# Who Has the Longest G-Scale Coal Train Out There?



## Guest (Aug 17, 2008)

OK, not to start a competition, or a war, or anything, but after seeing numerous photos and videos posted on MLS and actual model trains in person at several shows I've attended, I have to know...Who in the large-scale hobby owns (or has) the longest coal train? Please feel free to post photos/vidoes if you have any new ones that haven't been posted already. 
Ed 

P.S. Mine's only 18 hoppers long, so I know it isn't me.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

I ran a 34 hopper train today..... but I have a buddy with 75 hoppers currently: he's going for 100.


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave have no problem his IC GP30 handle 34 hopper cars! hehe. i did bring my UP turbine loco have no problem to pulling it also.


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

UP turbine can handle this longest coal train!


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

GREAT video Bryan.. Thanks for posting it. 
Dang my layout looks good !!!! 
Hehehehehe


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## leonpete (Jan 4, 2008)

Dave, The I.C. looks good pulling all those hoppers. Your layout is looking good also. 
Bryan, That UP Turbine is also looking good. 
Thanks for posting the video's.


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2008)

What type of wheel sets are on the hoppers? 
Missed the strain of the engine /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif" border=0> 
Toad 
How far ya'll away from Orem, UT.? Have a friend Sweet Santa Fe that needs to drop in if she would.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Orem is about 20 miles south. Just over the hill. 
Our next meeting is in Farmington in September, just above the Lagoon amusement park. Have her drop me a line.


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Interesting thread, being a coal train fan myself! The longest I've run is 60 cars, but I do have 128 total.(all Bachmann coal hoppers) Just never put them all in one consist maybe I'll try it soon. I can't go much longer than 128 cause my biggest loops are only ~235 long and it will be nose to tail! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif 


Raymond


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for posting the vids and pics. Looks like SOMEONE has just had the honor of Bryan's UP Turbine paying a visit!  

Raymond


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I humble myself before the masters. I'm at 62 ish.??


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2008)

Ok, maybe I should ask it like this. 
What type of wheel sets do you use like ball bearing or do the GODs rather not spill the beans? /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif 
Toad


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, if "GODs" is an acronym for Geezerish old dudes.. then I guess I'll share.. My cars (The 6 peabody hoppers in toward the end and the last 4 black hoppers on the end) are just standard bachmann trucks with metal wheels. The other 24 cars are all Aristo hoppers belonging to a friend and I'm pretty sure he's running Ball Bearing trucks in them.


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

GODs? 

All my Bachmann coal hoppers still have their original metal wheels. Non-ball bearing. 


Raymond


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Rays a god, I'm just a fallen angel. 
Metal wheels on everything. 

OH! Toad, well hes just,,,,Toad, "and thats all I have to say about that".


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## leikec (Jul 19, 2008)

Bryan, 

You should post a YouTube video of the turbine. I really enjoyed reading the posts showing your 
construction techniques. 

Jeff C


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

LOL no Gods here.  Heck, with as cheap as my coal hoppers are you definitely have just as much invested in your 62 as I do in my 120. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif 

Raymond


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2008)

Yes Marty you should know me by now wild Texan and Native American Indian is a big BOOM! 
As for GODs = Good Ole Dudes...simple  
Thank you for the imput on the wheels because I still consider myself a noob since 2003. 
Thanks for the vids and pixs too!!! 
Toad 

As Marty said Toad is just Toad or was that me outside?


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray: 

My Peabody's are all bachmann as well, can't beat 'em for the price.. I'll be getting more as time passes.. 

And yes, I was blessed with a visit from Bryan's Gas Turbine.. I'm just happy that I had the LP&W up to FRA standards for the beasty..


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Toad, 

For what it's worth I'm someone that feels that while ball bearing wheels are great, I wouldn't consider them a real necessity. Generally speaking from my experience, if you start running long enough freight trains where a given engine has trouble pulling you are probably willing to spend the $ to have a second engine to pull them. Even with my 60 cars that get pulled up my pretty steep grade at the back of my house I still probably only really need two dash-9s to pull them. (One might pullem.) 

