# How long is your train?



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

If there is such a thing as average, what is a typical length of a train for you?

I am in HO scale.

Mine is about 20 cars. 

That does not count passenger trains, which, for me, are much smaller in length.


Bill


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## California RailFan508 (Jul 2, 2013)

When I used to run my trains on my old layout (2001-2005), I usually had the locomotive, five to seven freight cars, and then the caboose on the end. This was due mainly to the small size (6' by 8') of the layout and back in those days, I did not own a ton of rolling stock (had 6 K-Line cars, 4 Lionel cars, and 1 MTH car). 

Whenever I do get my future layout plans underway (152'' by 120", perhaps bigger if the room is found for a larger sized layout), I intend to run consists of 12 to 17 cars (not counting the caboose at the end) now that I own 30+ freight cars (along with 4 UP streamline passenger cars for the William E-7 AA I own to pull).


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

5 to 8 , usually, but like cal rail fan said o scale and limited room. Ive ran more and less, also there is big differences in size in o. So somtimes its a lot of little cars other times I break out the big stuff.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

Mister Bill, what scale are your 20 car trains?


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Here is a video of a 56 car train I did on my layout about 6 months ago using DPU on the rear. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfq_29VbCiM

and another long intermodal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yXBjbd4Awo

and another long TOFC train.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAfisIvs984

I don't just tell the stories, I video tape em.


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

12 or so....I try to keep the max length the same as the shortest passing siding.


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## Shadowplayer (Oct 31, 2014)

With my small layout (4.5 x 9) in HO I usually have 2-3 car trains and a couple stationary siding cars to switch in and out.


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

18 to 20 cars plus a caboose looks pretty good on my HO layout, 2 Genesis Geep 9s or Bachman F7ab for power. Never have to run at anything more than 1/2 power on the digitrax command station. Two main lines so passing sidings not a factor. 

MTH ALCO PA PB pulling 9 Athearn BB Southern Pacific Daylight coaches. Long enough to look good but not so long as to cause problems backing up into it's parking siding.

Magic


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## DavefromMD (Jul 25, 2013)

6 to 9 cars on a 4 x 8 double oval with interchange and sidings off the inner oval. I can run 2 trains per oval.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

My layout is built for switching, with four towns on the layout and a total of about 20 industries total on the layout. Passing sidings limit train lengths to a locomotive, 14 cars and a caboose. A usual train is about 10 to 12 cars. Each town purposely had a switching problem built into it, so a local train on the point to point layout can easily take a couple of hours to complete its duties. 

I do have the capability to also run continuously and when my grand kids come over they sometimes want to see a long train, so I'll put a 60 or so car long train together and three locomotives and let them have fun.

I'll do what Ken did. Take a ride on the Logan Valley on the link below.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, my maximum is 115 cars.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Right now I have my pair of GPs at the head of a 17 car mixed
freight with a lighted caboose at the end. They can handle
more than that though.

My shortest passing siding will barely accomadate the
Three car Desert Chief with my paired F7s. I don't try
to shunt the freights into the passing sidings which
usually have a passenger station on them.

Like Chet, my layout has built in switching difficulties.
It took a fun couple of hours to build the freight
above. But oh, to have the room for a layout like
Chet's. 

To make switching even more of a challenge, I'll keep the
freight running continuously on the main thus the switchers
must plan carefully to get their work down and not hold
up the main traffic.

Don


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## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

*How many?*

right now I too have a pair of geeps up front. pulling a drag of 12 coal hoppers. and an e6 atlantic with 2 milk cars and a baggage and 4 coaches on the other main. 
on the narrow gauge I have a climax with 8 skeleton log cars.:smokin:

I can run 40-50 cars on the 3 rail, but it kinda looks like its chasing it's tail:dunno:


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I generally run a 5 car passenger train and freights of 8-10 cars. This way they all fit on my passing tracks.


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

I generally get 15-20 depending on the weight of the cars and power of the locomotive. My record was something near 40.


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Well, my maximum is 115 cars.


Gunrunner is a poster child for "anything worth doing is worth overdoing." I'm glad my car wasn't sitting at that intersection!


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## higgsbosonman (Nov 17, 2014)

I don't know how long the longest train was at the club. we were pulling with five locomotives (all distributed through the train), and it was about fifty or sixty feet long. We learned to never try that again; as we went up the helix, we burned out one of the power boxes in our Lenz system. An EE major breathed life back into it for about a week, but the it pooped out for good.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

My 115 car record run was done on a loop that's about 450 feet long and includes a 2% grade. I wll freely admit that the two locomotives were working their butts off, I was impressed they managed it without help. I think if I did another one like this that I'd probably do it with maybe four locomotives. Perhaps when the other guy in the club with a pair of Legacy U-Boats brings his we can go for a bigger record. 

Most of the cars in the consist were scale cars, I believe around 90 of them. The total length of the train was just short of 100 feet.

