What is the "Normal" Length Train You Run?

Grey One Sep 7, 2010

  1. CraigN

    CraigN TrainBoard Supporter

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    I run anywheres between 10 and 40 cars. I average in the 20's, it depends on what I am pulling them with.

    Craig
     
  2. bryan9

    bryan9 TrainBoard Member

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    I'm modeling Soldier Summit, which means that train length isn't limited by sidings. The reason is, Soldier Summit has double-track CTC, which means that the dispatcher can run trains in either direction on either track. That's the fun of it. If there's a coal drag on the westbound main, the westbound California Zephyr is routed to the eastbound main so it can pass the slow traffic. This is done for fast freights, too. The sidings (for example, Kyune) are intended mainly as a refuge for MOW equipment and returning helper units.

    That said, I stick to 24 cars. If I exceed that number, I find, derailments are likely (2% ruling grade, Unitrack), particularly in the car coupled to the locomotive. From what I've learned, I can eliminate that problem with body-mounted couplers, but I haven't had time to try this.

    I'm modeling the Rio Grande in 1965, the year the concept of the "short, fast freight" was introduced -- so 24 cars isn't out of the prototypical range. D&RGW would hook up 24-48 cars to a bunch of GP-30s and send them west; they'd do 60-65 mph over the desert and zip over Soldier Summit without helpers.

    --Bryan
     
  3. Jim Reising

    Jim Reising In Memoriam

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    I did a survey of the trains on the sub - there were 11 altogether, longest was a 74 car "earthworm", fewest cars was a 28 car auto rack train - but most of them were articulated. The actual shortest train was a TOFC with 30 platforms.
     
  4. SP-Wolf

    SP-Wolf TrainBoard Supporter

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    At home I will be running between 20 & 25 cars. At the club (Belmont Shores) I run around 50 cars on average.I usually run my passenger trains tho. My Daylight is 20 cars.(What a beauty).

    Have fun,
    Wolf
     
  5. brakie

    brakie TrainBoard Member

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    On my last 2 N Scale ISLs I keep the number to 3-10 cars depending on the "day of the week"..On my temperary 2x4' loop "branch line" I ran 0-12 car locals.
     
  6. Chaya

    Chaya TrainBoard Supporter

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    Like Todd, I selectively compress my trains to fit my selectively compressed layout. If it only takes a few seconds to get from Gallina to Espanola or Leavenworth to Cashmere, I need my train to be short. I run 5-12 cars. Otherwise, I find the effect jarring. When my trains are too long, it feels a little less like I'm actually going somewhere.

    I don't have the smallest layout in the world but I also don't have the biggest. Two decks in a 13'x7' room. If I had put only two towns on each deck, I would have more rural space and would feel better running maybe 20-30 cars. Instead, I wanted more towns, both for modeling fun and for operational fun. So the distances are shorter between towns.

    I use just one engine (B-B, 2-8-0, or 2-6-0), a caboose, and the rest are 40' cars except for an occasional 50' car. It's easy to do this because I'm modeling 1962, with local runs of mixed trains.
     
  7. Gavel

    Gavel New Member

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    30 seems is average given the length of main/size of layout with 3 to 4 locomotives
     
  8. National Mallets

    National Mallets TrainBoard Member

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    normal

    My normal or usual train is four to six cars. Ric:thumbs_up:
     
  9. christoph

    christoph TrainBoard Member

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    Normally about 15 cars, depending on their length. The limit is the length of the siding. This length also works well for my helix.

    If I want to run the full length Kato Broadway Limited I even run into problems with my loops. But it is an impressive sight.
     
  10. Logtrain

    Logtrain TrainBoard Member

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    When I am at home or running on my dads layout I typically run 5-10 car freights.

    When I am at a show with my club I dont hesitate to throw on 3-4 locos and pull 40-60 cars.
     
  11. sd90ns

    sd90ns TrainBoard Member

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    Tricky topic; everybody likes to think their train is longer than it really is.

    I limit the maximum length of my freights to four feet including locomotives. I do this because my two of my layouts passing sidings are four feet long and I hate complications.

    I occasionally run a passenger train that is longer as I never put them on a siding.

    Normally the freights are three foot or less with one or two locos.
     
  12. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    While I did run a 40 car train briefly a couple years ago... the most common consist size I run on the limited [~25'] of mainline is 20 to 25 cars with two or three diesels. If I use a steamer... the consist is less than a dozen 40' cars. That is...unless its a Big Boy or Challenger... which can take a 25 car consist up a 2% grade.

