How Many Unit Trains Do you Have?

This video shows 2 unit trains running simultaneously on my layout: a boxcar unit train and an oil tanker car unit train:

Arnold

I always run "unit trains." I can run two at once and keep three others on sidings ready to go. I also enjoy running

"product" trains, for example, with eight quad hoppers or eight tankers  (Sorry no pictures).

Rick

Baltimore & Ohio Freight

Baltimore & Ohio GP-7 [Blue]                K-Line       

Baltimore & Ohio Automobile [Blue]                Lionel 6468

Baltimore & Ohio Automobile [Blue]           Lionel 6468

Baltimore & Ohio Automobile [Blue]                Lionel 6468

Baltimore & Ohio Double-Door [Blue & Yellow] +box Lionel 7102

Baltimore & Ohio [Silver]                   Lionel 9701        

Baltimore & Ohio Automobile Double-Door [Black]    Lionel 9210

Baltimore & Ohio [Silver]                     Lionel 16639      

Baltimore & Ohio 2-Bay Covered Hopper        K-Line       

Baltimore & Ohio Caboose                   K-Line

Burlington Freight

Burlington Northern GP-20                  Lionel 6-8957

Burlington Gondola [Green]                  Lionel 9141

Burlington Gondola [Red] +box                  Lionel 16355      

Burlington [Red]          Lionel 19217         

Burlington Route of the Zephyr [Red]        Lionel 6-19217   

Burlington Stock Car CB&Q [Green]                  K-Line       

Burlington Stock Car CB&Q [Green]                  K-Line       

Burlington Northern Covered Hopper [Green]           Lionel 6-6101     

Burlington Northern Reefer [Yellow]             K-Line

Burlington Quad Hopper [Black]          Williams    

Burlington Maintenance Caboose [Green]                 Lionel 6-6427     

Chesapeake & Ohio Freight

Chessie GP-38 [Yellow]          Williams

C&O [Blue/Yellow]          Lionel 9706

C&O [Blue/Yellow]                   Lionel 6-9426     

Chessie Long Gondola [Blue/Gray]       Lionel 6-6208     

Chessie [Yellow]          Lionel 6-36223   

Chessie System [Blue]           Lionel 7910

C&O Waffle-Sided [Blue]          Lionel 6-15002   

C&O 2-Bay Hopper [Yellow]                  K-Line         

Chessie WM Covered Hopper [Yellow/Black]    Lionel 6-9265     

Chessie 4-bay Covered Hopper [Black/Yellow]  Atlas 

C&O Caboose [Blue]          Lionel 16536      

Conrail/Central New Jersey Freight

Conrail Diesel [Blue]                Williams

Conrail [Blue]                          Lionel 9785

Conrail [Brown]                         Lionel 6-9400     

Conrail [Brown]          K-Line CR2000

Conrail [Brown]          Lionel 6-9037

Central Railroad New Jersey [Dark Green]      Lionel 6-9787     

Central Railroad New Jersey [Dark Green]        Lionel 6-9787     

Central Railroad New Jersey [Dark Green]           Lionel 6-9787     

 “I Love New Jersey” [Green/Gold]          Lionel 6‑19909   

Conrail Caboose [Blue/Black]               Lionel 9186

Denver & Rio Grande Freight

Rio Grande Alco [Yellow]                                       Lionel 6-34500         

D&RGW Tanker [Orange]                  MTH 

D&RGW Cookie Box [White]               Lionel 9406

D&RGW Rio Grande [Silver/Red]          Lionel 9714

D&RGW [Orange]          Lionel 6-9705

D&RGW [Yellow/Silver]          Lionel 9739

