I model in HO in the transition era and I’ve determined the practical maximum is 25 cars, mostly 40 footers. I designed the classification and staging yards to handle 50 car trains but a train that long dwarfs the layout. It stretches from one town to another. On top of that running a train that long on a curved grade tends to pull the cars off the rail to the inside of a curve even though my curves are superelevated. A 25 car train looks enormous in HO and creates the illusion of a full length freight train even though it is quite short by prototype standards. To me it is just another form of selective compression.
Freight train length varies, 10-15 cars with two locos on the mainline. 4-5 cars with a single loco on the inner (local) line.
Passenger trains vary as well. Paired E8s with 2-3 express cars and 8-10 Athearn Streamlined cars, BLI Hudson or Niagara with a couple of express box cars and 8-10 Athearn heavyweights or sometimes 6-8 Walthers streamlined cars.
I sometimes run an RDC by itself or with a Walthers streamlined coach in tow.
Amtrak trains are generally 7 cars with matched AMD 103s.
My grandson has a mixed passenger and freight train on the mainline right now with 8 Athearn heavyweights and 7 tank cars with a Hudson at the head and a NYC caboose bringing up the rear. No rhyme or reason to his trains, but he loves them.
Just testing at this point vs “operating”, but all my return loops, passing sidings and staging yard tracks are designed to handle two 6-axle or three 4-axle diesels, twenty 100-ton hoppers and a caboose.
My layout is designed for operation but I agree with you that my greatest satisfaction comes from running trains through believeable scenery. I found I am more a railfan than an operator although I do enjoy doing both. I’ll have to try the glass of wine when I am railfanning.
I usually run a couple of freight cars because its all i have! I modeled some of the pere Marquette railroad so the cars are hard to find. Right now I have two pere Marquette cars (refer and box) and a DT&I coal hopper.
My one man “operations” usually involves making up a couple of 40+ car freights,getting them out on the main line in opposite directions,and letting them run around the layout while I continue switching the yard,or run engines through the servicing area.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsB6fBn_lMI
Mike
I have run thirty forty foot NYC Pacemaker freight cars using an ABBA set. F3 and F7 setup. A steamer was normally used.
I believe the NYC used around ninety freight cars. The low profile caboose was unusual. They only had five and were built from former boxcars.
Rich
[8] NA NA NA NA NA[8][:P] [(-D]
Actually Rich this is the first layout that I have had such success in the bullet proof trackwork department.
I put it down to two tings. First as I entered geezerdom, I was a much more patient man when it came to being maticulous. However I think the fact that this was my first layout on foam is the real reason. Eliminating a large part of the expansion/contraction issue has made me notice that I spend very little time fixing the slight movements in the track that you would get when the subroadbed was wood.
If there is a next time for a new layout, it will be foam on steel studs. That would make it only get better as far as “environment proofing” my work.
They vary with car length, but 50-60 cars with 3 engines is pretty typical for my freight trains. On those rare occasions when I show my layout I’ll go over 100. The largest train I’ve run to date was 107 cars and 7 powered locomotives, 5 up front and two mid train. All on DC and a conventional block system.
Mark H
Rich,If I may ask… Why do you accept that as normal?
Maybe I’m the odd man out but,for me its 100% derailment free operation or its no operations until I fix the problem…
Here’s how I operate the Summerset Ry or Slate Creek Rail-SCR for short.
The number of cars is rotated some days its none and other days 1-8.
On the days where there is no inbound cars my crew picks up the empties and takes them to the NS interchange.
If there is no switch work for the crew to perform then the remove their train crew hats and put on their maintenance hats which may include cutting grass and weeds around the office building.
If there is no work they receive 4 hours show up pay and go home.
Ditto. The only “acceptable” derailment at my layout is one caused by operator error - never equipment or track. An unattended train at an open house can run all day without an issue.
Does staging back to staging count for those of us with layouts that allow continious operation?
My layout is designed for 40-70 car trains, typical of prototype operatons in this region during the 1954 era I model.
Derailments? What are they? Operator error would be the primary cause when it does happen. Automatic Train Control prevents most of those…
Derailment free operation is easy - large curves, smooth grades, carefully installed track, proper car weight, sprung/equalized trucks, proper coupler heights.
Passenger trains vary from as few as several car locals and RDC’s, to mainline name trains up to 14-15 cars.
Sheldon
That’s a excellent way…
Here’s my method that works as well.
Truck screw tighten completely down backed off 2-2 1/2 turns.
Coupler and trip pin at the correct height.
If used, plastic wheels in gauge, better is metal wheels since they put weight on the rail.
I use two 1/4" oz stick on weights over the trucks.This places the weight over the wheels which IMHO is far better then in the center of the car’s floor.
My ISL flex track and switches is checked for flaws and for wide or tight gauge and then it was carefully laid and the club track was carefully laid as well.
I got so wound up by John Allen when I was a teenager that all three layouts I built since 1951 are scenery orientated. My max length is about 22 cars between tunnels with 3½% grades and no staging area.
My Daylight passenger service is made up of 10 cars pulled by a pair of E7ABs.
My logging operation is two and three truck Shays with 10 to 24 shorty log cars and a bobber caboose.
On occasion I run a four car old time shorty coach with a Drovers Caboose pulled with a Shay when I’m in the early 1900s mode.
My layout era is the mid 1950s but by removing the newer vehicles I can go back in time easily.
I got tired of derails and fixed my track work, none since the fix. It took three months but worth every minute.
I have run 5- ‘F’ units and 62 cars but that is grossly to long for my layout. I have to split it up to use the reversing loop. Normal max is 32 pieces which includes engines and 40’ cars, as that is the longest train that will fit in the reversing loop. Normal is 15-20 cars and whatever engine or engines I feel like running.
South Penn
My layout was designed to simulate the prototype I’ve chosen to model, so the sidings, staging tracks and platform arrangements on the Nihon Kokutetsu are all sized to take:
- Conventional passenger (locomotive hauled,) max 7 cars.
- DMU, max 6 cars.
- EMU, max 4 cars.
- Through freights, max 20 ordinary length cars.
- Local freights, max 12 ordinary length cars.
If longer-than-ordinary cars are included, the car count goes down.
The steeper, sharper-curve Tomikawa Tani Tetsudo usually runs:
- 3-4 ordinary freight car goods trains.
- Up to 6 car loose-car coal trains (empties upgrade, loads downgrade.)
- 2-3 ordinary freight cars + short coach mixed trains.
- 2 (short) car passenger trains.
- Unit coal trains - 4 articulated hoppers, 2 brake vans.
- Most passenger runs are made by a 4-wheel rail bus.
One thing to note. Typical of Japan, the traffic density is astounding by US standards (but a little less than normal by Broadway Lion’s…)
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
My passenger trains average about 3 cars, and freights average 4-5 cars. All hail the mighty 4x8.
-Alex Warshal
I’m with you, foam as a base is the way to go! My stuff only derails if a car breaks or it runs against a switch (that one being my fault).
[:D]My layout is a moderate sized layout based on California mountain railroading in the 'forties and 'fifties, so I can run relatively short trains that look “longer” because of scenic interruptions (cuts, tunnels, bridges, etc). Generally speaking, my through freights will run between 15-25 cars, locals anywhere from 4-8. Passenger trains are between 6-10 cars (though one is a fixed articulated at 4 cars). Grades are between 1.5 and 2.4%, though not continuous, so double-heading is often done on trains of over 15 cars (I run 95% steam).
Works for me.
Tom