hey fellas,
what is the longest model train you have ever seen in any scale, how many cars? and if anyone knows, whats the record for the longest model train?
personally the longest train i have ever seen what at the sandeigo HO scale club, it was 143 cars long, and it had 2 engines!! an athearn genesis SD70MAC and a athearn RTR AC4400CW.
the longest train I have ever pulled was at the sandeigo model RR club ( smae place) it was 87 cars long, I had 5 engines pulling that because the first 40 cars were modelpowers all metal train ( completly die cast metal, a 40’ box car weighs just over a pound, and a 40’ hopper weighs just under a pound).
so share with us, your longets model train experiece.
THe longest train I have ever seen was at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel’s huge model railroad in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was a mixed freight around 150 cars long pulled by a pair of SD series engines in UP paint. I have to admit, it was pretty impressive.
As a matter of fact, yes I did! That alone made that particular hotel the coolest hotel ever! Did you see that big steamer outside by the flower garden? How about riding the trolly? Did you pay a visit to the Tennessee Vallry Railroad Museum while you were in Chattanooga? How about the Aquarium? Did you eat at “Cheeburger Cheeburger?” Man this is way off topic but oh well… [:D]
Our modular clun here in Phoenix has set up some pretty big layouts at fair and different shows. We can easly hit 250-300 feet of double main track. So, when things get slow, boys will be boys.
I do believe our club record is somewhere in the 230’s of modern day coal cars. All with Kadee’s and weighted to proper NMRA standards. There were 4 SD90’s on front (All Kato’s I belive) and 3 or 4 middle helpers. (mixed diesels and sizes)
The longest train I have seen was 109 cars on the Flagstaff Model Railroad Club. It was pulled by a set of four Athearn F units taht were repowered with those computer motors that used to be offered by Hobbies for Men. This train was literally chasing its own tail.
On the Radcliff Model Railroad Association’s layout in Radcliff, KY the record is something like 105 or 106 cars. All cars were the Atlas Coalveyors weighted and metal wheels. The power was usually Kato. The problems encountered was slack action pushing cars off at the curves. A certain amount of power had to be applied to the train to prevent the slack from running in on the grades. [;)]
Seems there is an add in an old MRR mag for a power pack company running 500 or so cars behind 12 engines. UPDATE - MRR Sept. 1980 - Troller Corp ad. P. 19, Model Railroad Club, Union N.J. 501 cars, 140 pounds, 11 locos. There are a couple of pics in the ad. Large club layout, and the engine almost catches up with the caboose. Best I can do is 32 cars.
caz: a boxcar that weighs OVER a pound? First, who would make a car that weighs that much, and who would buy one, I’m sure with a bit of effort you could fill the car with lead and bring it up to 4 or 5 lbs. I can see no purpose in having cars weigh that much, is there a practicle reason??
A few years ago, Model Power came out with a fulline of cars that were all metal. Metal frames and bodies. Detail is pretty good on them. And yes, they are heavy.
The longest train I’ve seen was 188 cars pulled two (2) brass diesels in HO scale. The only reason they didn’t pull more was because the cars were derailing on the curves.
Well,I saw a 115 coal train pulled by 6 Athearn GP7s back in 84(85?)…I also seen a 135 car coal train in N Scale back in 97.Both of these trains was being ran on modular layouts at train shows.
TATANS,
I like them because they are my most reliable cars, I have NEVER had a problem with those cars, and with the wheels reamed and the trucks lubbed they will role for ever! another reason is to put a couple at the back of a long train to keep the couplers tought. recently, because of their heavy weight I have been scraping them and stripping them for all that they are worth, mainly to put metal wheels on the athearn 86’ high cubes. I have about 30 of the hoppers, and I had 1 engine pull those with no problem, they just roll so good they make any other car look bad, at my club layout we have (had the club moved to a new location) tehachipe loop, i put one box car at the top of the loop and it roled from there, down the loop , down the track about 50 feet, around a curve, along the entrence to the yard which is a good 30 feet, then it enterd the yard, over the hump, and hit the yard pumper vilontly, it deraild. so they role for ever, it was a trip seeing that thing go that far with no engine.
I have pulled 101 coal cars & caboose on my layout just to say I have pulled over 100 cars. Used 2 Athern GP40s. There is very little straight track on my layout.
Les
Back in the 1970s the Sun-n-Sand Model Railroad Club in Phoenix set up their N-Trak layout at one of the malls over the Thanksgiving weekend. They hauled a train approaching 150 cars (Atlas ore cars if I remember correctly) powered by 3 Con-Cor PAs on the point and another 3 buried about 2/3rds of the way back in the train. That was all that could be hauled because train ran out of track. This wasn’t any kind of an attempt at a record because eight 8’ and four corner modules was all the club could muster at that time. Rather it was a publicity stunt that got the local news media out. Train was run on the outside tracks to eliminate as much friction as possible.
If I recall correctly - I have the Guinness book of railroad records but can’t get to it at this time - the record is about 700 cars on an O-toy setup - which is about where N&Ws proto record is at.
the longest train I have seen was when I was living in Australia. It was a 500 car ore train with 2 dash 9 4400CW on the front, two in the middle and two on the end of the train. It was HO scale and based on the Hamersley iron trains (which are 500 car trains) of Australia. I believe they actually hold the record unless it has broken in the last few years. the train was huge! they did have a small incident later on in the day where the accordianed the train.