Here're some pics of a layout I helped run in Kansas City back in August. A guy there(http://rayman4449.dynip.com) set up five loops of track at a train show, 250' apiece, and we got together several articulated locos from across the midwest along with a LOT of hoppers. Big Boys are MTH(our singular USA Trains one blew up), Triplexes are MTH, Freedom Train is MTH, NYC Hudson is USA Trains, and the PRR K4 is American Main Line. Cars are mostly Bachmann, power and control is by MTH DCS(all engines equipped), and track is American Mainline with Aristo curves(minimum 20' diameter). A total of five MTH Big Boys were there, five MTH triplexes, a K4, NYC Hudson, GS4, and 180 hoppers. At the end of the day, we hooked up a train of 120 hoppers behind a SINGLE Big Boy and found that it not only did not slip...but didn't even slow down. More pics can be found here(warning, there's 120 or so): http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f225/simracerworld/HAGRS_2009/
I'm very impressed, I wish I could have been there to see that. There hasn't been a big display like this at the East Coast Train show. There has been as big as a single track running 100 cars but not 3 tracks running that much track and that many trains at once.
Actually, five tracks. The guy bought most of the track at the show and then only afterwards thought about how to get it home--in his Dodge Colt. Ended up using our minivan to haul most of it. It really was fantastic--even though the only engine my family brought was my brother's Big Boy, it was amazing just to see that much motive power in one place. Next year, we hook five Big Boys and five Triplexes and pull a car
I was fortunate enough to see this in person. And I remember speaking with you, Robbie, a few times on saturday. To me the most impressive thing about this setup is this [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb5aJNhlYlg"]YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia] I've always wondered how many cars a dash 9 could pull. The answer: we still don't know, nobody has enough rolling stock to find out
Video Manco... Thanks for the utube video....it is AWESOME!! And to think that I b---ch some times when I have to carry 15 cars and some locos to my track in the back yard!!! Holy Crap! Can u imagine packing all that stuff up to carry home???? WOW. The other videos available on that Utube link are great as well...... Again, thanks for posting and welcome aboard! Darryl