D&RGW Tanker [Orange]          MTH 10017

D&RGW Covered Hopper [Orange]                 Lionel 6-9112     

D&RGW Covered Hopper [Orange]                 Lionel 6-9112     

D&RGW Covered Hopper [Black]          Lionel 6-16416   

Rio Grande Caboose [Orange]          Lionel 9007

Great Northern Freight

Great Northern RS-3 [Green/Orange]          Lionel 6-18843   

Great Northern [Green]                  MTH 

Great Northern [Green]          Lionel 39195      

Great Northern [Teal]           Lionel 9206

Great Northern [Green]          Lionel 9339

Great Northern Double Door [Orange/Black]            Lionel 19205      

Great Northern [Silver]          Lionel 19240      

Great Northern [Dark Green/Orange]            Lionel 6-9449     

Great Northern Western Fruit Express [Yellow] +box Lionel 6-9819

Great Northern Tanker [Green]            Rail King 6510    

Great Northern Hopper     [Robin Blue]          Lionel 9011

Great Northern Covered Hopper [Brown]         Lionel 6-6102

Great Northern Covered Hopper [Gray]       Lionel 6-19304   

Great Northern Flatcar with trailers [Green]    Lionel 6-9282

Great Northern Square Window Caboose [Red/Black]        Lionel 26543

Minneapolis Freight

Minneapolis & St. Louis RS-3           Lionel 6-30155E 

Minneapolis & St. Louis [Dark Green]          Lionel 9742

Minneapolis & St. Louis [Dark Green]          Lionel 9742

Minneapolis & St. Louis [Red]          Lionel 69775      

Minneapolis Northfield Southern [Blue/Brown] Lionel 6-9480     

Minneapolis & St. Louis Hopper [Teal]          Lionel 9011

Minnesota, Dakota, and Western MD&W [White]     Lionel 6-9416     

Minneapolis & St. Louis Covered Hopper [Red]  Lionel 6-9213     

Minneapolis & St. Louis Bay Window Caboose [Red]   Lionel 6-9271     

New Haven Freight

New Haven Alco [Black/Orange]                  Lionel 6-18922   

New Haven [Black]                  Williams

New Haven Double Door [Orange/Black]      Lionel 6-9719     

New Haven [Black/Orange]          Lionel 19218      

New York, New Haven and Hartford [Green]            Lionel 16238      

New York, New Haven and Hartford [Green]          Lionel 16238      

Providence & Worcester [Red]              Lionel 6-9415     

New Haven Illuminated Bay Window Caboose [Brown]      Lionel 6-9272

New York Central Freight

New York Central GP-7 [Black]          Lionel 18513      

New York Central Cattle Car [Yellow]             Lionel 9773

New York Central Cattle Car [Yellow]              Lionel 63561      

New York Central Reefer [Green]                   K-Line       

New York Central Gondola [Green]        K-Line       

New York Central Gondola with white rock load [Red]        Lionel 6462

New York Central Gondola with white rock load [Black]     Lionel 6462

New York Central Gondola with lumber load [Black]  Lionel 6462

New York Central Gondola with coal load [Black]      Lionel 6462        

New York Central Gondola with coal load [Black]      Lionel 6462

New York Central Gondola with wood poles load [Black]    Lionel 6462

New York Central Pacemaker [Gray/Pink]              K-Line       

New York Central Pacemaker [Gray/Pink]              K-Line       

New York Central 4-Bay Covered Hopper [Green]     Industrial Rail

New York Central Bay Window Caboose [Green]       