    I've also run passenger consists which are about equivalent to a 30 car freight in length using multiple F, E or PA units.

    I'm in the process of expanding the mainline another 25' and eventually closing the loop of mainline which will have a total of about 75' of track. I'm not too sure about the length of passing sidings... presently only about 4' on the existing trackwork.
     
  13. Seated Viper

    Seated Viper TrainBoard Member

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    My model is based on loops big enough to take the Western Region InterCity 125 set. Translated into locomotive plus passenger cars, this is 1 plus 8.

    Regards,

    Pete Davies
     
  14. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    Today I have a pair of SP Trainmasters [4802 & 4805] 'Black Widows' hauling a consist of 6 wood reefers, 6 Pflauder reefers, 10 70 ton coal hoppers, 2 flatcars w/tractors, a flatcar with 20' trailers and a caboose. So... its 26 cars.
     
  15. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    (I'm quoting myself here so folks that jump into the middle know what it is about.)

    This is sorta a "bump" to this thread as I begin planning what I'll be running on the "Grey and Grandure V" now that I'll have scenery becoming partial view blocks, some "operations", and the ability to easily run two trains at once using block control. The "average" Fox Valley 50' box car is 4"s knuckle to knuckle. The average 4 bay covered hopper is about 5"s. I run a lot of each and for purposes of this post the "average" car length is 4.5"s.

    Factors of perceived train length:

    • Size of layout
    • Length of cars
    • Speed of train
    • View blocks - of any type
    • Sound - maybe?
    • Anything else?
    I expect the mountains which will be partial view blocks will affect perceived length of a train but I wonder "how". If I keep train speed down and only two or three cars are visible through the gaps will the train "seem" longer? My yard tracks allow for making up 4' and 5' trains including locomotive(s). The outer loop is 12', (give or take an inch). The inner loop is 10' (give or take an inch).
    Am I over thinking this? Should I just wait and see after I have scenery up and trains running?
     
  16. CNW 1518

    CNW 1518 TrainBoard Member

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    My normal is upped a little now..

    I run about a 20 car double stack.. Hope to get it up to 40+ by this time next year..

    For random freights its about 30-35 now..

    It also depends what my modules are set up to be..
     
  17. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    Steve...

    Depends...do you plan on leaving trains on the main when you shut down for the night...or parking them in the yard ? My yard tracks allow for making up 4' and 5' trains including locomotive(s). That would tell ya how long your trains will be. Are you planing on using one main to break trains? a train 10 feet long will need to be broke down to 2...5 footers to fit in the yard. ;-) My A&D is roughly 5 foot. I can run a mixture of freights and usually end up with 12 cars and a loco. Sending out 12 cars...and waiting out on the main to get 12 more sent out...just to make a longer consist...just doesnt bode well with me. I will run 12 cars...run em slow...and bask in the view of a 12 car train seeming to go on and on in a long run (12 foot) is always nice. JMO :)

    .
     
  18. Metro Red Line

    Metro Red Line TrainBoard Member

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    My layout isn't finished but my mainlines and major sidings are, so I would say about 25 per train or 20 wells for intermodals. I have a 35-car manifest on my layout right now, and though I can pull it up 3% grades with two locos with no problems, the first car behind the loco seems to derail on its first truck when it reaches the summit due to the gravitational stress. I just put a "DPU" (an Atlas Dash-8 40B) midway through the train and that seems to be helping a lot. Haven't seen the first car derail yet.
     
  19. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    When it is "just me" running trains I will be making trains up by hand and running them. Overnight I expect all trains will be returned to the yard where they are likely to be "staged" with locos. I can see myself occasionally running 12 "grain trains" from the interchange, (tracks on far left):
    [​IMG]
    If I was "operating" then trains would arrive on the 2nd track from the right, (which is 5' long), and locomotives would escape to the engine terminal. New road locos would leave the engine terminal and pick up a waiting train from the "classification tracks".
     
  20. just plain craig

    just plain craig New Member

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    I had at first designed my layout for 10 foot sidings or 2 engines with 30 40 foot cars. But by reducing the siding lentgh to 8 foot I was able to accomplish more. I'm looking at 20 car frieght trains and up to 8 car passenger trains. The shorter lentgh means more second section trains and more operation.
     

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