I would like to know how many passenger cars do you use on your HO passenger trains, and what your maximum of cars is.
For example, my Union Pacific Los Angeles Limited is 17 cars long. But I´m running it for the most time with 13 cars, because with 17 cars coupled on, I really have to move the train at low speeds all the time, so that it doesn´t derail in curves.
I run either 4 36’ Overtons or 3 50’ Overlands behind a old-time 2-6-0 and that is up a 3.7% grade.
It has to do with how good your track is and how long your longest yard track is. 10 to 15 cars (freight) or 7 pass is it for me. Did for the heck of it one time and ran 50 cars with 3 locos. Yes it was chasing it’s tail.
I live in the Chicago area and the largest passenger trains are 7 or so cars long (all double deckers). I dont currently have any passenger cars on my layout but I cant see running more than 3 or 4 cars in one train.
At the moment I have 5 passenger cars and I working on getting milwaukee road Super Dome and with my heavey weight coaches I think it will look really good. I’ve got the units needed to pull the train. 3 milwaukee road F7’s A-B-A from Athearn Genesis and with that super dome and the sky top lounge it will look good.
James
I typically run 12-14 passenger cars, 50-ish freight for my “big” trains. I run these lengths because they work in the context of my layouts size & radii, and don’t pu***he limit (i.e. don’t run into derailing, decoupling issues).
Yes, I have run much, much longer trains just on a ‘what can I do’ basis… But that’s not relevant, I think, and throwing those numbers out starts to smack of "mine is bigger.'…
Besides, some Guinness-book wannabees can always lay down a football field length of track, consist 37 locos with 1,342 cars and get them to move on down the line for a few feet or yards… So what. It’s what you can run reasonably and regularly that I see as “maximum”
I run 3-4 car passenger trains. If I had space for the 5-6 car trains of the MBTA…ahhhh
3 for my layout but only own 2 that run 1 that has horn hook and having hard time getting the correct knuckle coupleers
That is an interesting question? It depends on what gauge one is working in. One could conceivably run 18 car passenger trains in N Gauge in a reasonably sized layout. Cut that to maybe 10 in HO and then 6 in O gauge, mostly because of room considerations. Back in 1949, or thereabouts, I was modelng in 2 rail O Gauge because of my Lionel heritage. Til one day lightning struck. MR ran an article showing an HO layout with 18 car passenger trains (just like the Pennsy and New Haven ran) and I was convinced. I had previously derided HO as the “jewelers gauge” as many did in those days. Within a month I sold all of my O Gauge, lock stock and barrel, and used the money to buy three times as much in HO. I’ve never looked back. Now, I too can run 18 car passenger trains, just like the real railroads did.
Ain’t model railroading fun?
I have three Harriman cars, one being a combo. I’d like one more to make it more prototypical; a diner. I also have two older wooden cars that my White Pass Mike tows up the mine spur as an excursion…for diversion. Hey, that rhymed.
BigRusty, that sounds great! 18 or 20 cars would be perfect in my eyes. and do run your 18 car train at high speeds thru curves or do you have to slow down??? On my layout, I´ve got VERY sharp curves and steep grades (5-6%), so slowing down with 17 cars is a must for me.
For my HO layout 8 or 9 passenger cars is probably the limit, mostly due to the length of the tracks in my staging yards. I could run a longer train, but I couldn’t park it anywhere.
i hope to run 10 pasenger cars- i have the life-like amtrak 65’ lighted cars and i plan on getting more of them (used) i’ll get as many as my FP7 pulls around my SHARP 18" curves, i may even use 2 or 3 engines and pull a lot more.
4 cars, which is all I’ve got of my old aluminum Mantua streamliners. The train is pulled by a single powered F7 (Milwaukee) and usually has dummy A-unit. According to the shipment tracking, there’s a B-unit waiting when I get home. For my 5x12 foot HO layout, this is about as long a train as I can run without being silly.
Longest consist (runs as two scheduled trains) - the night mail, 7 20-meter cars plus a DD51 class (B-2-B) diesel-hydraulic loco. Maximum grade 30/1000 (3%), which is no strain on the loco, but there IS strain on the siding length at the one visible station.
My passenger train is a TT GP9 and 3 cars - Looks good and the GP9 has sound!
Jim
10 Heavy weights with a few express reefers. All pullman with associated diner, baggage etc… some coaches provided for troops as well as day trippers.
The train has been forecast to be completed in early 2006 with the last of the releases from walthers.I have the T-1 assigned to this service with a PRR M1a helper for the summit.
I try to keep my passenger cars in the 10 - 12 car range. My Empire Builder I am assembling will be the longest at 13 cars.
James