New York Central Illuminated Caboose [Light Blue]   Lionel 36542      

Norfolk & Western Freight

Norfolk & Western BEEP [Black]         RMT 

Norfolk & Western [Blue]                     Lionel 9205 DF         

Norfolk & Western [Blue]                   Lionel 9215 DF

Norfolk & Western [Brown]                   Lionel 9704 DF   

Norfolk & Western [Brown]                  Lionel 9704 DF         

Norfolk & Western [Blue]                      Lionel 6-9771DF 

Norfolk & Western [Brown]                   Lionel 57490      

Norfolk & Western Covered Hopper [Blue]               Lionel 9135

Norfolk & Western Caboose [Black]                 Lionel 9182        

Penn Central Freight

Amtrak Alco [Silver]          Lionel 8936

Penn Central [Green]                Lionel 9211        

Penn Central [Green]           Lionel 9716

Penn Central Hi-Cube [Green]           Lionel 6-9603

Penn Central [Green]                  Lionel 9749

Penn Central 2-Bay Covered Flexi-Flow Hopper        K-Line

Penn Central Covered Hopper [Tuscan]          Lionel 9263

Penn Central Caboose          K-Line       

Pennsylvania Freight

Pennsylvania RSD-4 [Dark Green]          Lionel 6-18832   

Pennsylvania [Dark Green]                  Lionel 6-19202   

Pennsylvania [Tuscan]                          Lionel 3484

Pennsylvania Don’t Stand Me Still! [Silver]               Lionel 24270      

Pennsylvania [Dark Green]                  Lionel 15082      

Pennsylvania [Dark Green]                  Lionel 6-19212   

Pennsylvania Don’t Stand Me Still! [Tuscan]          Lionel 6-19212   

Pennsylvania Don’t Stand Me Still! [Tuscan]           Lionel 6-19212         

Pennsylvania Tank Car          K-Line

Pennsylvania [Tuscan]          K-Line 6434         

Pennsylvania Covered Hopper [Gray]             MTH 

Pennsylvania Caboose [Red]                 Lionel 6257

Pennsylvania Caboose [Tuscan]                   Lionel 916 

Pennsylvania Caboose [Tuscan]          Lionel 6-16521   

Pennsylvania Porthole Caboose [Tuscan]         Lionel 6417

Santa Fe Freight

Santa Fe RS-3 [Blue]                 Lionel 18803      

ATSF 2-bay Hopper with grey stone load [Blue]          Lionel 6150

ATSF Route of the Texas Chief [Brown]           K-Line       

ATSF Grand Canyon Line [Red]              Lionel 6‑36252   

ATSF Santa Fe Super Shock Control [Red]           Lionel 17907      

ATSF Santa Fe [Yellow]                Lionel 6-16250   

ATSF Santa Fe Reefer [Red]                Lionel 6-9880     

ATSF Santa Fe The Chief [Green]          Lionel 16263      

ATSF Santa Fe All the Way [Brown]                Lionel 6464

Santa Fe [Red]                    Lionel 9784

Santa Fe [Red]          Lionel 9266

Santa Fe [Red]                   Lionel 6-9784     

Santa Fe Woodside Reefer [Orange]               Lionel 6-5715

Santa Fe Hi-Cube [Red]                       Lionel 6-6602     

Santa Fe Covered Hopper [Brown]         Rail King   

Santa Fe Caboose [Red]            Lionel 36623

Union Pacific Freight

Union Pacific GP-9 [Yellow]          Lionel 18817      

Union Pacific [Yellow]                  Lionel 6-9717     

Union Pacific Cushion Protection [Brown]       K-Line       

Union Pacific [Brown]                  Lionel 9468

Union Pacific                  K-Line       

Union Pacific Container Flatcar [Blue/Yellow]     K-Line       

Union Pacific [Brown]                  Lionel 6-9419     

Union Pacific Hi-Cube [Yellow]          Lionel 6-9606     

Union Pacific Hi-Cube [Yellow]              Lionel 6-9627     

Union Pacific Covered Hopper [Brown]            Lionel 6-19319   

Union Pacific Hopper [Gray]                Lionel 6-9366     

Union Pacific Tank Car [Yellow]          K-Line

Union Pacific Square Window Caboose [Silver]         Lionel 6-16513   

I have right now three.  The jersey central was known for its coal drags, I am able to run one with a load and one empty.  Bayonne nj also saw its share of tank car trains due to the refineries so I have one of those.  Finally the one unique unit train I remember vaguely was the subway cars being moved to the scrap yard.  Thanks to a forum member I can replicate a train of subway cars being delivered.

Good topic Arnold.  I believe you are hoping for pictures or videos but right now everything is packed up in boxes in the new train room(spare bedroom) waiting for storage elsewhere so layout construction can begin.

