I’m just looking for some general infromation on modeling modern coal drags in HO scale. Right now I have 12 Walthers Bethlehem 4000 Cubic Foot hoppers in BN paint, and am looking for a way to expand. I have a few specific questions so I’ll number them to keep it easy:
Do prototype railroads mix car models within a unit train, in other words can a run Trinity RD4’s or Bethgons with my Bethlehem’s and still be realistic?
Do all the hoppers in a prototype unit train have the same paint scheme/ road name?
If the answer to number 2 is no, what type of roads mix well, example: can I run my BN hoppers with BNSF wedge logo cars, or leasing agency (any of them) cars?
Eventually I’d like to have a large (75-100 car) coal drag. I figure I’ll work up to it SLOWLY and got my start this past November with the 12 Walthers Gold Line cars I mentioned earlier. I’ve had the power for a while now (an SD70, SD90, AC4400, ect.) but have only been using it to pull boxcars and mixed freights.
Though I have listed 3 questions, anything about Coal Drags would be useful.
I have seen plenty of unit trains with the occasional oddball car, such as a string of private cars all the same color but with one or two older cars of the same company or a few bn/bnsf cars, mostly for what i suspect tonnage or a car with a defect.
I have also seen bn/bnsf unit trains with all kinds of bnsf hoppers in difference paint schemes.
I am going to answer these questions based on some casual observations.
I have never seen coal hopper mixed like you are asking. That doesn’t mean that it may not happen.
I have seen a mix of paint schemes and sometime roads. For example, BNSF has a variety of paint schemes on their hoppers. They mix these quite frequently. I have also seen BNSF cars mixed in with leased cars. Usually a whole unit train of leased cars are rarely mixed in.
Jamie all I get in town is coal drags. One is CSX and the other is NS. They both carry the same cars as far as the company. Sometimes they both will have some Conrail mixed in. Then a few times its a different road name, but all of the cars are the same (look).
I have some videos on youtube (robbyp79) with coal drags, but its like your looking at the same car over and over [:-,].
The answers to my questions probably vary by region.
Car models don’t usually mix within trains.
Car owners/ railroads sometimes mix.
The last one was determined after looking closely at some of Robbie’s video’s and noticing different reporting marks on some of the cars.
Also a few more notes, if you’ve looked at my website you’ve noticed I only have a small switching layout and may be wondering what I plan to do with a large fleet of coal hoppers. Truth is, I’m a high school Junior, so the layout is only temporary until I move out of my parents house. Building a large coal train is a long term goal of mine that I’ve decided to start looking into. Also I love running my equipment on club displays at train shows, and a coal drag would be a nice train to have[:D]. Here’s a video that I found which shows the general feel that I’m trying to create:
Please, keep any other advice you have coming. And feel free to correct me if I’m wrong about anything. Maybe others will benefit from this thread too,
I model the BN from Alliance to Crawford Hill area in the late 80’s to early 90’s Back then Unit Coal was just that, same cars, same road name through out the train. They all seem to be that way on my videos I have of the BN in that era. Up front was typical 3-5 GE U30c’s or C30-7’s and before the run up the hill, a 3 unit team of SD40-2s with a fuel tender would be cut in on the rear. This was all before the age of AC traction and BNSF obviously. With the merger, you will normaly see the same car type and size, but might see a mix of BN, BNSF and ATSF paint schemes depending on the year modeled. But a unit train of all the same lettered cars is more prototypical looking. You wont normaly see a BNSF car in with a pvt unit train heading to a power plant. Many of the larger power plant companies have thier own private rolling stock for each plant that constantly rotate from mine to power plant, sometimes even the power is assigned the whole route unless a break down happens. When we live in Erie, PA, a unit train of bathtub hoppers, pvt reporting marks would come thru once a week, either west or east bound, same trio of BN excutive colors SD70’s on the point. NO BNSF markings what so ever on the power, still fully in BN colors, just the dark green/cream colors. Somehow those units are dodging the paint booth. Go internet railfanning on the BNSF, type in Crawford Hill or Powder River coal trains on youtube and enjoy! Mike
Back after the Norfolk Southern merger, the coal trains going near my parents’ house along the Sandusky line had a mix of not only paint schemes (Southern, N&W, and NS) but different car models as well. Granted, nowadays, the coal trains on that route are all generally the same type.
Just to nitpick a little, a modern unit coal train probably wouldn’t qualify to be a “coal drag”. That term goes back to steam days when a coal train might be a low-drivered 2-8-8-2 plodding along at 15 MPH. Today’s coal trains run at ‘mainline speed’, the ones I see near me are usually running around the posted 50 MPH speed limit.
It’sd definately possible for same body BN and BNSF cars to run togetherm but not BNSF and CSX. I have heard of them replacing a failed car, because I remember seeing them discuss having to turn the replacement hopper so that the rotary coupler was oriented in the right direction. SO there is merit for an oddball in the line-up
I think I’ve seen mixtures of car types on the Indy Power & Light cars, but not commonly.
One thing I’ve heard before to consider, is if the train is being rotary dumped. If it is, you don’t usually want cars of odd lengths anywhere, since that sets up for two cars to be half on the turner, or less, and the whole train ends up on its side. If it;s all the same, then you probably can mix them. But were I you, I’d keep same cars grouped together. Even a foot or two would make a difference
Then again, I want to send these trains down a 6% grade, so there’s a good chance that I’m crazy.