USA Trains Big Boy sets record train car pull

EMD trainman Aug 15, 2010

  1. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    I just stumbled upon a You Tube video of a USA Trains Big Boy that set a Worlds record pull of 152 train cars. The estimated pulling weight of all 152 freight cars is at 406 pounds. The scale length of the train in 1:29 scale ratio is 1.25 miles long.

    This is something you gotta see and also pulls the train on grades just over 2%

    It took 6 Dash 9 locomotives to pull the same train

    This same person has 50 other G scale related videos on you tube which so far seem great

    Here is the You Tube video link >
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhQMqKl38wU&feature=related

    Note: You Tube videos are allowed here as long they are train related
     
  2. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Interesting. I wonder if the Big Boy is factory stock? Or has any weight been added for better traction, etc?

    Boxcab E50
     
  3. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    Didn't they attempt this with double stacks originally like 3 times?
     
  4. mtaylor

    mtaylor Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Very impressive. Also, that is a HUGE G scale layout!! (is layout the correct term for outside garden model railroad?)
     
  5. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    None of us in the G scale section are that up tight about proper terms, you can say layout or outside garden railroad.
     
  6. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    Yeah, but they kept wrecking the train. They even had a spot you could buy for a slight fee where they would put your name on a container car and they would film it. I don't remember why they kept wrecking the double stacks however. You will notice there isn't one double stack in this whole particular train. I don't know if they ever made a successful pull with the double stacks or not.
     
  7. sandro schaer

    sandro schaer TrainBoard Member

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    this can be done by a stock usa bigboy. this thing weights something about 60lbs....without tender.

    it almost cracks your back if you're taking it out of the wooden case. don't ask how i know......

    unfortunately i dont have more than 30 cars to couple to my bigboy.
     
  8. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    The problem with the doublestacks is they were top heavy and kept wrecking. Using normal rolling stock is fine since it really doesn't matter so long as the record is achieved. I hope the Guiness Book of World Records was there to document this.
     
  9. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    The center of gravity is perfect on most USA Trains, the double stacks definately isn't in the center. The wrecks were pretty extensive, I believe one of them caused major damage to the track work and delayed the process at least a month. I kept seeing updates in Garden Railroad Magazine, but never saw were they made a successful run with all double stacks.
     
  10. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    You either slipped a disk, or dropped it on your foot....

    :eek:

    Boxcab E50
     
  11. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    I dropped their GG-1 in it's wooden box on my foot. It still hurt and I had steel toed boots, except that it didn't hit the steel toe part.
     
  12. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    All of the USA Trains Prestiage Series diecast metal locomotives are packed in a wooden box which is why you pay alot for shipping. If you are serious about buying one of those monsters, you are better off arranging picki up at a train show or thru your local hobby store, even if you have to drive 50 miles to get it. A cheap hand truck from a tool company will also come in handy.


    If you own a engine crane in your back yard you can use it for lifting the big boy out of the box & onto the tracks with a nylon strap < Just kidding, but hey maybe this isn't such a bad idea for those with a bad back????
     
  13. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    I found a video were someone actually made a successful run with alot of USA Trains double stack container cars. They did the smart thin and had 4 locomotives pulling i the front and one at the rear pushing.

    Here is the you tube video link>>>>>
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0RNVKSx4cs

    Here is another all USA Trains double stack container train with a successful pull done with 83 USA Trains double stack container cars, 5 dash 9 locos and 1 GP38-2 loco

    Here is the you tube link>>>>
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E0Kox89LpU&feature=related

    So pulling a long USA Trains double stack train can be done
     
  14. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    Here is a weird one for you. In this you tube video is a 91 reefer car train being puuled by 4 F-3 locos and 3 F-9 locos. What makes this one weird is you see this train going across a trestle, but the train is soooo long that it actually circles around and goes under itself heading under the trestle while the rest of the train is still going across the top of the trestle, a must see

    Here is the you tube link>>>
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOFuchsmBoE&feature=related
     
  15. krs

    krs TrainBoard Member

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    Rick tried to beat the world record (still held by Germany with H0) two years ago and again last year. The attempt was repeated on several weekends, I spent quite a few hours watching but the bottom line was that they were never successful.
    I didn't see them wrecking any cars or tracks, they just couldn't get their act together.
    The idea was to get a whole lot of USA Trains container trains going each one pulled by two diesels and then join these individual sections to make up this "longest" train.
    There are still some remnants on Rick's website:
    RickTheRailroadGuy home

    The set up was battery powered with Locolinc controllers - initially the problem was that many of the "engineers" that were supposed to run these individual sections did not know how to use the Locolinc system, later in the exercise, the engines that started with the initial sections ran out of battery power before all of the subsequent sections were up and running.

    The H0 record was set with all engines (I think there were only three) at the front of the train pulling almost 900 cars.
    Toys - Longest Model Train

    BTW - there is a math error on Rick's website which I pointed out to him. They needed a bunch more sections than he initially calculated to make the train long enough to beat the German record.
     
  16. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    krs, thanx for that update, I wondered what happened. I remember seeing a picture of a train derailed in the Garden Railroad Magazine. I can't believe they were trying to make a worlds longest pull record with battery powered locomotives, that I didn't know. I can't imagine someone having a layout big enough to try and pull 900 cars in G scale. I wonder how long that 900 car train was in HO scale even.

    Well, now I have to re-title my posting to........... USA Trains Big Boy makes world record G scale pull
     
  17. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    Well I answered my own question with your link, that HO scale 900 car longest train was 361ft 10in long, thats impressive.
     
  18. Route 66

    Route 66 TrainBoard Member

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    Private layout

    I watched the video and was amazed at not only the demonstration of pulling power but also the garden Railroad It is a private party somewhere in Arizona that owns that layout he also seems to be a large collector and huge fan of USA train products as shown in this video. Alot of rolling stock still in boxes,In this video you will see the staging setup

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX9nrq6dF3g


    This one is from tracks ahead series that shows up from time to time on PBS stations

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HoCTo1SLHI
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 29, 2010
  19. EMD trainman

    EMD trainman TrainBoard Member

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    Route66, That guy defiantely has alot of G scale trains.

    He has over 5,000 feet of track with another 1,500 feet more to install. As far as the number of trains; 287 locomotives - 248 passenger cars - and last but not least, 4,000 pieces of rolling stock.
     
  20. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    Isn't that the Palo Verde & Southwestern layout? I think PBS Did a bit on that layout.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 30, 2010

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