How Long Is My Main Line Run??

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Have to bare with me, I had a very bad day. Hot, sick, and work was rough. This, for what ever reason, brought a smile to my face so I thought I d post

This is a question that has baffled me in the bathroom for years…

See, in the bathroom is when I get to read all of my train mags. But one question has always nagged me as I stare the layout and the box of info, “Layout At A Glance”. They will state the mian line a “X” lentgh, but I will sit there and try and imagine those sqaures and figure it out… Usually ends with a flush, and I will try and figure it out next time. Well, its been a few years and I have given up.

So, while in the thinking chamber tonight, I thought maybe it comes down to how you consider it, what yoru version is… But is there a standard? A secret code that I should know before I explain at the hobby shop?

So, here is mine, and tell me how I should tell someone how long my mainline is.

I have a 90 foot, double track main…

Now, do I have a 90 foot mianline run, or is 180 feet?

Or do I just say I got a 90 foot double main?

2

Most would probably say they had a 300’ main if it were 90’ double!![:D]

3

Man, I think those triple digit temps. there are getting to you. If the track buckles in all that heat you have no mainline.[#oops]

4

What about the terminal at the end? Do you count the track though that or do stop at the yard limit?

Or those reversing loops at the end, do they count? all the way around or just halfway?

Someone needs to write a mainline measuring standard.

[(-D] [(-D] [(-D] [(-D]

Enjoy

Paul

5

I would use the same standard that the FRA uses to determine mileage of prototype railroads, which I suspect is based on the length of the total number of tracks…

6

Whoa, that’s infomation overload. It’s a good thing they’re printed on the heavier slick paper. Otherwise there wouldn’t be any left to read.

7

As far as I’m concerned once the train is out of the yard,it can go into a tunnel or staging track til your schedule says it should be somewhere else. This has been on my mind for a month or so now. Unless you have a huge layout the length of your main is moot. If you’re simulating big time railroading who would want to simulate the 3 day run from Seattle to Chicago for ex. So why not just run the train out of the yard and call it good for that train. Bring another one in and reclassify the cars and send them on their way.I’m trying to promote discussion here ,not be a wise guy.

8

In my opinion, the highlighted statement would be the correct description. However, if you’re concerned that the length is not sufficient to impress other modellers, I suggest that you reconfigure your track plan to a single-track figure eight, as that’s the accepted symbol for infinity. [swg] If you’re like me, and didn’t bother to keep an accurate count of how many pieces of flex track were used during construction of your main line, it’s easy enough to measure out after-the-fact: simply make up a train of a known length, then run it around the layout like a giant rolling ruler, marking, counting, and moving an end-point indicator as you go. I couldn’t be bothered to do even this, but I do know that my mainline is definitely not long enough! [;)]

Wayne

9

Let’s see…

Duplex 4-4-4-4, tender, 3 head end cars, two mail storage cars, 12 heavyweights etc etc etc…

*Stretches ruler… somewhere between 15 to 20 feet long.

That 90 foot main isnt that long.

Think of it another way. 3 feet of flextrack is what? a dollar a foot? 90 feet = 100 dollars worth of track.

If you prefer to think of curves… think about 16 40’ boxcars will fit on a (180 degree half circle) 34" radius…that’s 8 feet… makes a full circle about 16 feet…

10

First, classify your track.

First main - the length of your mainline run, disregarding all second tracks, side tracks, branch lines etc.

Second (or multiple) main. Altoona to Gallitzin had four times as much track as the ‘first main’ distance would indicate.

Sidings - what our British cousins would call ‘loops’ - where a mainline train can pause to clear a superior train.

Yard and terminal track. This includes invisible staging.

Spurs.

A rough cut at my semi-constructed, semi-planned layout gave me 150 feet of JNR first main, plus 50 feet of TTT first main. The TTT is intended to be single track (and visible), but most of the JNR will be multiple track (and, largely, invisible.) Amazing what you can stuff into a 2-car garage if you’re willing to fold and staple - and I haven’t even considered the off-gauge lines that might end up modeled! (Upper level, here I come - eventually, maybe.)

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

11

I agree with the prior poster. I think there is a real difference in length of the main and the total amount track. The main line run is the distance a train has to travel to get from one destination to the next. It doesn’t have to travel both tracks of a double track mainline, it doesn’t have to roll over every siding, etc.

Whether one includes station & yard trackage is a bit tougher. My opinion is if it is a stub end terminal or yard then they would not be counted. The measure would be from yard limit. On the other hand, if the main is passing through and the station tracks and yard are like sidings off of it then it would be counted in the total. If not, on some peoples’ layouts that I’ve seen there would be no mainline as it seems their pikes are perpetual yards.

12

How about if the engine or engines ran on to a set of rollers once the train had cleared the yard limits and then you left it running for 2.5 scale hours til it reached the next destination. This would be specially effective with steam engines, and doubly impressive with a mallet. Your main line would be calculated in time to the next station instead of miles. As far as mainline goes a fellow I know has over a hundred yards of mainline on his out door G scale layout. I think thee property is 200’ by 300’. Quite impressive, You can walk under some of his bridges.

13

Ha ha, I am loveing this. [:D]

Well, since we are now haveing a great debate… thankfully on my railroad and not my favorite location, here is some more specs.

My total trackage out there, sidings, yard, industry spur lines… total trackage is how much flextrack I have laid out is probably close to 400 feet… Been laying 3,6 or 9 feet for over 3 years.

But, my actual main line is around 90… double main, with a off shoot spur that is around 35 feet that is a single mainline. So, in theroy, I can pull a train out and run it for over 215 of “mainline track” before it it loops itself

Here is a really rough trackmap of my layout. Roughly to scale. Um, most of the industry spurs shown, are pretty close to what I have. The center island is now developed, but you get the idea.

So in jest, but with drivein cause to find the standard to which mainlines are to be measured!

14

Your mainline is 90’ long, double-tracked. If a real railroad builds a line of 90 miles from City A to City B, it’s still 90 mi. from City A to City B whether the railroad builds a single-track, double-track, or four-track mainline.

If you decided to replace the mainline track, you’d need to get 180’ of track (like 60 pieces of 3’ flextrack) at the LHS.