Just wondering what is the longest length train to operate on your home layout. I have spent the morning running a 35 car long hopper train with 2 SD50 locos. I have a 2% grade on my layout and the Atlas SD50's didn't have a problem. ------------------ http://users.bigpond.net.au/railroad2000 [This message has been edited by Colonel (edited 11 August 2000).]
<font color="3333ff">We can run 50-car trains, and have three units up front, with two mid-train or pushing. Sometimes more on a heavy stack train. That is around 'S' curves, on a 3% grade!</font> ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery Alan's European Gallery Alan's British Steam Gallery
I routinely run 25-30 cars with 2 Atlas GP-40's and have run 59 cars with 2 Atlas SD-60's with S curves and 2% grade. There never was any problem with the locos pulling the load, but they can be fun to keep together at times..... What is the longest consist you can BACKup through your layout.... Now that would be interesting..... Remember this is done here all the time by the MBTA which runs cab cars. Art
Well, I have not the longest train but on the other hand I have run 30 box cars with only one engine both forward and backward without any problem. I have used one Arnold GP9 and another time one LifeLike F7. Note that I´m using the RAPIDO couplers, that according to many of yours are not reliable! My "test track" consist of one horseshoe curve of 200 degrees and a radius of 15" followed by a S curve with angles of 40 degrees. The whole track length have a grade of 2%. --------- Helge Sandy River & West Forrest Railroad
I don't know about the longest train I've run on my layout, but I've got an intermodal train on it right now that is over 24 ft. long. FUN FUN FUN !!!! ------------------ Catt!#118
I sometimes run trains that are about 70 cars long which eqauls around 25 feet. I just use three C44's or SD60's or what everelse is ready....of yah, SD40-2's. Long trains are GREAT when they stay on the track! ------------------ Craig Martyn Best Looking Models Around Custom detailing AND N scale detail parts. http://users4.50megs.com/blma/
I have (4) 100 ft. main lines which can hold alot of cars. Currently I'm running 85 mixed freight cars behind a E8 AA lashed with a M1a 4-8-2 steam leading. Have small 3% grade coming out of one room into another but no problem pulling once load gets moving. Need to backup a bit before starting to get the smooth starts with out jerking a car loose. Good couplers a must. I also run a 45 coal car drag behind a triple headed steam of 2 mallets(2-8-8-2) and a heavy mikado(2-8-2). This train must climb a 4%+ grade in one corner of the room. It takes all the steam power to climb it. I also run a 30 car (spine, trailer, container) mix behind 3 NS diesels(C44-9w & 2 SD-60) plus 5 flatbed car loads on the tail. The fourth main is mostly to run passenger trains and whatever I feel needs ran for interest. Curently it's running a 12 car passenger with two front end Railway Express cars, behind a GG-1. I also place a few lone running power on the same track trailing behind the passenger. I have two spur tracks which can hold 45-50 car trains and currently have a 30 car train sitting in one which can cutout onto the main replacing the above mentioned coal drag. The coal drag can be blocked off to allow the freight to go by which will then use 75% of the same main line. I can have the four mains all running at the same time, and do so once in awhile. But watching and controlling four trains gets too much. Only like to do it when someone comes to visit. It seems there is always a derailment or something going wrong when I try this. I've ran 100+ car trains as a test with the tail end of the train going into the tunnel at one end of the room and the engines coming out the other tunnel entrance from the ajoining room. The ajoining room gives me about 25 feet of hidden track and I have control panel lights to let me know where it's located. No fun when the tail of the train stops going into the tunnel and my control panel lights show the front of the train still running. Locating the split, backing up the front end to reconnect is not always easy to do. MicroTrain trucks almost a must for very long trains. Plus distributed weight of the cars needed to stop derailments on curves. ..Eddie ------------------ Eddie Delozier PRR N-scale www.deloziers.com eddelozier@yahoo.com
<font color="3333cc">Yeah, Eddie, on long trains, correct weight of cars is very important. All my cars are weighted to NMRA standards, or above, before being allowed on the layout. This so far has resulted in near-perfect running (except for operator error!!</font> ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery Alan's European Gallery Alan's British Steam Gallery
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by HelgeK: Well, I have not the longest train but on the other hand I have run 30 box cars with only one engine both forward and backward without any problem. I have used one Arnold GP9 and another time one LifeLike F7. Note that I´m using the RAPIDO couplers, that according to many of yours are not reliable! My "test track" consist of one horseshoe curve of 200 degrees and a radius of 15" followed by a S curve with angles of 40 degrees. The whole track length have a grade of 2%. --------- Helge Sandy River & West Forrest Railroad<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I don't remember anyone saying the Rapido's are not reliable. They just won't auto-uncouple and are not even close to a prototype nuckle coupler in appearance. I used Rapido's on my trains for years, but I'm now 100% MicroTrains and I will NEVER go back to the Rapido's. I don't have a home layout, but the longest train I've ever controled was 150+ cars, 5 loco's of various brands and models, NO HELPERS! Of course, no grades, but LOTS of curves! ------------------ BNSF RAILFAN-TO-THE-MAX! Brent Tidaback, Member #234 and a N-Scaler to boot!
