Forced Perspective & Trains

I have a few tricks that I use to make my trains seem longer.  I run only scale equipment on my layout.  I use quite a few 40' and shorter cars. This allows me to put more cars in a train.  I also use shorter locomotives.  Most of my roster is 4 axle units, but I do have some six axle SD35's.  These have a shorter wheelbase yet give the look of a larger SD40.  I have arranged my scenery into vignettes which act as windows that the trains are traveling through.  Lastly, I run my trains fairly slow.  The more time it takes for a train to pass through a vignette, the longer it seems.

Tom

My mind's eye sees strings of the same type rolling stock in the same livery (even if road numbers must be repeated) making trains look longer.  Think boring versus the real life consists with variety that are fun to watch.

What, me worry?  

I have 18" Milwaukee passenger cars.  I have an Imperial Hiawatha engine.  The Imperial is compressed in length and appears to be too short for the 18" cars.  I also have a Milwaukee express reefer which is 15" long (and would prototypically be at the head of a passenger consist).  The reefer has the same color scheme as the engine and cars.  I put the reefer between the engine and the baggage car and it completely changed the appearance of the engine being too small.

Redshirt, I do a similar thing as you with scale equipment.  My largest engine is a 2-8-0, my diesels are all first generation 4-axle.  My hoppers are all two bay, and my boxcars and reefers are all 40' or less.  It certainly makes the layout seem larger.  I also run fairly short trains as well to convey a larger layout.