Do You Prefer Mixed Freights or Unit Trains?

Both!  

Mixed.

Mixed, I don't like uniformity

Both!

 

Peter

Both!

Whatever is there to run

Both

Both for sure.

Unit trains. Especially box cars and flats with trailers.

Well, I think of unit trains as a modern phenomenon, but I don't think that is true as

long trains of coal hoppers used to come out of Appalachia (and probably still do).

And certainly long trains of reefers used to run west to east.  Several locations on the Colorado narrow gauge were known for "stock rushes", when long trains of stock cars would be moved. With short trains on a short line, four or five hoppers hauled from under a coal bunker would constitute a "unit train" in this world, but most of mine would be mixed.

Both. 

I see a trend developing here. My railroad needs both.

Which child do you love more?

Both

Just maybe the best reply I have ever read!

When presented with a choice for model trains, it's gotta be both!

 

I even like mail and express cars in my passenger trains.

Definitely unit trains.

 

 

Me to Brian.  I've slipped in a milk car or two in with my passenger consist. 

I love both too.  When I'm just running modern trains around the layout it's unit trains.  But for operating sessions it's definitely mixed manifest consists.

 

Art

Both.  I like to mix up to keep it interesting.

Mixed up freight, with a caboose.

I would run both, but I only have a couple of like cars.  Mine would have to be a short unit train.

 

Mega mix freights for me.

As a kid, all I could run was mix freight and had no choice with the cars that I had.  I longed for a unit train of anything.

 

When I got back into the hobby as an adult, I was able to create unit trains to satisfy that boyhood dream (post war and modern), but I would have to say...

 

Both!

 

And with the caboose of course!

I run mostly mixed, save for my intermodal train which kind of "is what it is".   I have a hard time wrapping my head around buying 10-15 (that's a long train for me...) of the same car.    The closest I get outside of the intermodal train (all stack) is 6 coal hoppers and 6 tank cars with a box car in between.   I also have a train that is mostly box cars, but has a number of TOFC cars as well.    I guess in a way, the hopper/tank is "unit" in the sense that everything is fuel, and the box car trains are as well because everything is technically in a "box".  

 

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE a nice, prototypical unit train.  I run them in N - I have a ton of NS coal hoppers, TTX well cars, and modern tank cars/grain hoppers that make up unit trains.  IN fact, that's almost all I run in N.   But for O, with prices what they are, I like to mix and match a little to get some variety and save some cash.   

Just like I used to tell my wife......."If You're Gonna Do It, Do It Straight Up!". In case you're wondering, A unit train WITH A CABOOSE!!

Taking a page from an old Dion Sanders Commercial:

 

Mixed or unit freights? Both

Freight or Passenger? Both

Steam or Diesel? Both

2-rail or 3-rail? Both

 

 

both, but I do like a long coal drag at times!

All depends on what Im in the mood to run. Manifest, unit, passenger, work...... they're all good trains.

Well I don't know?

If I choose only one..

It would be a mixed "military unit" 

 

Oh yea!, cant forget about the nurse red cross caboose

both !!  But if I had to choose only one it would be a mixed freight.

I have both, but my preference is for dedicated, or single unit trains.

I like both but gotta admit that a nice long unit train is tough to beat for making a powerful impression!

 

- Mike

Once in a great while I'll run coal gondolas, but I find mixed freights more interesting.

Both here to.........................Paul

I guess I would go either way, but I'm a big fan of those long autorack trains!

Mixed freight with caboose.

Depends on what you mean by a "unit train."  I'm only interested in the steam/diesel transition era and earlier, so a "unit train" in the modern sense has no place on my layout.  Unless you count a RDG or PRR coal drag, of course.

 

With that exception, I much prefer mixed freights.