I'm hoping to come up with a design so that I can run three trains at the same time and have rolling stock for many types of unit trains. I can run an Anheuser Busch reefer train pulled by a Bud GP9 or one of two AB steam engines, another very long beer reefer comprised a combination of steel and woodside reefers from all manufacturers pulled by a variety of steam or diesel engines.  A Blue and yellow K-line Virginian Trainmaster pulling a string of yellow Virginian two bay hoppers, an intermodal unit train comprised of three sets of Lionel spine cars, two sets of Lionel maxi-stacks and several K-line and MTH double stack well cars.  I've also got plenty of tank cars for unit train duty.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Actually, there are several components to this topic, which are:

How many unit trains do you have?  What are they?

How many unit trains can you run simultaneously on your layout?  What are they?

Why do you have any unit trains? Assuming you like them, why do you like them?

Let's see photos and/or videos of your unit trains.

Arnold

 

 

 

Arnold,

I usually have 2-3 unit trains on the layout. I recently posted pics of the current ones; over a dozen Lionel Postwar 6414 autoloaders and over a dozen Lionel "chemical" tank cars.

I also run long trains (up to 17 cars) on my upper level at times, these usually consist of original 6464 boxcars or bullion (mint) cars.

I can run 5 trains at one time on Warrenville (but only if not distracted, and only if I don't have a drink or 3 in me). Warrenville is conventionally operated. In addition, concurrent with what is running on Warrenville, I can run 2 trains simultaneously in The Alcove section.

Speaking of The Alcove, I just remembered that on the lower (Lionel) level I'm usually running a train of 8 or so giraffe cars.

I like unit trains mostly because it is a great way to show the variety of paint schemes Lionel (or me) provided on "the same" cars. None of my friends run unit trains so when they visit it is special for them and they love it

Arnold, I must say that this another in a great line of topics but answering all of your questions for this post leaves little time for running trains.  Just kidding of course.

Anyway, I usually run three unit trains at different times and the length of the trains vary from eight to thirteen cars.  I can run two unit trains simultaneously.  I like running these unit trains because it gives my layout a heightened sense of realism. 

My first unit train shown below is a string of thirteen oil and chemical tank cars being pulled by a Lionel Alco C420 in New Haven livery.

The second is a consist of eleven assorted boxcars being hauled by a pair of  Lionel AA F3s in Kansas City Southern livery.

The third, which I unfortunately do not have a photograph of,  is a string of eight Lionel New York Central Pacemaker Freight Service cars in bright red and gray colors being pulled by  Lionel #3005 Mohawk.  This is by far the most colorful of the three unit trains so I can't figure out why I have no photo of it.  Go figure

Oh, Arnold!  Let me see.  I have around 30 MTH auto racks, another sizable amount of MTH husky stacks for an intermodal consist,  lots of Atlas and Lionel tank cars for a tank train or two, numerous MTH BNSF  coalporter hoppers (actually gondolas) for a coal train,  a large quantity of covered hoppers, at least a half a dozen or so of coil cars, a slew of MTH 50’ high cube boxcars, and a half dozen or so of MTH wood chip hoppers (actually gondolas). So I could make up at least eight different types of unit trains.
Can’t run any at this time, no layout.  
The reason for having different unit trains is that I like or would like to run something similar to what I have seen on the real railroads in my neck of the woods.

Larry

Several unit trains in my roster:

-Marx black plastic hoppers with modern knuckle coupler trucks

-AMT/KMT plus RailKIng yellow stock cars

-black tank cars

-KMT/Frank's roundhouse  UPS boxcars

-Marx 6 inch cattle cars

https://youtu.be/Zl7_MSigPlw

-Lionel LCCA Milwaukee road express reefers

-AF S gauge 647/947 Northern Pacific reefers

Two I have been actively putting together is a NYC Pacemaker freight with 50 plus cars and a proper caboose. Also about 30 TOFC flats all lettered for NYC with unique car numbers. My 30 or so tank cars qualify I think. No real layout so I have to run them on the clubs modular layout. Small sample shown here.

Pete

Many.

PFEs

Lionel UP Ore cars

Lionel NYC Pacemakers

Lionel Autoracks

MTH 3 Dome Tank cars

Lionel Mint cars (does this count?

