Thought it would be interesting. Forgive me if it’s been asked. Please tell how many, with what engine.
105 cars on the flat, around 24" curves, with a Mantua Mikado remotored with a flat can motor.
I haven’t tried the flats, but I have a Bachmann Jupiter 4-4-0 that can pull 14 cars up a 3.1% grade…next best is a Heisler at 9 cars.
205 cars, Hobbytown PA-1 with metal body and extra lead added everywhere possible. Engine weighed about 3 pounds. Equipped with pittman 7-pole motor. Did it at Greater Gulf State Fair in Mobile, Al 1988. After slack had been pulled out of the train, there was 6" between the back of the caboose and the front of the loco. I felt I could have added more but ran outta track. Train ran for approx 30 mins before gremlins took over and started derailing (stringlining) some of the cars. Still have the loco.
supposedly 54 cars with my B&M P2k GP38-2
I’ve pulled 64 cars with a single Ontario Northland Proto 2000 GP38-2. I might see how much my Athearn Genesis SD75I’s will pull tonight.
I started at least 60 cars on level track with a Y-6b made in the 60’s. Mind ya this was with cars without the metal wheels and refinements we enjoy today.
I have not had the room to really haul out a engine with many cars. I am confident my three BLI steamers triple headed can start any train that could be made up anywhere.
my two ho Proto 2000 sd50’s will pull all the cars i have (188) on our club layout, its flat.
I don’t really know, because I’ve never had enough track setup to hold more than 40 cars. And that’s mostly 40’ and 50’ cars.
The TRIX Big Boy I recently got at a garage sale pulled my 98 cars and another 155 on our club layout (253 total). Now only 17 of my cars have metal wheels & 10 of the hoppers have FULL coal loads. The other 155 cars at the club layout all had metal wheels. We did it on one of the mainline’s that is VERY flat. It started without absolutely NO wheelspin. We didn’t have any more cars left to put behind it other then pasanger cars.
(imatating the Clear Eyes commercial guy) Wow.[:O][wow]
now this is all the cars i had to run at the time. so its not a big deal but my atlis u33c pulled 24 bowser 100 ton 4 bay hoppers with coal loads up a 2% grade on my layout it would have done more if i had more : (
I can only get to 86 before the caboose couples to my trusty old ABB F40. Stupid carpet ovals…
-dave
My HO Rivarossi UP FEF-3 can lug 10 passenger cars up a 3% grade with 18" curves. It can also pull 40 hoppers up a straight 1% grade.
I pulled 68 coal cars with Riverrossi H8 during an open house. The longest straight I have is about 6 feet long in fact that is probably the only straight more than 12 inches. (I model West Viginia)
My best puller is a old Life Like F- unit with traction tires. She can do about 45-50 cars nose to caboose on a temp 4’/8’ with 18" radius turns.She can run the whole train in reverse that way too. (no grade).
How did you get yours to do that? I have the same one and it can’t even get out of it’s own way. Wobbles and derails too. Broken 2 drive shafts already. Don’t want to retire it… It has great sentimental valule to me
once ran a 100 + car train with a couple of athearn locos…made it 3 x around the room before started to fall over on the loop… i suppose my g scale shay could pull lots of n gauge cars if i put them in a g scale gon…peter
It’s a three way tie between 2 Rivarossi Big Boys and a Rivarossi H8 Allegheny at 43 cars each (no metal wheels, 40ft box cars of varying vintage), second place is a late production Rivarossi Challenger. Diesel locos 1st place tie to a Kato SD90/43Mac and an Athearn Blue Box EMD SD40-2 (35 cars ,older vintage, no metal wheels) all these “records” were on a level surface, single locos.
The P2K S-1 I got yesterday pulls the best, the Model Power “Porter Hustler” I got for 11$ with it, doesnt pull can’t pull anything at all (only 1 axle is powered and no weight) but it is really comical to watch it buzz around the basement.
The most I’ve tried so far is 30 freight cars in a mixed train pulled by a single Athearn BB SD40-2.
When I feel like bringing more out, I’ll try more as the EMD wasn’t struggling with any of the grades I have.
Gordon