At what size of train does a typical scale articulated start to "feel" its load?

Back in the days when I still had my 11' X 32" layout, my N&W"A" (TMCC/Lionel) didn't even breath hard with 32 PS-1 boxcars on the rear coupler; I did NOT however, have any grades involved.

I’d say 40-50 cars depending on the manufacture.   Layout has a lot to do with it too.   Track curvatures and Grades I’ve pulled 80 cars with a vision big boy no problem at all.    100 cars is very doable.   I’ll pull 50-60 with a scale 2-8-4. Without issues.   

If I run my MTH Triplex out back without many cars, the road foreman will yell at me to bring more to the task. Back when I made my first videos of the full yard layout, I had a certain amount of cars to use (maybe 50?). As I acquired more cars, more things went wrong like broken couplers or ones that would drop out under the load. So I would distribute power thru the train to get it up the hills' 2% grade. I had to go thru my fleet and upgrade most stock couplers or their mounts.

 One thing I noticed that no matter how many cars I got together, this Triplex would pull it. On my RR, it never ran out of steam!

So I should try it again with more cars that I now have. It just gets so expensive trying to get the fleet all uniform. It's easier to keep the trains shorter, or distribute the power. Our road foreman (above video) wants them all and had to learn that they just don't all get along!

I've pulled 70 cars with the VL-BB, including a 2% grade.  With the dual-motored diesels, I'd say around 50 is a practical limit.  I once pulled 115 cars with a pair of Legacy U-Boats, but they were certainly working near capacity!  However, they still ran fine after the experiment, so they were up to the task.

Engineer-Joe posted:

If I run my MTH Triplex out back without many cars, the road foreman will yell at me to bring more to the task. Back when I made my first videos of the full yard layout, I had a certain amount of cars to use (maybe 50?). As I acquired more cars, more things went wrong like broken couplers or ones that would drop out under the load. So I would distribute power thru the train to get it up the hills' 2% grade. I had to go thru my fleet and upgrade most stock couplers or their mounts.

 One thing I noticed that no matter how many cars I got together, this Triplex would pull it. On my RR, it never ran out of steam!

So I should try it again with more cars that I now have. It just gets so expensive trying to get the fleet all uniform. It's easier to keep the trains shorter, or distribute the power. Our road foreman (above video) wants them all and had to learn that they just don't all get along!

Well that sure looks like a BUCKET OF FUN!!! 

I have a small layout with no grades but my collection of 12 mth die cast hoppers is the train that separates mice from men. Lionmaster a, no problem but it is working hard! Most mth diesels also ok. Williams dash 9 and any postwar or non traction tire engine need not try.

Good question Patrick.  I figured someone from NJHR would have an an answer, they definitely have the real estate and Ben stepped up with a great video.

I run 40 cars behind the VL Big Boy. It started to give me trouble. It would loose signal when it got hot. I had to change the board. I run 48 coal hopper behind a pair of Legacy diesels. Most times on the same line at the NJHirailers layout

Jim D.

Did it work better with the new board?  I didn't have any issue with overheating, ran for about half an hour with 70 cars.

For me, 60 MTH 4 Bay Hoppers and we start to have difficulty pulling them all through multiple curves..... with the Atlas O diecast fish belly hoppers - more like 32.... 

The die cast cars are good for smaller trains   If you plan on running  long train put the die cast cars on the shelf  I found the best cars to put in long trains are the older Atlas cars  I have run the H21 hoppers and the 55 ton hoppers in trains over 100 cars    We have alot of grades so this was with multiple engines.  The longest single engine trains I pulled were with an MTH Triplex 60 cars and an MTH Yellowstone  80 ore cars.   I found that Atlas engines have that problem with heating up after awhile and start slowing to a crawl

This is a Y6B and two Alleghenies pulling 94 hoppers

In the real world larger steam engines had bigger fireboxes and boilers so more power. In the model world the biggest engines all pretty much have the same motor, one large Pittman. I found it interesting Lionel's Vision Big Boy has a large Pittman even though for a few years prior they had swtched to Canons in other steam. That should say something about the Pittman quality and torque.

I wonder if a large Pittman equiped 4-8-4 could pull as much or more than an articulated. Are the extra traction tires on the articulated enough to overcome the added friction of the second gearbox and bearing friction vs the lighter Northern?

Pete

Pete  I believe the term " Where the rubber meets the road" applies   I realize they are the same motor but I feel the more driving wheels there are the more you can pull

Norton posted:

I found it interesting Lionel's Vision Big Boy has a large Pittman even though for a few years prior they had swtched to Canons in other steam. That should say something about the Pittman quality and torque.

I've had three of the Canon motors croak in Legacy steam in the past several years.  Two of them failed dead shorted and took out the RCMC with them!  I'm totally unimpressed with the Canon replacement, bring back the Pittman motors please!

I did finally have a failed Pittman in a 2-rail locomotive, first time I've ever had a failure of one of those.

Norton posted:

I wonder if a large Pittman equiped 4-8-4 could pull as much or more than an articulated. Are the extra traction tires on the articulated enough to overcome the added friction of the second gearbox and bearing friction vs the lighter Northern?

Pete

My MTH Premier GS4 (which has a Pittman motor) has pulled 18 15" aluminum passenger cars with ease. Seems like it could pull more no problem.

These engines can pull these long loads, but doesn't that eat traction tires?

Alan

ajzend posted:

These engines can pull these long loads, but doesn't that eat traction tires?

Alan

Any operation of your engine eats traction tires   They stretch  They dry out and you replace them   If you dont have good trackwork they will go faster  And yes if you tend to pull long trains they will go faster too

Yep, after this one ran a while, the traction tires did show some signs of the run.  They had a bunch of tiny "orange peel" divots out of them from the track joints.  Any wide track joint will show up under heavy load.