Model Railroading > 3,520 scale feet of autoracks...

Just a couple photos to share of yesterday's (Wednesday evening's) auto run of articulated and non-articulated HO scale auto racks at my local train club. 5 ScaleTrains C44-9Ws, pulling 14 Athearn (RTR & Genesis) Auto-Maxes, 1 Atlas Thrall articulated auto carrier, 9 ScaleTrains Multi-Maxes, 3 Walthers Thrall Tri-level auto carriers, 3 Walthers Bi-Level auto carriers, and 1 InterMountain Bi-Level autorack.

Big train, but someone's gotta be the 'no-fitter' on the layout.

~ Mr. MRL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/21 02:27 by MrMRL.

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Very impressive! What did you use for your skirting?

Very nice train, Did you need 5 -9s for power? They seem to pull very well but I have not had a chance to really try them out with my 2 clubs closed. 
Do the cars have stock weight?  

Thanks for posting
Tim
Hanesworth

Just like the real railroad! Another non clearing train. Looks sweet.

Valleyman

Respect!

That looks pretty fricken sweet. 2 questions for ya, First, what is the width or your isle and second is that a BLMA cantilever?

TomG Wrote:
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> That looks pretty fricken sweet. 2 questions for
> ya, First, what is the width or your isle and
> second is that a BLMA cantilever?

Agree.  Enquiring minds want to know.  The aisle appears to be about 4' but can't tell for sure.  It does appear a bit narrow for a club layout but appearances can be decieving. 

Nice job Steve...
 

8800 hp and Throttle 7 too. When are you going to add coils to the head end?

Posted from Android

What? No DPU?!?! Good looking train.

Posted from Android

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

No stringline problems? Impressive!

Nice train. Too much power. Thanks.

f591 Wrote:
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> Very impressive! What did you use for your
> skirting?

Yards and yards of the cheapest black fabric available from Joann's. It's just stapled to the underside of our 3/4" pine board facia. Held up nicely for years, though Velcro may be added at some point for easier removal and replacement.

~ Mr. MRL

 

sp8234 Wrote:
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> Very nice train, Did you need 5 -9s for power?
> They seem to pull very well but I have not had a
> chance to really try them out with my 2 clubs
> closed. 
> Do the cars have stock weight?  
>
> Thanks for posting
> Tim
> Hanesworth

All models have stock weight, stock metal wheels, and metal couplers (Kadee/ScaleTrains). And yes, 5 Rivet Counter C44-9Ws were needed to keep 154 axles of dead weight moving behind them. My first go-round with 4 motors began to stall out after rounding the big double siding 180 turn in the distance. It was close, a light push with a finger was enough to keep them on the move, but there was considerable slipping.

The entire scene is on a ~1.85% up hill grade. 45 feet or more of train is winding through several large degree (friction inducing) curves throughout our upper level. I'd rather have the fifth motor instead of burning off the nickel plated wheels...

~ Mr. MRL

TomG Wrote:
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> That looks pretty fricken sweet. 2 questions for
> ya, First, what is the width or your isle and
> second is that a BLMA cantilever?

All the aisles around the layout are ~36" in width. And yes that is a BLMA cantilever, we have several installed around the layout.

~ Mr. MRL

MrMRL Wrote:
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> The entire scene is on a ~1.85% up hill grade. 45
> feet or more of train is winding through several
> large degree (friction inducing) curves throughout
> our upper level. I'd rather have the fifth motor
> instead of burning off the nickel plated
> wheels...
>
> ~ Mr. MRL

I didn't notice the grade at first, but it is visible looking again.  My max grade is 1.8% on my under construction layout but it's part of the nolix section to get up to the yard above staging, but a helix at the other end to get back down, continuous.  Most of my trains will be a max of 21 feet, which will hopefully look longish on a home layout.  

Ah, 36" ailse.  Rather narrow for a club - it is a club?  

Cheers,
Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/21 12:21 by SPDRGWfan.

Very nice. You should have three units isolated, the other two with a N5 restriction and a 40/N0 limit too.

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> Agree.  Enquiring minds want to know.  The aisle
> appears to be about 4' but can't tell for sure. 
> It does appear a bit narrow for a club layout but
> appearances can be decieving. 

The slightly wide-angle distortion of the iPhone Panorama image stitching feature may contribute to the deceptive appearance. The scene in the first image above from my vantage point is roughly 25 feet deep (to the far backdrop).

~ Mr. MRL

Hookdragkick Wrote:
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> 8800 hp and Throttle 7 too. When are you going to
> add coils to the head end?
>

Had my train at speed step 30-35 (Digitrax throttle) most of the time running around the layout. What does that translate too in notches? Also don't own too many coil cars at the moment, 2? Maybe 3?

~ Mr. MRL

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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>
> Ah, 36" ailse.  Rather narrow for a club - it is
> a club?  

Possibly narrow, but compared to what? What would/should a standard train layout aisle width be? The operators appear to get around just fine from my observations.

This area of the layout room is 23 feet across with three (~3, deep) layout scenes running through, and 4 (also ~3' wide) aisles on either side of those scenes for operation and accessibility. Add in several 3-4" thick backdrops, supporting the upper level framing of this mushroom layout, and you fill up 23 feet of space pretty quickly.

This is a club operated layout. The California Southern Model Railroad Club in Norwalk, CA.

~ Mr. MRL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/21 14:00 by MrMRL.