How often do you run your certain trains or locomotives

I pretty much run them whenever I feel like running them, although some of them definitely do want to be run more often.  My Lionel 783 Hudson gets very balky if I don't run it regularly (it's a good runner normally, but it's always been somewhat troublesome).  And my Lionel RDG TrainMaster will jerk and hop for about fifteen minutes when first running it after an extended stay on the shelf.  After that, it's fine.

 

About all I can say is that some locomotives don't like being left un-run for long periods, and some are trouble-free.  They're not all alike.

 

My Postwar engines are normally run only over the holidays.  The smell of Christmas scented smoke, warm motors and ozone just screams holidays to me.  The balance of the year, I run what interests me from week to week.  I may be on a Southern Railway kick one week then off to PRR, Erie or Lackawanna the next.

Excluding the Postwar engines, I have a core group of about 30 engines that will see layout time at least one week every couple of months.  I have some others that may be run only two or three times each year and a few others I haven't run in years.

Curt

I ran one one this morning but I have no pattern, It's just when I feel like it.

Most every day here is some kind of activity on one of our two layouts. No set schedule, but it is nice to dedicate part of the day to our hobby. Running great passenger trains is always a kick.

I work on the layout every night, and I feel guilty when I don't fire up a train or two.

Have to keep it down after 10 at night so the kids can get to bed. 

I admit if I had more staging I would run more everyday.

I rotate trains during our modular display season. For better or worse, the rotation exceeds once/year. 

I can have three trains running at one time with three more (two of them short) waiting on sidings or in yards.

 

of the four "long" trains, it is usually a combination of 2 passenger and 2 freight or 3 passenger and 1 freight.  the two short trains consist of operating cars only and usually come out when there are visitors.

 

i have three other passenger trains off the layout.  i will rotate one in about every six months.

I try and rotate my engines regularly so they all get operational time during the course of the calendar year.  I have no set pattern for running them; I just pull them off of the shelf as my fancy dictates. 

Usually once a day, at least, sometimes more especially if the weather is bad.  I, too, rotate my engines as much as possible.

I rotate quarterly, can run six trains at once on three different loops.

Mikey

Don't have that many, so the 5 loops are busy on an daily (not every) basis.

My favorites are the VL bigBoy, VL Hudson and a Legacy, then a Williams Diesel and a Steam 2-8-4 (Big Emma).

 

Brent

Since my moods always seem to shift every once in awhile, my layout will either have all postwar, all LTI Lionel, all MTH Proto 2/3, or all Lionel current Legacy. It all depends on my mood or taste for what I'm after, coincidentally. For example, if I'm after more Legacy equipment to buy, the Vision Hudson and Legacy 765 will be running a lot.

I don't even think in terms of running trains these days. I'm too busy trying to finish all the track and wiring on this huge layout. There will be plenty of time for that later.

 

I will never have a "rotation", as all of my trains will be on the layout all the time. Because I am building a model "railroad", certain trains will run on a schedule while most trains will operate in the background to create mainline traffic. There will be industrial switching jobs and classification. Trains like the Triple Crown and the Empire Builder will be governed by the fast clock.

 

Perhaps the goal should be to run every train at least once during each operating session. That may be a tall order though.

Not very often. On our large layout work is always in progress. Some of the mainlines are out of service for weeks. During our open house season I have a better chance to run because we keep work to a minimum, sometimes.

When the urge hits.

I usually run 2-3 trains at a time and Thomas is always on the track, the others I run what I haven't run in a while.  I don't have a lot but I'm sad to say that I do have a few engines I haven't run in literally years, now I'm wondering why I still have them.....

 

 

Paul

Usually 4 to 5 locos will be running on the 3 main lines of the Seattle & Yakima RR during an operating session. I have an old computer by the layout and I will log in the locos that are running during the session. So far this year 76 different locomotive have had a turn on the layout.

 

   Bill T.

It seems that my old locos like to be run occasionally. If they sit too long they seem cranky when I do put them on the track. As my loco fleet has expanded I do seem to use the better, stronger, smoother ones, however. I do have a few because they are just neat or iconic.

I try to run all 375 daily

I don't have a large layout, but can run 3 engines while doing some switching and making a train up, (I then run only 2 engines). I can have 3 engines sitting on sidings, which I many times switch with running engines. Sometimes the switching and changing engines to head train (passenger or freight), can be a some of the most enjoyment I get with the limited area I have to accomplish this.

Yet, I still have engines and cars, freight and passenger that sit in boxes or shelves. I use seasonal calendar to switch these out with those on layout. Come September, Coal and oil cars, along with more boxcars enter the layout. With the Holidays, from Thanksgiving to New Years with increase passenger service, passenger cars are prominent, with only short freight hauls allowed, usually covered hopper cars carrying grain. Come spring,cattle cars and Meat Packing cars, hit the rails with only one passenger train running.

I try to do the best I can with the limited space I have, and it gives me hours of enjoyment and relaxing moments.

It's usually what I feel like running, but I do have my favorites.  My K-line PRR Mikado got a lot of run time until the tender tether shorted out while I was setting up the last Christmas layout; searching for a replacement now.  When that was out of commission I swapped in my k-line PRR GG1 and wondered why that had been on the shelf so long since it was such a good looking engine.  and of course my postwar f3 Santa Fe AB set gets a lot of action with passenger or freight.  I rarely run my k-line army train, but I do like having it on a dedicated siding serving a "military base".  I swap the rolling stock in and out.  If I'm running with my dad I try to run stuff he's bought me over the years.  Amazing to think of all the stuff I use to cram on a 4x8 table.  my next layout will need more mainlines