How many people can operate those huge 86' hi- cubes and full scale autoracks?

Clubs and modular layouts.

I can. 

088 minimum curves with a lot of 096. Layout size = 25' x 30'.

I bought both the Lionel BIG BLUE Conrail set and the CSX autoracks set a few years ago. I then started to add all the cars and to date have around 25 or them. I usually limit my train length to 10 cars.

Donald

I can operate them on my layout.

Just like the real railroads mine operate in some areas and not in others!

I pull 18 Lionel auto racks with 5 locomotives. 3 powered and two dummies.  They are what my granddaughters think a train is supposed to be because that is what runs close to their. House. The route is from Louisville Kentucky to the west.  My layout is about 2400 sq feet which in my basement.

I run the long stuff, all converted to Kadee's 120" curves super elevated. Those Atlas 89' flatcars and K-line 21" passenger cars started it for me.

I can. 

6464’s and Irvington cars are plenty big enough for me!  

Jon

boilermaker posted:

I can. 

I swore I heard flat spots go by 😉

We run em all the time...

 I run them and have more on order.

072 curves.

I run them on our club layout all the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...GCAbRydw&index=5

I wish I could, If they ever make one in Erie or Erie Lackawanna I still might buy one as I remember them by the Ford plant in Mawah NJ.

I run them on the attic layout. It has 0-89 and 0-96 curves...........Paul

I have a bunch of all of the long cars on the layout. I haven't really had a chance to run them yet, but the clearances have been checked, so they're good to go.

I run them. 072 curves.  I love they way the couplers spread apart in the curves. They also seem to roll smoother then any other rolling stock I have.

Even though my layout is 072 I have not ventured down that path.

   Bill T.

We definitely run the 86 foot high cubes here. Usually in a mixed consist with other large tankers flat cars hoppers and mill gondolas. More than enough space on the layout to accommodate them.

Yep, plenty of room....

I love my Autoracks, but unfortunately I can only run them on the "Carpet Central". Even with O72 curves, they still have some overhang.

With minimum O-72 curves on my "Valley of Bridges" layout, I can run my auto rack and 86' boxcars, … but I prefer to run smaller cars to give the train layout a better look in the sweeping curves. 

They are displayed on my shelves most of the time.

My 21" passenger cars get much more use and are always on the layout.

John Rowlen

I do on the club layout. 

Its the same with the atlas 89’ cars, articulated auto racks and big steam.

I think due to the size, that’s why they are/were being blown out.

MIKATT1 posted:

I wish I could, If they ever make one in Erie or Erie Lackawanna I still might buy one as I remember them by the Ford plant in Mawah NJ.

Dave, 

I actually remember seeing the SP ones with the arrows at the GM plant in Linden. I think you may have to hope for a EL version as I don’t know if the Erie was still around then.

I saw them at America's Best Trains and Hobbies in Itaska, IL. I had never seen any O gauge bigger than Super O. I was shocked at the size of them. They are almost as big as my USA G Gauge trains! Glad some of you enjoy them, but they are not for me. The store manager told me they were made to run with the scale size engines, but even those engines look too small with them.

George

I have about ten of the 86-foot "layout shrinkers". Haven't run them yet, but my test-track loop has 072 curves and was designed to accommodate the overhang of a DDA40X (later found the same clearance allows operation of a Big Boy as well). I don't have any of the 89' autoracks since I'm too heavily invested (i.e. having 50 of 'em) in the MTH versions.

The 86-footers and autoracks are supposedly engineered to handle curves as small as 054, thanks to the self-extending couplers.  

---PCJ

_{(someday I hope to make a video trolling rivet-counters by mixing in a cut of 027 boxcars in the consist)}

Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:

MIKATT1 posted:

I wish I could, If they ever make one in Erie or Erie Lackawanna I still might buy one as I remember them by the Ford plant in Mawah NJ.

Dave, 

I actually remember seeing the SP ones with the arrows at the GM plant in Linden. I think you may have to hope for a EL version as I don’t know if the Erie was still around then.

I have a couple of those 

Here's a video of me running a 52 car train at the NJ Hi-Railers.  I have about 12 more now.  I have to get a video of that.

52 Lionel Scale Autoracks

I run the Atlas 89' flats, the Lionel 89' auto racks, and the Lionel 86' boxcars in one train on the Austin Tinplate Trackers modular layout. We had close to a 30' x 50' layout last weekend at the train show in Temple, Texas. I also run 21' UP and SP passenger trains on the layout as well.

I run both on my layout. Only one 86' car, but several autoracks on my rack/ stack train. 

I do not have any of the Lionel/Atlas cars but I do have these Lykens Valley cars, the ATSF I assembled and the PRR was purchased. Note the size compared to a Weaver three-bay hopper (now converted to two-rail, BTW):

I also like the MTH Schnabel car, it sort of fits in with the Hi-cubes:

The K-Line twenty-one inch Bombardier cars (the Sounder in this photo) are no slouches in the size department either:

I already run lots of 21" passenger cars so the autoracks aren't much different. 

Yes, I run the autoracks and other big cars.  They are cool - just order a couple of Wabash 86' cars from most recent Lionel catalog.

I don't run cars this big but I could... my mainline curves are 128. I'm interested, but where would I put them when not running them... I'm out of shelf space!

Jan

To each their own in this hobby. 

I run them along with 21” passenger cars, yes there are some curves that they will take but look - shall we say less than prototypical - however, running semi-scale cars also look somewhat less than prototypical. Pick your compromise. 

WOW!!!! A lot of cool pictures and videos. The biggest car I own , not run, but own, is the Westinghouse Schnabel car, and that's only ONE! It also doesn't help that FarmerJohn's layout is 2400' sq ft and my entire house is 2500 sq ft. LOL!!! Do I really need a kitchen, bedroom, living area? I really only need the bathroom. Hmmmm. . .  Wait there is the small part about the wife, yeah, my plan is not going to work.

bluelinec4 posted:

Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:

MIKATT1 posted:

I wish I could, If they ever make one in Erie or Erie Lackawanna I still might buy one as I remember them by the Ford plant in Mawah NJ.

Dave, 

I actually remember seeing the SP ones with the arrows at the GM plant in Linden. I think you may have to hope for a EL version as I don’t know if the Erie was still around then.

I have a couple of those 

 

Ben,

who painted the EL cars? I would too like a couple! 

I love my Lionel scale auto carriers.  I have about 20 now and run them on my outer line which is 108 curves and my longest straight section is about 34 feet.  When not on the layout they do take up a lot of shelf space. 

Bryan, only twenty. I would be more then happy to lease you a few of mine LOL......... Paul I will

On the modular layout.....this past December & January.....

These are not my mine.....but owned by other members of the group....

Peter