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This is in Harry's basement, what you see are a couple of the modules that we take around to shows with the modular club.  That bridge was all hand carved by Harry, it is an impressive structure.  Heavy sucker as well!

 

We had some problems with the couplers walking up and over the other one, at one turn Harry was poking them down as they came around the bend.  I was surprised that we never had a stringline crash on some of the loops.

 

Lee, the powered units did better than I would have expected starting it out.  Pulling on the 65 cars by hand, you could tell that starting was going to be an issue, it took some force to get them moving!

 

I think the next attempt is for 100+ with a couple of helper locomotives.

 

Lee, Harry probably has a few hundred more on the shelves, we have plenty of cars to toss into the mix.   We're a long way from the record, but it was a lot of fun.  You can stand in one end of the layout where it snakes around and see cars on three different tracks all part of the same train.  When all the modules are connected in the basement there, we have one really long continuous track, probably about 400 or more running feet of track.  So, there's room for a larger consist.

 

Laz, the club meets in Sellersville, around 30 miles north and a little west of Phila.

That's my kind of fun! Sometime this year, I'm going to try to get a nose-to-tail consist running on the club layout. I'm thinking three engines; located at the front, middle and end of the train.

 

As for starting a long consist, it helps to back up first. That compresses all of the couplers. Then when you start forward, you're pulling the slack out one car at a time. Also (and I see you did this) putting the light cars at the end is the way to go.

 

Peter turned me onto the rubber band trick for holding the couplers closed. I have located some small rubber bands at a local craft store that look very promising for use as "Kadee" rubber bands.

 

Gilly

I was surprised it was up to the task, I actually had it smokin' around for a spell, but that was hard on the couplers and I had to go back and pick up some cars several times.  At a slower pace, the couplers were holding on.  We just had one place where there's obviously a bit of uneven track and a curve, the couplers were walking up on a few cars.

 

Next attempt will be with some helpers, maybe four or five locomotives.

 

John:

Ever since I saw the "99 Reefers of Ale on the Rail" Video I have been wanting to do a 100 car consist.

I am hopeful the Imperial Big Boy can pull it. 2 motors and 4 traction tires in a 12 pound Shell makes for a lot of pulling power.

I just need a loop of track big enough to get it all on the rails.

 

Ah, I also bunched the slack on the 58 car consist for startup, makes a world of difference.

Last edited by Russell

For 100 cars, I'm guessing you may need more locomotives.  It's not only pulling power, but the possibility of overloading the locomotive.  The four motors (8 traction tires) had their hands full pulling those 65 cars, I probably should have had a helper or two.  I think the Imperial Big Boy would have had real problems pulling the cars. When we go for a larger consist, we'll be adding engines.

 

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