Not saying you shouldn't get them if you want them, I just don't think they are really that necessary considering how much they can cost. Just depends on what you value and are trying to do. 


Dave: 

I totally agree with you, for the price the Bachmann coal cars are hard to beat and they come with metal wheels.  I bought mine from St. Aubins for $25.00 each (in groups of 6) and with another $5 for Kadees, you just can't beat it the end product. It's what's allowed me to be able to get so many. I know they aren't the right scale for either of my 1:32 or 1:29 engines, but they look good enough to my eye.  


Raymond


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Jeff C, here a video UP turbine long hopper cars. hehe


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

The Last video is IC GP30 is climbing the grade almost 1% to 2% grade. the last min is the last hopper car was derail. hehehe! i like that!


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## Chillicharlie (Jan 2, 2008)

I have trouble getting more tnan 50 over the hill







but they come down the hill fast


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Chillicharlie on 08/17/2008 3:50 PM

I have trouble getting more than 50 over the hill 


















I suspect that this has been asked before but I would like to see some discussion as to what is the _practical limit_ to number of cars pulled by one, two or more locomotives, be it coal cars, other freight cars or long passenger coaches _under a variety of circumstances_.


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2008)

I would say that one could define "practical" as either the maximum number of cars a specific locomotive has power to pull, or the maximum amount of cars that looks right on a particular layout given it's size and configuration. For me, and my layout, that number is about 15 cars plus that locomotive. My locos can certainly pull more, but they just don't look right on my layout and they make it look small. I'd recommend starting a new thread on this topic as I too would be interested. 

And now back to the subject of THIS post.....how many coal hoppers do you pull?


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

whats the red thingy on the end for?????


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave, Derrill told me he oil it all his Truck each hopper car! not ball bearing! he told me about it.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By NTCGRR on 08/17/2008 7:19 PM
whats the red thingy on the end for?????




It's the rolling beer cooler.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I think that if you took the red weight off the end you could probalby pull 25 more cars


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Yup it a rolling beer cooler. hehehe or the Red Cup.


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## leikec (Jul 19, 2008)

Thanks, Bryan! Very nice. I may follow in your footsteps someday, and build a turbine. Big Boys, Challengers, and Turbines might be tough on a portable 11x14' home layout... 

Jeff C


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

I started several years ago before Bachman had Metal wheels on the cars as standard. I grabbed a bunch of clearance price cars from TW. I've been grabbing what I could since then. At this point I have Bachman, Aristo and USAT hoppers & I plan to run them all together. Speaking of altogether this Sunday I had to run down to the store for milk for the girls cereal and the coal drag went thru town. 3 big NS units (not sure what they were?) and a variety of coal hoppers. Some NS, Some Conrail Q cars and a few Somerset Railroad cars. All different styles and eras and paint schemes. Wish I had my camera! 

Chas


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## CHscenic (Jan 2, 2008)

This is very timely. Our club, the Vermont Garden Railway club is having "The Great Hopper Haul-off" at the finale to our open house season. Members will be bringing all their hoppers and we have over 80 so far. At the head-end will be 2 aristo dash-9's and all the cars will have metal wheels. We hope to have over 100 the day of the event. 

My question is? Does anyone have any tips, suggestions, or gotcha's that we should be aware of? Will it do any harm to the locomotives or will they just spin once they reach their limit? The railroad has 200' of track with a 2% down grade and 2% upgrade. All curves are 10' diameter. Thanks Dave Cozzens


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

This should be a great day of running.  Only thing I can think of (assuming you are running track power) is to add all the weights in the fuel tank so they have as much tractive effort as possible. I wouldn't worry at all about any harm to the engines, the wheels will spin before anything happens just like you said. 

Other than that going with all body mounted couplers (I use kadees) would be best for long trains like that to reduce derailments. 

Post pics and video if you can. 

Raymond


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## Dennis Paulson (Jan 2, 2008)

Chillicharlie , the Applechain mountains instanly sprung to my mind when I saw the photo , really nice , looks realistic .


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