We run mixed. We don't really have enough freight cars of one kind to run a unit train with the exception of a Milk train. But even then the cars are different.
Some day, when I stop buying the kids trains and I finally get my trains, I would like to get some Chessie engines and pull a unit train full of coal hoppers.
Ron
Unit trains are impressive at first, become boring as more of the same rolls by.
Rusty
Both. Wouldn't have it any other way.
Joe B.
I prefer mixed freight. It is just more visually interesting, and holds peoples' attention longer. I find long unit trains with little or no difference between the cars to be very boring after the first pass. Short special unit trains, like a steel slag car tain, are a little better. Unit trains where the car styles are the same but all the road names are all different are somewhat tolerable to me though (the one exception to this is billboard reefer trains - if all the reefers are different, I actually like this type of unit train). The only uniformity I like to see is with passenger trains.
These are just my preferences, and they pretty much extend to 1:1 trains as well. After the engines and the first few cars go by, my attention starts to wander with unit trains.
Andy
I run my coal train as a unit that's the only one, all others are mixed freight.
Gentlemen,
I run both except for the Christmas Box Car Train, and even then each Christmas Box Car is different in the consist. I actually like work trains the best.
PCRR/Dave
I prefer mixed because I find them a lot more interesting. I prefer the same for real trains for the same reason. I do run either at times. Unit trains, I can do grain, coal with coal porters, car carrier and inter-modal.
Larry
Mixed, with two exceptions. My absolute favorite freight train is a string of Atlas (or K-Line) billboard reefers, pulled by steam of course. The other unit train I like to run is a consist of tank cars. MTH and K-Line have made some very colorful tank cars, and Lionel also made some nice ones several years ago. These are modern cars so they have to go behind diesels.
Mixed. It gives me a good chance to represent fallen flags making up the N&W.
Gilly
I model the PRR in the late 40s, and I will run (once that section is complete) a coal train made up of H21 hoppers between my coal mine and power plant. That will be my only "unit" train. I will also run a block of like cars in my mixed freight. This includes a block of Merchandise Service cars and a block of oil tankers.
Both, trending towards unit.
I run both kinds. My current one is my Tropicana juice train, layouts a bit too small to run all 15 cars but it still looks good. I've run in the past a Virginian rectifier pulling a set of IR VGN hoppers and a Milwaukee RS3 pulling about 20 Milwaukee ore cars. My current quest is to complete my K-Line Santa Fe map boxcar set and get a ATSF steam locomotive to pull it.
Jerry
I prefer long mixed trains both real life and model. I find these trains more appealing from a standpoint of interest. Visitors seem to have fun seeing what kind of car is exiting from the tunnel next!
I do run unit coal trains at times up to 18 cars including some gondolas with coal loads. These trains are usually pulled by a N&W Y6b ( MTH ) at very slow speed with lots of smoke pouring out of the stack. Sometime I double head a 0-8-0 & and a 2 - 8 - 0 ( Lionels ) instead of the Y6b on unit coal trains. At other times I may use a B&O consist of SW 9, RF 16 Sharknose, and a GP9. Other times I use my Canton end cab switcher with a calf unit or two running at very slow speeds.
I also run long unit box car trains ( 15 - 20 cars ) pulled by a Reading or Virginian Trainmaster,or J Class 4-8-4, or Baldwin Demonstrator RF 16 Diesels in AA lashup, or two scale sized GG1s.
Todays running was made up of three mixed freights. One longer train was comprised of two depressed center flat cars with transformer loads, several gondolas with junk loads, tank cars, hopper cars with coal loads, and a single box car. Pulled by a Canton end cab switcher and SW 9 calf.
Todays second trains was comprised of box cars, covered hoppers, tanks, open hoppers with coal loads, an empty flat car, with caboose. Pulled by a Reading Trainmaster
The third mixed freight ( running on the Mountain Division ) was a short train of one flat car of logs, and a tank car, with caboose, pulled by a SW 1 ( Ma & Pa ) All three of these mixed freights running simultaneously was quite an interesting site to behold.
Fun time in Patburg on the Free State Junction RR.
I run both but I actually prefer the unit train. I'm not sure why other than the fact I just think they look neat. Perhaps its the symmetry of a long unit train. Below is an oil/chemical tank unit train pulled by a Lionel Alco C420 in New Haven Livery being paced by a long mixed drag freight headed up by Lionel KCS F3s.
I'm sure that I would have to say that I lean towards the unit trains. I believe that my roots go back to Lionel's postwar catalogs where there in the background of what they were selling sometimes showed unit trains like a long line of Sunoco tank cars. And I have always liked pulling a long line of cars.
I have not had a layout for a number of years now, and my wife wants me to have one. My biggest holdup has been with a bad foot that I have had now going on for 10 months that include a short hospital stay and a couple of procedures up unto today.
I have to say that I envy everyone that has a large layout and can enjoy the pleasure of running trains. Maybe one day this year I will have one too.
And I also know that I may have to make some tough decisions soon on my trains. I'm at a point where I have too many trains. And this is where the unit trains come into play. When Lionel brought out the Ice Cold Express I fell in love with the graphics on the cars, which has turned into a 26 car unit train. But I may have did away with the unit train when I purchased 6 Bowser Ice Cold Express 53' RoadRailer trailers to add to it. But it does not end there with my unit trains, lets just say I have some more and some are longer. And soon I must decide between having all of these unit trains or buying some other trains.
But I also love mixed trains too. My favorite so far has to be my Baltimore Maryland mixed train. Which includes lots of I love Maryland, Old Bay Seasoning, Orioles & Ravens box cars, MD. Crab, Philips Seafood & National Aquarium cars and some others. The train also includes the best way to help wash down those steamed crabs, we then have some Natty Boh cars.
