How Many Unit Trains Do you Have?

I have/ can make up two unit trains: PRR coal hoppers pulled by PRR steam and Fruit Growers Express reefers pulled by ditto. Occasionally by a PRR diesel, in my weaker moments.

Assuming a 5 car passenger train qualified as a unit train, here is one headed by an MTH Dreyfus Hudson running by the ball parks:

While you were asleep, I awoke at 4 AM (NY Time) and took this video of a double unit train of merchandise and milk cars being hauled by an MTH Railking PRR Pacific:

Arnold

The only real unit train I planed was PEF reefers pulled by my VL Big Boy.  If we count passenger trains, then I have the NYC Dreyfuss Hudson and PRR T-1 both pulling trains with their matching passenger cars.  I do have enough cars to make unit trains with tank cars, box cars, or stock cars.  My layout is small, and if I don't mind only a car or two distance between trains, and feel adventurous, I could in theory run 5 trains on my two loops.  The only other real unit train I plan to make at some point is the BNSF earthworm, but I have to wait for someone to make the right cars or do a lot of repainting.

Guess what? You may have a unit train that you did not know you had.

That happened to me.

I did not realize until recently that I had a log/lumber unit train. Here it is, lumbering along, pulled by a NY Central 10 wheeler along The Put:

This video may be realistic because Lloyd's Lumber was in Yorktown Heights (a train station along The Put) and I think it had a siding along The Put. Arnold

I have two ore trains on my electric short line. This is an early shot of one of the first. Don

As far as the Razorback Traction Co. is concerned, it's not the length of the unit train, it's what you DO with it!   

Mitch 

Williams Jersey Central NW2 hauling flat car unit train:

This is another unit train I didn't know I had until I started this thread.

Notice in the video how this train runs through town.  It slows down as it enters the town and the crossing gates drop. This is a flaw in my layout that I decided to keep. 

The flaw is that there is a voltage drop in that section of my layout, but that turns out to be a good thing because I think it's very realistic for the train to slow down as it runs through town.

This shows the paradox that a layout flaw, depending on what it is, may be something you want to keep. Arnold

I just made the video below of the same flat car unit train, this time being pulled by an MTH Proto 3 CSX diesel:

IMO, this modern locomotive looks great pulling these modern flat cars. Also, notice how this modern MTH Proto 3 engine hardly slows down at all in the area near the switch where the voltage drop occurs. Same is true for my modern LC+ and TMCC locomotives.  Arnold

Norton posted:

Two I have been actively putting together is a NYC Pacemaker freight with 50 plus cars and a proper caboose. Also about 30 TOFC flats all lettered for NYC with unique car numbers. My 30 or so tank cars qualify I think. No real layout so I have to run them on the clubs modular layout. Small sample shown here.

Pete

 

As the Pacemaker goes by, which passenger set is going by in the upper left?

What's really cool is that as a result of this thread, I have 2 unit trains I did not know I had and never ran until now: a gondola unit train and a flat car unit train. I feel like I got 2 new train sets for free. LOL.

Has anyone else had that experience? Arnold

Today I visited my LHS and bought a bunch of Postwar train cars to beef up 4 of my unit trains, one of which is a log dump unit train shown in the video below:

I wore a mask, was the only customer at the LHS, and had a great time talking with the LHS owner. I recommend visiting LHSs especially now when there are no, or very few, train shows. Arnold

Great idea Arnold. I like the thought of a "modern" twist unit train consisting of vintage cars. This virus has spawned some unexpected benefits. My high school physics teacher told us if people are locked up they give you great music, art and poetry. He maybe forgot about the creative model railroaders also.

TJ

Unit trains on my roster:

-black tank cars (mostly AMT/KMT/K-Line with some RailKing)

-yellow cattle cars (RailKing, AMT, Franks Roundhouse)

-Marx #59 cattle cars (80+) (six inch, four wheel)  https://youtu.be/Zl7_MSigPlw

-black hoppers (Marx large plastic converted to modern trucks)

-brown UPS boxcars (48+) (Franks Roundhouse - the supposedly  "rare" ones)

-prewar American Flyer butter dish milk cars

Another unit train I added to yesterday was this Postwar milk car unit train being pulled by  an LC+ Jersey Central Pacific steamer:

Arnold