1. Hot metal train 7 MTH hot metal cars with 8 gondolas as spacers pulled by a switcher 

2. CNW  ore train 26 MTH & K-Line CNW and BLE ore cars pulled by a switcher 

3. Coal drag 20+ K-Line operating hopper cars mix of N&W and Erie cars pulled by my Lionel TMCC N&W J

4. Grain train 12-15 CNW & misc.  grain hoppers pulled by a GP-7.

5. Scrap train  15 gondolas behind a switcher

 Can only run them at my club because my home layout is a switching point to point layout under construction 

I have two complete 22 car sets of Atlas PRR H21a hoppers, one with empty hoppers to go from the power station back to the coal mine, and one with full hoppers going the other way.

I guess my Friendship Train is a unit train with boxcars full of donated food for post WWII Europe.

I could put my 15 or so PRR 40' boxcars (various types but with the same color scheme) into a unit train, but I don't know what they would carry on my layout.  I guess it could be a through train.

I also have 50 express cars (B60/R50/X-29/others) but express trains really are not true unit trains, but since we are using Arnold's definition I'm going with it.  An express train does look great behind my T1

When I run with the club I will bring out my "modern" SF container train.

Looking at my database, I just realized I have 17 tankers of various sizes and types.  Guess that happens when you buy one a year or so over a couple of decades.  Need to get these out for pictures and run them as a unit train

Great topic Arnold, it’s multi faceted, very uniquely oriented, and will possibly be a long running thread. I actually never thought of my trains as unit trains, just many diesel lash ups paired in 2’s and 3’s, pulling passenger trains, and freight trains. This makes one think in a little more detail on what we’re really trying to accomplish. As far as unit trains, 4 passenger trains, many PFE Reefers, many box cars, many hopper cars, many gondola cars, Wow. Therefore, in the near future I’ll try doing a video or two of the type trains I enjoy running. I can actually run 5 trains with the help of Lionels Odyssey Control thru the Cab 2 Legacy System.  Your exactly correct, in our little world of trains, our minds can run wild with joy, as it’s a form of Utopia, a make believe paradise, our very own little world of fun.  Happy Railroading 

Chris and Mike I don't know how you guys run long unit trains on that tiny layout in Paterson. 

This video shows a Postwar operating milkcar unit train headed by an LC+ Jersey Central Pacific. This is one of my 7 year old grandaughter's favorites to run using the remote unit:

It's a good idea to sparingly lubricate the wheels of those Postwar operating cars when you are pulling a bunch of them, especially if your layout has sharp curves like mine does.  

Milk car unit trains can go well with layouts that have farms, especially dairy farms:

Arnold

The Pennsylvania Railroad is what I think of when it comes to trains and coal. 

When I was a kid, I often visited my Aunt Ruth and Uncle Bill during my summer vacation. They lived in a small rural town: Pennington, NJ, and were members of the Hopewell Country Club. My mother, sister, cousins and I went swimming at the club's pool, while my dad and uncle played golf.

I will never forget the thundering PRR locomotive and endless coal cars that roared passed us on the other side of a fence where the pool area was. We were awestruck by the locomotive and counted the coal cars, looking forward to seeing the caboose:

I think such experiences can make unit trains appealing to many of us. When I run that coal car unit train on my layout, I'm sitting again in a chaise lounge watching those coal cars run by. Arnold

I have a couple of full grain trains in CNW and ATSF livery, plus independent grain cars to support a couple more. I have this weakness for covered hoppers. I'm in the process of 2-railing all of them as they seem to have a lower rolling resistance with scale wheels and more reliable coupling with Kadees. If I wanted to, I could probably run three good sized grain trains.

Arnold,

I agree with you 100% about lubricating those postwar wheels when pulling long trains. Makes a huge difference. I've found that without fresh lubrication the cars will pull off the tracks (towards the inside of the curve).

I've also found that synthetic oils provide longer service between lubrications. I like "Liquid Bearings" brand but I know that there are others.

