how many cars do you pull?

For me, small layout = short trains.  Passenger four scale not cars max, freight six or seven cars including caboose because without a caboose it's not a train!

 

Pete

Me and my dad have a fairly large layout about 12' x 40 and we try to limit the length of the trains to about 18-22 cars. It seems if the trains get to long there is problems with coupler knuckles opening up.

I've pulled 53 6464 sized boxcars (well 52 and a caboose) with a single Legacy diesel.  I did have a couple of couplers give me issues, so I replaced those cars with different ones.  There was only about three feet from the nose of the engine to the caboose, so I figured that was long enough!

We pulled over a hundred cars in the driveway! With 2 MTH Yellowstones.

No fair, you have a longer track than I do!

I'm not sure how many cars most of my locos can pull - I would assume a lot more than I ever have, though.

 

I like trains with about 15-18 rolling stock plus caboose, or about 9 -10 passenger cars.  Trains of that length look good on my layout.   

I normally run about 25 cars at our club/museum layout, behind a large steamer or multi-unit diesel, but most any high-end steamer or four-motor diesel combination will pull 40 or more. I usually hold switchers and small steam to a dozen or so, but once again, the engine will pull more. Once in a while I'll feel like putting on a bigger show and run 40-50 cars with big motive power. Couplers popping open can be a bigger problem than pulling power. 

 

One note of caution - there are some older units out there whose motors or electronics will not stand up to sustained use with big loads. The K-Line scale steamers are known for having small motors that can burn out if you run them for a long time with more than 15-20 cars. And anything with QSI or Proto-1 electronics has a power supply that isn't up to heavy loads. The boards can heat up and melt the diodes. I've seen it happen at least twice. Check out The Scaled Tin Rail website for complete information on this issue, as well as a reasonably priced upgrade if you want to improve the current-handling capabilities of these boards. 

My work train is 2 cars.

 

All other trains, except 2, a 4 car C&O Steam passenger train and another 4 car N&W Coal Train with the Imperial Y6B, are 3 car trains not including the caboose. 

I rarely go over 6 cars, plus caboose and engine.  My 12x12 layout has a 1/3 scale mile long mainline and my yard and sidings can only hold so many cars.  If I need more I can run another train

I am like most and stick with smaller trains.  Usually no more then 8 freight cars and a caboose behind a steamer or 3 scale size passenger cars.   When I add my staging yard under my layout this winter I will plan to pull much longer trains once in awhile but not often.  It would be a train that pulls onto my layout runs through my town then off the layout.  

Can't remember how many cars it was, but my Lionel JLC GG1 pulled a 50' long military train on my club's layout.  Plenty of diecast vehicle loads too.  Even with a 9 pound engine and 2 motors it struggled a bit.  Looked really cool though.

Wow, good to find out about the proto 1 issue. My 2-8-8-2 and my 6-8-6 turbine are proto 1. 

My turbine pulls 6 railking passenger cars, 5 of which are lighted. Should that be ok for it?

My layout is only 6x18, and the lower loop hosts my turbine, the upper is currently hosting my new mallet with 10 cars including the caboose. Any longer then that and it looks silly due to the size of the layout.

My shelf layout I hooked my remote commander up and am now running my only proto 2 loco, a 2-8-0 pulling 9 cars including the caboose.

I was just curious what the engines were designed or capable of doing.

Good luck with the MTH S2 pulling.. talked to gunnerjohn and he got rid of his MTH S2 because it was lousey at pulling.. just found out 18 cars my 3rd rail S2 was struging to pull them..Got My 3rd rail S1 6-4-4-6 pulling them with ease.. I saw a youtube video a guy running a MTH S1 duplex pulling 99 coal hopper cars up a grade..struggled a bit because he'd oiled his wheels on the engine=slippery tracks.but it did going up that grade to pull..I was wondering what truck setup should I run,? wanted no drag to them.. that would really help in your engine to pull more freely..heres that video..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4kiGWWQNAc&feature=related

Nah...  you could have added a couple more cars.  

On my layout, I have to stick with the shorter trains (5-6 cars).  On my test loop (11x7), I sometimes let the train chase its tail.

