Redesigning my N scale layout. It will have 12 25 foot staging tracks at 26". Main line will be on 2 levels with a length of over 200 feet. Passing sidings will be 10 feet which will dictate the number of cars on the train. I will also run extra long trains that will hold the main as it moves just to make things interesting.
It really depends on your operating preferences.
In my case I’m the sole operator, I’m planning on a meet between a continous run passenger train and a branchline freight turn, so the freight needs to fit into the sidings, as the passenger train obviously has right of way.
I can run longer freights, from staging, through on the main and drop off cuts for the branchline, then continue on into staging, since I don’t plan on having a meet scheduled there.
If you’ll have two trains meet at any time, ONE of them better be able to fit into a siding somewhere, obviously.
On my last layout I had a continuous run main line , and I wanted to try a fifty car train. THe engine could pull the train, nothing came off the track, but the caboose ended up just ahead of the locomotive. Boy, did that look stupid.
my layout is 30 x 20 320 ft mainline i have run 100 car trains…HOWEVER… i find it is a little foolish to do so i find that with a 10 car train there is a chance of a derailment with a 20 car train the chance doubles etc so running very long trains can result in failure i like to keep my trains to only 30 cars and maybe around 15 when others are operating
the type of cars are important too i have a auto train 8x articulated cars and 17 x 89 foot cars they run very good together HOWEVER if i was to mix short cars with long cars the chance of a problem increased… HAZARD X RISK = OUTCOME
My layout is so small.(HO,6ft x 9ft) Only 3 or 4 cars available.
However it has one reverse and one wye.
So, continuous opeation is possible. It is very fun!
I do not have a permanent layout but rather one that can be set up in about 45 mins to an hour. I have 18" radius curves and about 60 feet of track which makes up my one and only mainline. I usually will run two full trains on that main line.
My first train is an intermodal train with two Norfolk Southern Diesels out front (C44-9W and SD 70M) pulling about 20 cars (9 53’ wells and 9 to 12 48’ well cars)
My other train is around 25 cars which is a mixed freight pulled again by two locos AC4400 CSX and a B23 Sanfa Fe.
Could you guys clarify what you mean by passing sidings, I am little hazy as what this means.
Thanks
Will
A passing siding is a siding off of the mainline to accomodate an entire train. One train enters the siding and parks there while waiting another train to pass by. The dispatch center controls the movements of this operation.
Hope this helps.
Scale and layout size are important considerations. Not only does it affect the number and size of towns or passing sidings, it also affects how large a train actually looks “right”. A 20 car train on an HO 4x8 layout would end up taking up half the layout by itself and would look pretty dumb, but on a larger full basement or club layout, a 20 car train looks right at home. At my club layout, which is quite large with long sidings, a large yard and long distances between sidings, our locals run anywhere from 1 or 2 to 20 cars, and mainline trains anywhere from 20-45 cars. The layout is large enough that a 40 car train does not overwhelm the scene and looks “right” in proportion to the layout. Mainline sidings are designed around a 45-50 car train to fit all mainline trains. We’re hoping that we will be able to squeeze 50 cars out of our shortest (mainline) siding, which hasn’t been built yet, but will be soon. The two sidings on our branchline will hold a train of about 20 normal sized cars. (+ caboose and 2 engines)
My last layout was a dogbone built in a “J” shape. The lower level staging was at the top left of the upper cross piece of the “J” it emerged to run along the 25 foot wall on the right and then across the opposite wall to a penninsula rising gradually as it went and interweaving with the lower level to look like it was two railroads competing for the same space. It ended back on top of the starting staging yards with a ballon and a huge pasenger terminal over 12 feet long. It appeared to be a double track road all the way but actually it was one continous loop of track over 280 feet of mainline running divided into 7 40 foot blocks for signalling purposes,
I kept freight trains to 50 cars pulled by ABBA diesel lashups so that a train stopped at a red board wouild not tie up the following block as well. I had a short stopping block preceding each signal to prevent real end collisions. I was able to easily run 5 trains at once, hands off. Minimum radius was 30 inches so running long trains was not a problem,
As I have modeled the Spiral Tunnels and squeezed them into a 12’ X 18’ room in HO scale and to get the desired effect of the train passing over itself, I typically run 15 to 20 cars but I have run as many as 38 using 3 - AC4400’s to haul the load up the 4.25% grade. I will try more cars once I add a couple more Loco’s and have time to speed match them to the other AC4400’s.
I only run a 3x6 continuous loop in N scale, but I can go up to 22 regular sized cars before its too long, that is having the engines almost at the rear of the train.I also have an intermodal train that is just as long but with less cars, still looks convincing.