Also, on long trains, heavier cars towards the front, lighter in the rear.

Unit train on the G&O.  NH Joe

coach joe posted:

Chris and Mike I don't know how you guys run long unit trains on that tiny layout in Paterson. 

Oh, it's possible.

Here are  a couple of samples.

Lionel Autoracks

NYC Pacemakers (at Alex Malliae's)

PFEs

I fully agree with you, John, concerning the Postwar unit trains. Seven of my eight unit trains are Postwar.

Here is one I just started running: a gondola unit train, which is mostly Postwar cars:

I had one of the red gondolas in the above video since I was 3 years old. My Dad would put a pack of his L&M Cigarettes in that gondola (thank God he quit smoking cold Turkey a couple of years later, which likely extended his life at least another 20 years), and we would run it, using the 2065 baby Hudson or little black Army gas turbine switcher, around the Christmas tree. 

Wonderful childhood memories like those many of you also have. Arnold

Well, I guess you could say three:

• A string of diecast coal hoppers, most of them Lionel (generally offset, but a few three-bay) with a few Atlas mixed in - CNJ and N&W. Maybe 25 or 30 cars altogether. I vaguely remember posting here five or six years ago that I'd once pulled about 24 of them on a flat oval with an MTH steamer. Oh, and a few plastic - MTH NKP set of six. 
• Maybe a dozen or so of the Atlas 5161 covered hoppers (with more on order, if they get made)
• A bunch of the Atlas Maxi-Stack IVs - maybe 13 sets (39 wells). A couple more on order.

No pix. Everything is in storage at the moment.

David

I run an E-33 coal drag of assorted hoppers. Aside from passenger cars and strictly by chance, I have more hoppers than anything (16) Gondolas next (8), and some of those pull ore too. 5 white milk cars (good & heavy unit for a max smoke output), 4 tank cars, but they're assorted liquids/brands so I don't think I ever put them on one train. Three rocket launchers never run together either.  2 Evans Autoloaders and two Baby Ruth cars are seldom separate, always paired. 

Everything else is "random" or themed , Space, three military, three work trains, 6 passenger trains (almost always run as a pass/freight combo) -Two of those are either run as double-headed engines or as (nearly) identical trains in car type, colors, and placement order. (Generals, and green gunfighter stock car and giraffe stock car (same exact greens )

Gi-raffes, Gi-raffes All Around...

Or, "How Many Gi-raffes Can You Fit On A Marx Display Layout?"

Or, "Annual Meeting of Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe, Gi-raffe and McCormack" (McCormack, of course, is in the caboose...)

Next question? 

Mitch 

Most of my unit trains, which essentially means I have many of the same or similar train car, are composed of relatively inexpensive Postwar train cars, like the Sunoco oil tankers in the video below:

However, I see some of you have modern unit trains (like grain cars, covered hoppers, auto racks, etc.) composed of cars that are not cheap. Can those expensive modern cars, when purchased in quantity (10 or more of them), be purchased at a substantial discount? If so, how much would that discount be, and where can such discounted multiple train cars be purchased? Arnold

I have more than I thought.

Postwar:

15 6465 Sunoco tank cars. I usually pull them with my 2328 Burlington GP so the whole train is silver.

12 6456 LV hoppers.

6 6472 reefers, looking for more. Hard to find with intact doors.

10 assorted red flatcars with loads.

MPC:

I have almost all of the 9800 series billboard reefers and 7800 series soft drink boxcars. Just 4 or 5 to go and the set will be complete.

I am working on the Fast Food Freight set. I have the engine and caboose and half the cars so far.

Modern:

6 Rio Grande Premier auto racks.

14 Premier Southern 50' PS1 boxcars.

Premier Sunoco tank cars- 8 regular and 3 20k gallon.

28 Premier Southern composite hoppers w/ coal loads. 

18 Railking/Lionel/Williams/K-line reefers, mostly PFE, to run with my UP 4-8-8-4.

50+ Railking TOFCs. I am addicted to these things! Each of my two mainlines will only hold about 15 at a time but I keep buying them. Also 4 of the Lionel "doubles".