Both, although I tend to run more mixed freights.
I model primarily the PRR steam to diesel transition era. I love running a coal drag pulled by a J-1 ir Mountain. I also love my unit train of mixed or all beer Atlas reefers. That said I have to say I run both unit trains and mixed freight.
On my lower deck I run a 2.5% grade up and over dog bone style layout, most of the trains are unit trains. Certain Railroads sorted their tonnage out west at the base of the mountains before heading over a pass. Allot of the same freight was sorted at the base of the mountain so helpers could be strategically used at a lower cost.
Also, because of the layouts size, I tend to stage trains on and off of the layout.
The upper deck has a high line and a low line. Most all of its operations are used for staging passenger traffic.
Well the CNJ ran long coal drags and I spent the last few months picking up eastern road names so that now I can run a unit train. My train length is limited by the reversing loops but it does make a nice looking train. I like to set this train on cruise and have the commuter trains (passenger) dodge this one. Makes for interesting and fun single operator running.
On my lower deck I run a 2.5% grade up and over dog bone style layout, most of the trains are unit trains. Certain Railroads sorted their tonnage out west at the base of the mountains before heading over a pass. Allot of the same freight was sorted at the base of the mountain so helpers could be strategically used at a lower cost.
Also, because of the layouts size, I tend to stage trains on and off of the layout.
The upper deck has a high line and a low line. Most all of its operations are used for staging passenger traffic.
This sounds like a near perfect operating layout to me. I have got to study your layout more!!
Mixed trains mostly. Once in awhile I put together the half dozen or so coal hoppers I have for a "coal drag" and that is as close to a unit train as I get on my layout!
What about a mixed train of freight and passenger cars?
The postwar freight is mixed while the modern, scale Legacy freights are all unit.
Push comes to shove........mixed for me with a caboose. I do it old school!
About the only unit train I could run is a mail & express.
Regards
Both.
My freight trains are mixed. They consist of about 65% PRR rail cars and the rest are foreign roads.
Generally, the trains in, out, and around Weirton Steel are unit trains (although not modern ones). We run cabin cars! 
IN:
OUT:
LOCAL (Intra-mill):
George
Unit train (1938 version):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp7tNxzwZwI
Mixed train:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9jcCHxhe-8
Unit trains. I think they are a lot more realistic. I particularly like Piztwar traditional size coal dump, oil tanker, boxcar and gondola unit trains. Arnold
Arnold D. Cribari posted:Unit trains. I think they are a lot more realistic. I particularly like Piztwar traditional size coal dump, oil tanker, boxcar and gondola unit trains. Arnold
On what routes serving which industries are box car and gondola unit trains running? Unit trains carry one commodity from one producer to one user. John in Lansing, ILL
Back when I was a kid.Trains I would see was a lot of coal trains in the fall/winter.With a few mixed freights.When spring/summer came it was mixed freights with a few coal trains.I like mixed freights a little bit of every thing.
Is there a minimum number of the same cars to be considered a unit consist? I own only 2 of any particular car but I do own numerous numbers of type of cars, ie tankers, box cars, gondolas.
Paul
Yes.
Serows1 posted:Is there a minimum number of the same cars to be considered a unit consist? I own only 2 of any particular car but I do own numerous numbers of type of cars, ie tankers, box cars, gondolas.
Paul
Paul, I don't know a true definition but at one time the IC dedicated a couple of covered hoppers and an engine to move grain from elevators in Iowa to barges on the Mississippi. Back and forth, back and forth. That must have been a unit train. One commodity from one shipper to one consignee. Not always from the same elevator, but to the trans-loading facility on the river. John in Lansing, ILL
rattler21 posted:Arnold D. Cribari posted:Unit trains. I think they are a lot more realistic. I particularly like Piztwar traditional size coal dump, oil tanker, boxcar and gondola unit trains. Arnold
On what routes serving which industries are box car and gondola unit trains running? Unit trains carry one commodity from one producer to one user. John in Lansing, ILL
Thanks for the info. Now I know more about what a unit train really is.
My freight trains are all mixed freight consists, as the layout represents 1953, when the words "unit train" would have elicited the deer-in-the-headlights look, from the O Gauge West Texans who live in Caprock.
I'll see if I can get a reefer block together today, and maybe a strawberry special made up of Railway Express reefers. Thanks for giving me the idea.
Maybe we did not have Unit Trains before the term was coined, but you did see unit-like trains in the late 40s and 50s that can be modeled. Coal cars, tank cars, boxcars (auto parts and corn before hoppers), hoppers (crops as well as cement), reefers (fresh produce for us easterners), flatcars (military, maybe some industrial equipment), maybe even scrap metal in gondolas.
Its hard to believe this thread started just about 5 years ago. I noticed I replied to it on March 22, 2015 and stated my overall preference for Unit trains. Not much has changed over the last 5 years other than I do run more mixed freight these days just for some added diversity to my operating sessions. Too much of one or the either gets stale after a while. The great thing about this hobby is that there are so many directions you can go in. Unit trains, mixed freight or passenger, Post-war conventional or modern era command control, diesel or steam motive power, operating and/or collecting and I could go on. There is so much diversity that a person would find it difficult to get bored and that is why this is the world's greatest hobby.
I run mixed trains, even my passenger trains contain a milk reefer. I don't think my model railroad is long enough to give justice to a unit train.
I like running long unit trains and shorter mixed freight trains.
Don't know why, I just do
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