world's longest model train

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Holy crap! A 361 foot long train pulled by just three locomotives? What were the "wagons" made of, tissue paper? How long did this train run? Something doesn't sound right. We ran a 195 car coal train at our club and it took four units at the front, two mid-train helpers, and another unit at the rear. This was pre-DCC days but it took 55VA's to run the train. It would only run on the flat part of our layout (which was 40'x100'). Any grade and the slack action started uncoupling cars all over the place. It's hard for me to believe they didn't have 10 times worse problem with 887 cars.
 
Keep in mind that most European loco models have traction tires which help a lot. I would love to see this train running around the layout. If the train only ran 1 foot then thats nothing as any club can do that.
 
A couple of questions immediately come to mind regarding this rather suspicious sounding "record."

I see no mention in the press release that the train actually ran, or even moved. The photo accompanying the announcement and illustrated on the Guinness site shows cars on a series of three apparently separate, adjoining tracks place on a long, narrow board or support of some sort.

The tractive effort necessary to move nearly 900 HO cars, even on straight and level track, is going to be very considerable and I would venture to say far beyond that produced by any three normal locomotives, traction tires or not.

What I suspect is that this "train" was simply a line up of locos and cars that never even moved an inch but rather was simply static displayed.

Can anyone come up with additional information that suggests otherwise?

NYW&B
 
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how does one challenge a world record?

otherwise, we could break the record left and right...
 
I have seen a 170 car train moved by 2 big boys with traction tires at the front. string lining around curves was the biggest issue they had. One could pull about 120 cars on its own. Also arnt one of those euro wagons only like 25'-30'. if thats true thats about 400 US freight cars in HO scale... less wheels also. we need some more proof
 
Guinness is pretty strict with their records. The group would have to be able to move the train to get the record. Is it possible that some of the cars were powered cars?
 
If all the cars are on all three tracks it would take tons of power to make the loops.
I say static.
 


I have, in my possession, a Rivarossi 2-8-8-2 that has pulled 237 coal cars and one caboose. I used traction tires on both sets of drivers.It didn't move fast but it navigated the entire perimeter of a club's layout at a show. And it was a single engine consist. We did have to give it a bit of an assist to get started.

Why 237? That's all of the coal cars they had at the show.

I use the same engine quite frequently to tug 100 car consists....... solo.

Bob
 
wow... my Rivo Challenger finds it a challenge to pull 20 over-weight coal cars on straight track...
 
I have a pair of SDP40F's that could probably handle that load. Between the two of them they weigh almost 4 pounds and grip the track like they're glued to it.
 
Now another thing to consider and Guinness Book doesn't say if the Locomotives were stock or if they were modified with a more powerful engine for MORE power. Or how far or fast it traveled before it is considered a record. We should get together and break the record.
 
I think we should all get together to set a record for the most trains running at one time. We could use webcams to link everyone.

Bob
 
AyTrane said:
Guinness is pretty strict with their records. The group would have to be able to move the train to get the record. Is it possible that some of the cars were powered cars?
Click to expand...

That was my first thought as well.

I wonder how many pounds of weight all those cars weigh? Er, wait. I mean how many Newton Meters of weight all those cars weigh?
 
AyTrane said:
Guinness is pretty strict with their records. The group would have to be able to move the train to get the record. Is it possible that some of the cars were powered cars?
Click to expand...

That was my first thought as well.

I wonder how many pounds of weight all those cars weigh? Er, wait. I mean how many kilograms of weight all those cars weigh?
 


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