I have none, as the era on my layout is 1953.

However, I've seen an O gauge unit train.  A fellow named Mark, from the club, has a nice BNSF coal train and he always has engines on the head end and the rear end.  It's impressive.

I have no dedicated unit trains.  I have, on occasion, assembled unit trains just for poops and giggles. Here are some that I captured on video:

Tom

I can run several different unit trains.

All gondola empty or with junk loads  ( 7 total ) 

All open hoppers empty or with coal loads. ( 26 total )

All tank cars.  ( 10 total ) 

All beer cars.  ( 12 total ) 

All boxcar ( 40 - 50 total ) 

All reffer ( 20 total ) 

I like your handle. I just built a Trump train a few months ago from a Marx #21 metal diesel, and 7" caboose. (See pictures)

I'm building another one from two A-A units. This one will be red, white and blue, with 40 LED lights (also red, white, and blue) running in sequence down both sides of each engine. I'm sparing no expense on this one.

On my previous post about Unit trains I referenced one which I never took a photo of. Well, with the time I had today I finally took one.  Here is my New York Central Pacemaker Freight Service train being pulled by a Lionel #3005 Mohawk which possesses one of the most haunting whistles I have ever heard.   H

I'd say 2, if these count.

Here is one of my unit trains.

Neat thread and great videos.  I have a few and thought I would contribute a "night" video.

By and large, the photos and videos of the unit trains posted so far are, IMO, spectacular.

Interestingly, I feel that they tie in with my Virtual Model Railroad thread I started this morning. Your photos, videos and comments make me feel that I am having a virtual visit with each of you to see, hear and discuss your trains and layouts. Arnold

I ran quite a few of them in my early YouTube days when I had the time to run a different train on my 'test track' every week, took video and stuck it on YouTube. Almost all of these trains have increased in length, but my free time to run trains and edit/post videos has declined somewhat.

**Grain**

--Chessie grain shuttle: 32 ACF hoppers (mostly Lionel). Another one had 21 Weaver and MTH cars

--CP grain shuttle: 13 Government of Canada cylindrical hoppers when I last ran the train for a YouTube video. I'm pretty sure I have 17-20 by now.

**Autorack:**

--MPC autoracks: 33 cars run on YouTube (six were the LTI enclosed "traditional" ones), I believe I have at least 37 cars to run next time I get them out. Yes, they stayed on the track without loads.

--MTH autoracks: I ran 24 cars the last time I did one on-camera. Today I have somehow managed to amass 50 of the monsters, and while I can't run the entire thing in one consist, I can put together two different 25-car consists.

**Iron ore**

--Not the same roadname throughout though. Was 51 cars the last time I ran them on-camera, I now have the capability to assemble a 70-car train.

**Gimmick**

--Traditional Flatcar: 30 cars, all Menards. Now with added Menards and Lionel, somewhere around 60 cars

--Chrome train: reaaaaaaaly stretches the definition of "unit train", somewhere around 19 chrome-plated MTH, Lionel (and two Williams samples) tank cars. But no video yet.

--Mine train: Remember those K-Line two-axle hoppers? I ran 30 of them on the NJ Hirailers layout and made a video of a spy-cam perched on the last car. Later on I increased it to 40 of them on a friend's layout. Haven't put the video on YouTube yet as I felt it was incomplete (the trio of Plymouth switchers had a really bad time when it was switched to a different track, one that contained protruding uncoupling magnets that vigorously disagreed with the tether bus wire I had attached to the underside of the locos)

--MTH York boxcar train: 24 cars when making its second performance with a Railroader club SD70ACE. Next time it runs it will have the MTH Railroader Club ES44AC+SD70ACE (RailKing) or  ES44AC+GEVO Hybrid (Premier) pulling all the York boxcars issued to date, and a matching Railroader club caboose:

---PCJ

I have/ can make up two unit trains: PRR coal hoppers pulled by PRR steam and Fruit Growers Express reefers pulled by ditto. Occasionally by a PRR diesel, in my weaker moments.

