King of the layout: freight or passenger trains?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
41

Your question is strangely worded. I didn’t vote. The title doesn’t match the question doesn’t match the description.

The King of the layout is the passenger. The other trains had better get out of the way
or the crews get poor performance ratings.

I prefer to run most freight because that is prototypical.

The passenger train is the glamor girl that billboards the railroads image. All the people each with their own story to tell of where they are going and why… That is what captures my fancy. To see what I mean look at an O. Winson Link photograph of a passenger train on the Abindon <sp?> Branch of the NW.

42

I cant even run full size passenger cars on my layout. Just don’t have the clearances. Athearn 72’ heavyweights will have to do.

43

From an operations stand point? Freight, hands down. There’s more variations of cars, service, and inductries than passenger trains.

From an asthetic point of view? I guess you’d have to say passenger. They’re sleeker and more refined looking than a series of box cars or hoppers.

With that said, I’m going to go play with my freight layout…[:)]

Tom

44

I model a suburban branchline. local frieght dailey, and a doodlebug shuttling back and forth all day. passenger trains rule, but the fun is in the local frieghts.

45

Passenger for me! Operationally, there’s a lot of action in busy stations where trains were combined or split also, switching in & out headend ,mail storage cars, rpo’s express reefers and before the practice of run-thru diners & lounges, these cars were also switched in & out of trains depending on the time of day. A busy passenger terminal would make for an interesting switching layout.