Power to pull long trains are less trouble than controlling the slack of so many cars as they descend a downgrade. If the power is not steady you can hear each car banging the couplers. I now understand why the guys riding the caboose would get sea sick. My caboose would go forward and backward just like the real thing. I finally put a heavy brass caboose on the tail to help reduce the overall slack. And if the couplers aren't all aligned at the correct height then they would ride up and uncouple. Long trains teach you many lessons of power control in starting and stopping. The PRR built a long dip into the mainline at Altoona to slowly reduce the slack built up from the descent down off the Horseshoe curve. I now understand their logic. ...Eddie ------------------ Eddie Delozier PRR N-scale www.deloziers.com eddelozier@yahoo.com
<font color="3333cc">Yes Eddie, smooooth handling of long trains is a must I bought a simulator type controller for my main line. So it is impossible to get sudden starts or stops, so keeps everything on the track - most of the time </font> ------------------ Alan The perfect combination - BNSF and N Scale! www.ac-models.com Andersley Western Railroad Alan's American Gallery Alan's European Gallery Alan's British Steam Gallery
Well, I currently run 50 car trains on my layout which is not gigantic, and despite 2% grades. But this requires 3 Atlas/Kato engines for the climb. I could do with only two engines (12 wheel drive each), if I tolerate some wheel slipping but, in that case, there is no possibility to restart stalled engines on the grade (which by the way is also in a curve) and I need some helpers.
On an HO layout I operate on, I have run a 55 car train, but the sidings can only handle 25 plus 3 units and a caboose. The only reason It was run so long is becuase I wanted to test the locos. The train handled fine. I too have had trouble in N scale with Rapidos. They did uncouple when I used them, infact I wasn't origanlly intending to go to M/Ts, but Rapidos drove me up the wall! Happy Railroading!! <big> Dane N. </big> ------------------ BCRailKing@Canada.com Teen Association of Model Railroaders- for information, contact Dane N. at TAMR2860@Canada.com http://www.tamr.org "I was DC, and went DCC!"
on the "Santa Fe Railroad - Lake Bliss Division" we ran a 101 car frt train around , just to see if we could ! It took 7 kato locos to pull and was really fun getting through the rev loops! it took in 3 1/2 turns in a 27in raduis helix untill the 2nd pass and 1/2 the train pulled over , then we quit ( that was fun picking back up)
I recently run a coal train of 42LBF coal porters with a single SD90 on my layout. There are som 12"curves and a 2-3% grade. No problem for the loco. Longest train I can run (limited by curves and grade) is around 120cars with 3-4 sd90. All units in front, no mid-train helpers.
I have no long train record to show off, but my home layout in progress features about 50 ft. of mainline, min turnout of #6, with frequent #8's, and not less than 23" rad. curves, all with easements. Should be no prob to run 50-60 cars and 2-3 locos. The passing siding, only one(!) is 11.5 ft. long, enough for 3 locos, and about 30 cars, or about 20-ish autoracks.
My longest trains (and the make up of them)is determined by one curve in a closet that allows the train to turn back into staging behind the scenery.I am thinking of calling this area Thump Tunnel,cuz if you hear a thump,that means your train just string lined.With all my freight cars (70)in the train,I can get around this curve if I keep the heavier cars at the front of the train.When I get more cars,I will put a helper on the end or mid train to take some drag off the head end cars.
My longest train so far has been limited strictly by running out of cars. My two SD-35's handled 42 cars around my main line rather well. Now realize, this includes a 4% grade, up and down on each lap. If I am not careful and don't reduce speed before the downgrade, the middle of the train smashes through the front of the train. Seems once the locomotives are on flat land, their momentum slows, but the cars coming downhill are still faster. As I add more rolling stock, I will have to see what happens. Jeff Augsburg & Concord R.R. (a fictional shortline in Central Illinois) http://www.pegnsean.net/~revnjeff
Does this include shortest trains, since my longest train is by far less then all of yours...Most I have pulled at one time is 9 and that's on a local freight. Since I model a branchline type railroad, there is not really a purpose for running loooong trains. Now, however with a new longer mainline and larger radius I should be able to run longer trains, but I don't really want to, I love switching along the way, so 9-12 car freights are my choice still.