I built some ceiling loops so I could run some really long trains, 120 diameter curves help. 12 feet across and 24 feet long big oval around this space near the ceiling. Have had trains with caboose nearly touching the front loco. Run some big steamers alone with long strings of cars.

passenger loop have an ABA set 2 powered pulling 24 car passenger train 72' cars.

 

On the lower level I increased the # of loops around the area back and forth some tighter curves 0-42 but with diesels throughout the train have run 50 car trains.

 

Lots of fun when they just keep coming. At a train show one time I had locos throughout a long train with both ends connected no space running in a huge oval.

With the DCS lashup's easy to run multiple engines and keep them all to same speed.

Well when I pull fright cars around 30-40 cars on a normal run and passenger trans around 2 boxcars and 10 - 15 passenger cars. It is nice to see long trains running by.

 cant wait till we get our modular section running to see what we can pull.

 the club layout hooks up to my layout.

A train is not a train withoput a caboose.  Even on pass trains?

I love my mth s2. I got the dealer appreciation model. Picked it up a year ago and have no complaints. I've had 20 cars behind mine just to see if it could and I had no problems. I have no grades though, just winding curves. Sorry to hear you didn't like yours. The s2 is my favorite locomotive of all.

What sparked the question was when I kept adding cars to my 2-8-8-2. With over 30 cars on it, it still only took 5 volts to run at a roughly 30-40 scale mph. Most of my other locos take more voltage as the car load increased

Max 6 AL cars with a W/WBB 6 axle diesel.  Enough for 6'x9'

mine I was pulling 50+' 2 rail box cars..there are some weight to them.. 4 are wooden kits..like running the 2 rail cars because there more truer size for my O scale S2 and S1..Im a 12X18 around the living room.. father inlaw gets a kick out of it running..I may have to proubley add weights to my S2 and has 4 traction tires too .. proubley did that because Lionels S2 didnt and it was a horrable puller too.Would like to have traction tires on my S1 and I bet it would make it a really super puller too.. S1 has bigger wheels for traction compaired to the small wheels on the S2..S2 is some what a favorite but I love my S1 unskirted and would love to have a Q2 would be my favorite steam engine of all time..

That thing could barely pull it's tender around on tubular track!  It wasn't much better on Fastrack, so it was history.   Mine was the 30-1149-1 model, they also made a bantam model of the same engine, don't know anything about that one.

At open houses, I use to enjoy running trains of 40 feet or longer (usually about 30+ cars and three locomotives), but it tended to monopolize the mainline. I usually keep the cars down to 10 or less and two 4-axle locomotives. Probably going to run a 20-car hopper train at the open house this weekend.

I will check what number my s2 is. I never ran it on tubular track. But it pulls great on gargraves track. For what its worth my dads post war 671 will pull 8 postwar cars on the gargraves track and I've put 15 modern cars behind it on occasion for short trips. Sounds like I need to put some trains on my shelf layout and snap a few quick videos.......

 everyone I can get my hands on!!!

I would think as long as the wheels could slip, you would be OK. If you add too much weight to an engine to increase pull, something would have to give! I would expect that a traction tire would let go, or you would test the warranty service. I try to add engines as helpers the way a real train would. Not for braking, to lighten the load that each engine sees. Forty a piece sounds good.

 I will try a 100+ car in my next video. I've been collecting.... I've lost count. Back to the basement after a season outside!!!!! Then I'll remember what I've acquired.

Last year: (click pic for video on bottom of page)

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/d...rue#9736788334815329

Gunner,I was wonder. I bet the tubular tracks the tops are round=less wheel covage to the track compaired to like gargaves and fast track the the tops are flat=more wheel suface gripping the track.... would like sombody to do a test with one engine with 2 different tracks to see if im wright about the tracks?Im running on tubula tracks,thats all I can aford for now..until I can buy fast track or gargaves track..

The longest I run is twelve 21" passenger cars. They are GGD cars and are on the heavy side but really look great on the layout.

 

I would guess that the equivalent in weight in rolling stock would be over 50 cars.

Funny that you mentioned K-Line Scale Steamers: A few months ago I was pulling a 50 car train with my B&O K-Line Scale Mikado, I ran it for over and hour and ****ed if the motor didnt smoke and become inoperable.

 

I regularly pull 30-50 cars, I like long trains, I am happy to have a layout large enough to do this on.  