The biggest issue with long consists is the couplers opening. Putting the helper locomotive in the middle of the train was to lower the load on the couplers to minimize that issue. We still had to remove a few cars while we were setting up because of coupler issues, I think the run would have had 120 if we had those back.


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## Bone1977 (Jan 17, 2014)

N scale, double loop with the second one being raised and an over/under crossing. My standard train is a modern Coal/Ethanol combo using three Gevo engines, 24 coal cars, and 12 ethanol tankers. I also run 8 auto racks and 6 mixed freight on an SD70Ace engine. I have a double crossover which switches between the nice long main line and a "holding loop". I've yet to build a yard for it so the holding loop running on the inside is my answer. DC layout so thanks to the Double Cross I have my power zones.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

At train shows, I've seen some impressive sized N-scale trains, probably at least 100 cars. I do love the look of long trains, and the great part about N-scale is you can run them on a reasonably sized layout.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Long unit trains on a modular layout are boring. If you're going to run trains at the shows for people to watch and be impressed with, run a mixed freight with detailed open loads.


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## Bone1977 (Jan 17, 2014)

The longest I've put together was around 5 engines and 70+ cars and it was only in a 8x4 space. 

At the Madison WI show last year I saw someone running around 135 cars on a flat layout by a single Big Boy in HO. I believe they had to give it a little push to get it going.

The one I was most impressed with was a group who had a mining themed layout running some early diesels pulling 60+ ore cars. I spoke with the guys running it and they were all hand repainted numbers and some of the best weathering I've seen.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Everyone's entitled to their opinion Ken.  The N-scale layout that I see locally at shows we do is very nicely done with multiple tracks and tunnels and overpasses. While you may find them boring, I know that most of the folks that come to the show are impressed by the display with longer consists running. We get the same reaction when we run the 60 car coal trains on the O-scale modular layout.

That's why they make chocolate and vanilla, flavors for everyone.


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## tooter (Feb 26, 2010)

All my trains are short. 
I have ADD. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlJx707avcg







Greg


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

Passenger 14 heavy weights. Freight, 10 or more as needed.


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## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

HO scale.

2 hoppers, 3 boxcars, 1 dummy F7B, and a GP40 main.

-J.


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## morrjr (Dec 20, 2012)

My longest train is the California Zephyr, which consists of eleven scale length cars pulled by two F3s. The real California Zephyr had eleven or twelve cars (depending on the era), and was pulled by three F3s for most of the journey.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

morrjr said:


> My longest train is the California Zephyr, which consists of eleven scale length cars pulled by two F3s. The real California Zephyr had eleven or twelve cars (depending on the era), and was pulled by three F3s for most of the journey.


My California Zephyr consists of 14 scale length cars pulled by two locos. Don't really care if it's not "real" since it's MY freakin' railroad!
P.S. The wife and I took a trip on the CZ last year and it only had nine cars total behind two locos.


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## irontodd (Aug 28, 2014)

I can't believe it hasn't been said, but I'm pretty sure it's not the length of your train but more in how you use it  

However, my son and I typically run 8-10 cars on the mains, deliver and separate to various unidentifed areas and then pick them up in a different order and/or with a different loco - we call them "puzzles". 

We're working with HO on 4x8 basic double loop, dc, with one spur that's always live - just getting started though, so I haven't nailed anything down nor wired any blocks.The industries are identified only by pieces of 2x4, and our first model building.

the lack of blocks proves to be challenging because we do keep both locos on the track pretty much all the time, so we have to be conscious of there things are going to be on both loops and which way the turnouts are set at all times to prevent collision/derailment.


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## Lester Perry (Nov 7, 2008)

Anywhere from 35 to 80 hopper cars. Depending on destination, oops forgot have one mine run with 14. also around 20 freight cars. My short line is limited to 2 cars plus bobber caboose.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

irontodd said:


> i can't believe it hasn't been said,.............................. Set at all times to prevent collision/derailment.


like!


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## Bwells (Mar 30, 2014)

Irontodd: It sounds like you have a good grasp on MRR and to do DC with 2 trains and no blocks is amazing. I think you will fall into the DCC pit as most of us have. Welcome to the forum!


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## irontodd (Aug 28, 2014)

Bwells said:


> Irontodd: It sounds like you have a good grasp on MRR and to do DC with 2 trains and no blocks is amazing. I think you will fall into the DCC pit as most of us have. Welcome to the forum!


Mostly luck on my side... our two engines that we have today have different stall points, and run at slightly different speeds depending on consist. 

DCC is on my Christmas List


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Gunrunner's train is a distant competitor to this guy...


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## mtoney (Oct 6, 2012)

1 engine, either my 2 truck Shay or Climax and 4-8 log buggies and bobber caboose. Out at the local club, unit coal trains are 16 cars, grain are 12 cars and general freights/transfer jobs vary greatly. Mikie


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