Difficult to answer only because it depends on whether its a home layout or N-trak. Obviously an N-trak operation can handle a train as long as you can put together based on your equipment roster and the number of modules in the N-trak set-up. If thats the case I can do over 100 car consists with multiple diesels. IF it my home layout... I have run a 40 car train with 3 diesels... but it really doesn't look right because I presently do not have sidings to accomodate such a large consist. Based on a 5 foot siding the largest train I can accomodate is about 20 cars (40' cars or less and two 4 axle diesels). The saddest part of this is that I prefer to run long streamliners (California Zephyr, Morning Daylight, Superchief etc) which require over 12' of siding. Interestingly... Kato's recent release of the Silver Streak Zephyr would fit the 5 foot siding confines. So I will chose my present situation at home and use 20 as the car length.
Well, a thread brought back from the ashes. Here are my specs so far: Average train length: ~52" (4'-4") (1 logo + 7 passenger cars, I allow 6 1/2" per car or loco to include coupler expansion) Mainline length: Not really applicable on my layout, but as for the longest uninterrupted visible segment: 105" (8'-9") Layout square footage: 87.65 sqft footprint Era: Modern Locale: Chicago, IL USA Number of engines: 25 planned Number of cars: ~130 planned Number of operators: 0 (computer) with plans for 2+computer Min curve radius: visible: 25", hidden: 13.7" Min turnout: visible: #6, hidden: #4 Height: 40" @ ground level
Average train length - Locals 8 cars, Thru Freights 8 - 10 cars, Coal Drag up to 16 cars. Mainline length - currently 160' Layout square footage - room is 32.5' x 32.5'. Walkaround style. Most of the layout is 16" wide. Era - 1920's & 30's Locale - Eastern mountains. Number of engines - about 12 with DCC Number of cars - about 350 Number of operators - currently 2 way freights operators, 2 thru freight operators, 1 coal drag operator, 1 branchline, 1 steel mill yardmaster, 1 steel mill operator, 1yardmaster (Coalton), 1 passenger train operator, 1 yardmaster (West Staging), 1 dispatcher. Min curve radius - Mainline 27", branchline - 18", Industrial sidings 15" Min turnout- #7 on the mainline, but newer construction has #10's. #5's and 7's off the mainline Height - 42" to 48" Monthly operations using computer generated switchlists. Only about 5% sceniced. Glenn
I had to go back through this thread to see if I had already replied. lol My layout is a HCD, just a basic oval, a couple of sidings and a few sidings. I'm kinda sorta modeling a freelanced branch of the Tidewater Southern when I do operations; a TS RS1 and 4 to 5 cars. When I just want to run trains, I'll have a 10 car train with 2 or 3 locos or my California Zephyr with 7 cars. I also have some Japanese equipment that I run; a couple of 7 cars passenger trains and some freight cars for my 2 steam locos to pull.
Average train length - 1 loco, 4-5 cars and a caboose Mainline length - 85 inches Layout square footage - 8.75 Era - 1978-1986 Locale - Central AZ Number of engines - 1 at a time, roster of 5 Number of cars - 9 on the layout currently, 10 to be added after conversion to Micro-Trains couplers and possibly trucks Number of operators - 2, me and my daughter Min curve radius - um.....about 50" Min turnout - 6 Height - sitting flush on the surface that I place it on
Like John, I don't remember if I replied earlier ... but it's an interesting question and even more interesting to see the wide distribution of answers. The most popular train lengths seem to be somewhere between 6 and 26 cars. Here's where I'm at: I have two HCDs butted up in a straight line. I have a loop, but I operate it as a point-to-point, with a large classification yard at the front, and the same city's industrial area on the back side of the HCDs. Operationally speaking, the furthest industry is about 4.5 miles from the yard (using a fast clock), but that's only a bit more than about 15 linear feet. Because staging is currently very limited and the only runs are for local switching, I'm limited to maximum train lengths of 11 cars. My layout is designed as a sectional using HCDs. The eventual plan is add two more HCDs to finish out this city, at which point the freight yard will be able to accommodate train lengths of close to 30 cars, which is what I envision as the approximate maximum for the layout overall. But "average" train lengths will likely be about 20 cars on the completed layout. (The completed layout could include anywhere from 6 to 14 HCDs, depending on what kind of space I end up with. Current constraints will limit me to about 6 HCDs, but we're looking at moving -- which is why I chose HCDs: Relatively light weight and fairly durable.) Jim
Average train length - locals: 5-7 cars thru freights avg. 15 cars Mainline length - 60 ft Layout square footage - 96 Era - mid 1970s-early 1980s Locale - freelanced Number of engines - 40 Number of cars - 225+ on roster, layout can only operate with 85 on it Number of operators - 2 Min curve radius - 11.5" Min turnout - 6 Height - 40" The layout is designed for switching with some run thru freights. Usually locals are 5-7 cars but NEVER exceeding 10 cars.
How do you respond to the poll? I am a relatively new to TrainBoard and logged on but the poll says, "you may not vote on this poll". Thanks.
I think you have to have something like 15 posts before you can participate in polls and/or post pics. The poll is still open...dont think it had an 'end date'. I just added my vote Monday ;-)