 

Problems with long trains:

 

opening couplers, my solution: wire ties or twist ties

 

traction tires popping off, my solution: replacing the tire

 

 

Well, since it didn't do much better on Fastrack, that was the last straw!   For a really large and heavy (over 12 pounds for engine/tender), it has pretty small wheels, and it just wasn't all that impressive in performance, at least for me.  I did like the looks of it, and it certainly had a different sound, but if it can't pull the freight, it's gone!

I just swapped my shelf back to conventional power. Put the 671 on track with 20 cars. The flats are loaded heavy with diecast tanks and hummers and I threw the k5 on as well. Took off with no wheel slip and pulled my 2.5% grade through the turn with no issues.

Next up was my mth turbine #20-80002l. Identical size as the 671. I think its from 2002, ps1 equipped so I'm nervous to pull loads now....lol. it also performed flawless, no slip, no slides, no sluggishness on the grade and low voltage as far as I'm concerned for a small loco.

671: http://youtube.com/watch?v=FUQS3Z6ncw0

6200: http://youtube.com/watch?v=m0aX7KxZqjU

I'm currently pulling 40 scale freight cars with my Lionel UP H7.

your S2 6200 is the batam.. not like gunnerjohns semi scale MTH turbine..Mine is the Big O gage 3rd rail.  My cars size are like the first 2 you have hooked to your tender..2 hooper cars and 3 gonzolas with a UP smoking cabooe to boot..Still thinking on adding lead weights inside the S2 boiler for better traction..Oh I forgot to put my lead weight back into my S1 boiler..!!Hummm I better put that back in,thats if I can find it?..one another note.. the MTH batam is the same as lionels 671..in my opion. same shells and design..

They are very similar, the mth has more "bells and whistles" to it....hahahaha, a train pun........  but I really love both, mainly because they are the s2, the baddest locomotive ever built. 

The info about the imperial version is disapointing. I have been debating buying one for its semiscale size and proto 2 or 3. I like being able to sit back in my recliner and use the little remote.

Yes Matt enjoys running the monster 40 footer, but the apprentice "enjoys" unpacking and packing up the monster train!..I disagree with your choice of trains for open house, Bring something like the CNW Stream-lined Hudson, commuter train, don't even think about bringing Metrolink!    -Apprentice.

somebody offer to sell me one on this site,but didnt want it because,#1 the headlight is out of perporion..the healight is way to big on it=more O gage scale size and on that small engine it looks like a big zit..#2 the drive wheels and trucks are small for that size..#3 there pulling power is lousey...Those are The reasons they dont resell to well on ebay or any of the train auctions sites.. the most they go for it 175,,been mostly seeing them go for 145.00..
I do love the O gage scales versions for there looks! My 3rd rail I'd been moditfing adding extra details that 3rd rail didnt put on it plus adding proto sound and fan driving smoke unit..On MTH wedsite there pics of there semi scale S2 is very miss leading=not good for business!  That pics there showing is Lionels scale S2 turbine!

Here's a 30ish car train with 3 engines Dione as a TMCC MU. Each die cast vehicle adds the weight of another car to the load. The 2 ALCO units could do it.....but the addition of the GG1 really helped.

 

Peter

 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3XoNCQ6CpOY

 

A good point about diecast autos and particularly military loads.  Its weight that really determines things, I think.

 

I was really surprised when I made a war train with about fifty die cast tanks, jeeps, trucks, etc., generally two per flatcar, plus about seven other cars.  I had maybe 32 rolling stock in total but it was way heavier than anything else I had every run.  At first I used an A-A F3 set hich had both units powered - but that had trouble getting it moving smoothly/quickly.  It required my adding a powered B unit, too, or even better was a set of four BEEFs (total of eight small motors) that had been bolstered with six ounces of extra weight each.   

  I have small steam locomotives and small to medium size diesels. These are generally short trains.  I aim to keep  length and size of train proportionate to the size of the locomotive.  For example one Lionel Docksider pulls three MTH Overton cars.  Or an Atlas GP15 pulls six Railking cars and a Railking bay window caboose.

 

   I've seen a 3 unit MTH Union Pacific E8 set pull about 3 or 4 O27 cars.  Looked silly to me.  This was at a model railroad display in a mall. This was at Christmas time and the display was sponsored by a club.