> From: Roger Nulton
> A 97-car train is certainly impressive!
Hi Roger...Yup, a bit too impressive. So impressive, in fact, that nothing
else could run because that one train took up all the track. A more typical
way freight would be about 10-15 cars while a through freight would normally
be about 40 cars. That 97-car monster was just a public relations gimmick,
but it sure stuck in my mind over the years. Actually, we were trying for a
100-car train, but failed to meet that goal. With another F-unit in the
lashup, it could be been easily done. Wheels were a spinning so we gave up
and went to the patio for refreshments.
> Since I have only about 50' of mainline completed to date, I'll not be
challenging your record anytime soon.
My mainline loop 305' long and is simply one big circle. Around and around
she goes. That 97-car train was a personal best, but not a record. I think
Henry Sprague holds the record with trains over 100 cars running regularly
on the West Bay Model RR Club in Menlo Park, CA. Henry used to pull those
l-o-n-g trains with scratchbuilt articulateds powered with real steam. An
alcohol burner heated the water and the water turned to steam and the
pistons were pushed in/out and the train ran. I think Henry used 24 volts
for power with about 8 amps on the track to power the heater and get things
up to the boiling point. Now that is a record no one else (to my knowledge)
has ever duplicated.
> I prefer the free rolling trucks that are now available from SHS, PRS (or
were), and AM.
Yep, they sure do roll free. One small word of caution, however. Try to
design the layout so that you do not need to uncouple these free rolling
cars on a grade. They tend to roll when you would like them to stay put.
But even this problem has a solution -- simulated weeds between the rails
using brush bristles that are just long enough to touch the axles. By using
bristles of the appropriate diameter and quantity, you can create just the
right amount of drag to prevent run-a-ways. Yet, when the loco is pulling
the train along, the drag does not cause any major problems. Of course,
beating Henry's record will be a bit more difficult if you add the bristle
drag.
> I am also converting to all metal wheels (not AM wheels though) in these
trucks to reduce the dirt buildup on the wheels and track caused in part by
plastic wheels. (I think).
Lots of folks do believe plastic wheels do accumulate more gunk than metal.
Arden Goehring for one, I think. I like metal wheels because of occupancy
detection needed for properly operating signals. Easier to do with metal
wheels. Ever try to trigger an electronic signal with plastic wheels? Like
challenges?
Cheers...Ed L.
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