Assuming a 5 car passenger train qualified as a unit train, here is one headed by an MTH Dreyfus Hudson running by the ball parks:

While you were asleep, I awoke at 4 AM (NY Time) and took this video of a double unit train of merchandise and milk cars being hauled by an MTH Railking PRR Pacific:

Arnold

The only real unit train I planed was PEF reefers pulled by my VL Big Boy.  If we count passenger trains, then I have the NYC Dreyfuss Hudson and PRR T-1 both pulling trains with their matching passenger cars.  I do have enough cars to make unit trains with tank cars, box cars, or stock cars.  My layout is small, and if I don't mind only a car or two distance between trains, and feel adventurous, I could in theory run 5 trains on my two loops.  The only other real unit train I plan to make at some point is the BNSF earthworm, but I have to wait for someone to make the right cars or do a lot of repainting.

Guess what? You may have a unit train that you did not know you had.

That happened to me.

I did not realize until recently that I had a log/lumber unit train. Here it is, lumbering along, pulled by a NY Central 10 wheeler along The Put:

This video may be realistic because Lloyd's Lumber was in Yorktown Heights (a train station along The Put) and I think it had a siding along The Put. Arnold

I have two ore trains on my electric short line. This is an early shot of one of the first. Don

As far as the Razorback Traction Co. is concerned, it's not the length of the unit train, it's what you DO with it!   

Mitch 

Williams Jersey Central NW2 hauling flat car unit train:

This is another unit train I didn't know I had until I started this thread.

Notice in the video how this train runs through town.  It slows down as it enters the town and the crossing gates drop. This is a flaw in my layout that I decided to keep. 

The flaw is that there is a voltage drop in that section of my layout, but that turns out to be a good thing because I think it's very realistic for the train to slow down as it runs through town.

This shows the paradox that a layout flaw, depending on what it is, may be something you want to keep. Arnold

I just made the video below of the same flat car unit train, this time being pulled by an MTH Proto 3 CSX diesel:

IMO, this modern locomotive looks great pulling these modern flat cars. Also, notice how this modern MTH Proto 3 engine hardly slows down at all in the area near the switch where the voltage drop occurs. Same is true for my modern LC+ and TMCC locomotives.  Arnold

Norton posted:

Two I have been actively putting together is a NYC Pacemaker freight with 50 plus cars and a proper caboose. Also about 30 TOFC flats all lettered for NYC with unique car numbers. My 30 or so tank cars qualify I think. No real layout so I have to run them on the clubs modular layout. Small sample shown here.

Pete

 

As the Pacemaker goes by, which passenger set is going by in the upper left?

What's really cool is that as a result of this thread, I have 2 unit trains I did not know I had and never ran until now: a gondola unit train and a flat car unit train. I feel like I got 2 new train sets for free. LOL.

Has anyone else had that experience? Arnold

Today I visited my LHS and bought a bunch of Postwar train cars to beef up 4 of my unit trains, one of which is a log dump unit train shown in the video below:

I wore a mask, was the only customer at the LHS, and had a great time talking with the LHS owner. I recommend visiting LHSs especially now when there are no, or very few, train shows. Arnold

Great idea Arnold. I like the thought of a "modern" twist unit train consisting of vintage cars. This virus has spawned some unexpected benefits. My high school physics teacher told us if people are locked up they give you great music, art and poetry. He maybe forgot about the creative model railroaders also.

TJ

Unit trains on my roster:

-black tank cars (mostly AMT/KMT/K-Line with some RailKing)

-yellow cattle cars (RailKing, AMT, Franks Roundhouse)

-Marx #59 cattle cars (80+) (six inch, four wheel)  https://youtu.be/Zl7_MSigPlw

-black hoppers (Marx large plastic converted to modern trucks)

-brown UPS boxcars (48+) (Franks Roundhouse - the supposedly  "rare" ones)

-prewar American Flyer butter dish milk cars

Another unit train I added to yesterday was this Postwar milk car unit train being pulled by  an LC+ Jersey Central Pacific steamer:

Arnold