule! I don't mind an occasional freight, but watching a passenger train run on a layout is much more interesting. I'm glad that I don't have to follow real-life operations on my train layout because if I did, that would mean largely freight. That would ruin the hobby for me.

[krump]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Rabbidgerbal

You got to love both.
My church railroad I've really shot for both. People have got to get places, and there is so many stories to tell at the station and of people on the trains and where they are going. While the industries (mine and port) tell their own tales of supplies constantly needing to get someplace.

Rabbidgerbal, I recall one of your earlier posts, but don't remember if you have the model r/r located IN the church for this ministry?[^], I think that's a wonderful opportunity. How did you get started with that? Perhaps that's something that can get set up in the church that I go to here... you got me thinking

[Anonymous]

When I'm watching trains I just love seeing how many freight cars are being pulled

[Anonymous]

You got to love both. Without the frieght and industry you have no drive to your layout... no purpose. Yet without the people and people movers there isn't life to the layout. People are the purpose of all the supplies going everywhere.

My church railroad I've really shot for both. People have got to get places, and there is so many stories to tell at the station and of people on the trains and where they are going. While the industries (mine and port) tell their own tales of supplies constantly needing to get someplace.

I think your robbing yourself if you sompletely cut out the possibility of either in your modeling. Practically almost everywhere rail is both people and stuff is going... maybe not in a loggin operation or a heavy industrial yard, still maybe at least have a corner of your table with a tiny kitty corner of some passing line of passenger car line.

[krump]

I'm a freight runner, however I like the passenger trains that I've seen in recent years (West Coast Express[^], Rocky Mountaineer Rail Tours[^]...). I don't have any passenger trains at present, but if I did, the single passenger car would be # 17 in a line of 30 freighters - just because[}:)] - they can't go anywhere, being stuck in the middle?)[:o)][:D][:D][:D]. I only have a freight terminal anyway. Actually, a passenger train / terminal will be added to my railroad in the future - currently using what I have and spending time and money on building the railroad.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

Although I 'm not a big passenger train fan, I must admit the new Union Pacific modern excusion smoothsiders from Rivarossi are totally awsome. Done very, very lovely. But the price is a killer.[V]

Hmm...around $40 a car, not to bad, probably can find them around $25-30 if you really look.

At least they sell them as a set of cars (making each car actually cheaper this way) and have a matching 4-8-4 avaible: http://www.aat-net.de/pdf/0028.pdf

Hmm....now you got me thinking.....

Jay.

[AggroJones]

Although I 'm not a big passenger train fan, I must admit the new Union Pacific modern excusion smoothsiders from Rivarossi are totally awsome. Done very, very lovely. But the price is a killer.[V]

[Anonymous]

I like to run a good mix of passenger and freight and steam and diesel on my layout (although I do have more freight). Variety is the spice of life!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kentucky

Freight trains are cool. I model them becuase passengers are
SOOO boring. I like to switch alot of trains and do things to stay
busy.

ho so? ever tried to model a passenger system? you have, unless you're running an acela, switching yards to change cars between runs, a terminal for unloading the cargo (in this case people). some passenger trains also had box cars tagging along.

In all instances they are pretty much the same as running a frieght layout. Now they are more challenging since they usually require larger curves, and more skill in getting the layout to work for them.

I guess i could slap an 4'x8' frieght laout down and be happy i can run 3 trains and switch all day. But i prefre the greater challenge of trying to get 1 passenger train in there with it's switchings as well as it's run to another station for it's switchings.

Believe me, passenger setups are not boring, if anyone says so, it's because they like the easiness of frieghts and don't like to try a challenge. Freights are fine and dandy, i don't have a problem with them, but to me they're not a challenge and i like challenges.

Jay.

[Anonymous]

Freight trains are cool. I model them becuase passengers are
SOOO boring. I like to switch alot of trains and do things to stay
busy.

[Anonymous]

I thinks it's fun to set out big, long haul frieghts and long passenger trains at the same time.[^] When I start modeling the UP, the frieght and passengers trains will be both run frequently, though frieght would probably be the dominant.[:)][:p]

[AggroJones]

Freight cars offer more variety in the weathering and trains look less uniform. Less like a long squared tube.

[aiireland]

i've noticed that my non-railroading friends seem to comment more or relate better to the passenger trains on my layout. (the brewery gets a close 2nd)

ai

[ddechamp71]

My future Z scale layout: Tehachapi Pass, modern era = definitively freight.
Cheers
Dominique

[Anonymous]

Come on now, no contest....passenger baby, it's the challeneg of getting one train to run where you could normally get 3-4 freights going.

Lanscaping, track design, and not to mention the sheer look is enough to say Wow! Freight holds nothing over passenger.

[vw-bug]

Samll branch lights like mines and timber ways. I run the ocassional passenger to mix things up a little now an then

[vsmith]

Industrial narrow gauge short line = All freight

[Hawks05]

whenever i start my layout and get going i'm going to do most if not all freight. we hardly have if any passenger trains come through here so i kind of want to take after my town without all the stuff in town here. so it will be mostly freight.

[bluepuma]

My freights all tend to look the same, only have so many 40 ft. box cars, tank cars, like mixed freight best. I can change the locos. But have 5 sets of different passenger, and locos for more. I'm more of wanting to travel First Class or Coach than Hobo Class.