Is this true? Racing Trains?

Definitely true. Back in the '50s the YMCA I belonged to had races in early January, timed I guess with post Christmas. My hopped up (well lubed) 2035 did pretty well and I won a prize the first year I ran it. The next year I derailed long before the finals. The course consisted of three mainlines running across the basketball court. You had to negotiate two back to back 180 degree turns before heading out on the long straight. The Lionel Scouts were hard to beat though.

Pete

Yes, it's true. Check out my video below.

Pete,

I am glad you responded! Why doesn't anyone race trains today, do you think?

This old hobby could use the juice!

Mike Maurice

Not many places do it today but up until a few years ago when a local train store closed its doors they had races a few times a year. The store specialized in G gauge and the races were held outdoors with classes for stock and modified on G gauge track. Some in the modified class were jet powered.

Not so much for young kids as they were back in the day.

Pete

I know they have races at the TCA Meet at York and at the Allentown PA Show as well

The Southern California Cal-Stewart train meet every November does locomotive "drag race" contests.   I've witnessed a couple of them over the course of my attendances there.

You can see an article below from fellow forum member Dale Manquen did about one of them here & how it inspired him to mod a locomotive to enter into the races (includes pictures):  http://www.trainfacts.com/trainfacts/?p=248

As noted above by Martin, yes, there were train races. Although long before my time, my father recounts how his little Marx was the fastest in the local races. The trains would race away from the participants, make a 180 and come back.

I can just imagine the excitement! I would like to participate in one. I have a Jet powered train..... Just sitting on a shelf (like a Shelf Queen) there gathering dust!

I can feel the power when I look at her.....

Mike Maurice

If I am recalling it correctly, isn't there a stretch in northwest Indiana where the NYC and Pennsy tracks run side-by-side.......which allowed the Broadway Ltd and the 20th Century Ltd to "race"?

Peter

I'm glad someone pointed to Dale's tale, otherwise I would of.  It's a fun read.

The last time I attended the Allentown show they still held races.  Also, the Greenberg's, at least in Virginia Beach, VA, does the same.  The engines there are provided though, and the whole setup managed by a kid-friendly nice guy.

Are you asking about real trains racing or about people racing toy trains.  Most of the replies seem to be about real trains racing, but your mention of showrooms and "before slot cars" makes me think you meant racing your toy trains?

When I was a kid my brother and I would set up dual loops and race or Marx trains.  Usually we ran them off the track on curves, but we had fun.  

Yes Lee, once again since this is mostly a model train forum, you are correct!  I find the subject interesting racing real trains but gone are the days where there once were model train races (in showrooms specially built for displaying MODEL trains!

I thought I saw in a model train magazine side by side next to each other several trains......I thought that was odd....there is no explanation of what they in fact were doing.....yet in a later video (that must have been shot in the 40's) I realized that this was what they were doing!

It must have been exciting watching those trains race!!!!!! I wish I were born earlier. Gosh!!! and Shucks!!! Gee Willickers!!!

Mike Maurice

PS.... Is anyone up for a race?

When I read "train racing" I think of the West Coast Train Races run on a large oval course using the inside cross over for figure eight racing.

The fasten three automobiles together.  The front car only has an engine and steering, the middle car is empty and the last car has an occupant (not really a "driver") who only has brakes. 

If the link does not work just insert "figure eight train races."

There's a great old, silent, black-and-white film that depicts Boy Scouts conducting a race with (I believe) Dorfan trains.  The race was conducted outdoors, probably at a scout camp or jamboree, over lines laid by the scouts.  Very cool!  I have it on one of my older VHS videos…one segment in a longer toy train program.

Hi Peter

I believe that unofficial race started at Englewood station Chicago. They departed eastbound each afternoon at almost the same time. Its on a Herron Rail video Reflections of the New York Central.

Clem

Blissfield Railroad Days' Events - Blissfield Main Street

Our local TCA club in Seattle (1970's) used to hold them at our meetings.  They had some pretty good prizes for those who won.  We would get a beater locomotive or diesel and try to "soup it up" by placing a larger motor or change gearing.  It was a blast and there were some pretty fast engines......some funny one's also.

Steve, Lady and Tex

I have that DORFAN Advertisement Film on DVD and I believe you can find it on Youtube..

When LOTS held their National Convention in Rochester, NY a few years ago they had a drag race track setup at the swap meet. Fun to watch. The addition of curves though would add a level of skill to the competition. 

The races I participated in had a large S curve plus each track was powered by a KW.

My 2035 set came with a 1033 which was the only transformer I was familiar with. The KW with twice the power also had handles which moved in the opposite direction of the 1033. It was hard to remember to push rather than pull the handle to slow down. Make that mistake and you derail and your day is finished.

Trains consisted of the engine and 3 cars. The tender counted as one car. Scouts and Marx sets were the ones to beat and few did if the engineers were able to keep them on the track.

By the mid '50s trains were being replaced by slot cars and other toys so the races ended. Great fun while it lasted.

Pete

Well before my time but it sure seems like it. Heres a classic thats been posted on the forum in the past.

Go to the 9:00 mark

These days, this is what you'll find at the nation wide shows like "Worlds Greatest Hobby on Tour"

Get Dale Manquen to talk about his racing train.   There's a thread around here someplace about it.

Here's one thread where he mentions it in passing: https://ogrforum.com/t...82#26067524241079882

Wasn't there a post one time about a race ten actual miles  Ho size trains racing between two towns in England. The first attempt didn't work but the following year they tried again and it lasted all day and into the night. I think it was James May toy stories.

Clem

My 5 year old grandson and I race his Thomas series LionChiefs.  Cooper, the grandson, drives James and always beats Percy.  Double track mainline allows for some outstanding times.  Then we settle down for some passenger running - nice and slow to keep from jostling the folks in back.

Well, that's what I call a d r a g race! Thanks for posting.

There's a fellow that displays a modular drag racing layout in our area. He lets the kids run the trains. It's even got the Christmas Tree and the finish line lights. A couple of his engines are the Lionel GEEPs with the flame-jobs. VERY popular at the shows..

Gilly

I remember reading about AMT diesels being very good in train racing, but I have

never seen a race, but heard that they were once a staple of TTOS meets.

I, too was trying to remember where Dale spoke about the drag races. pretty much an unlimited class. Ahh, here you go.. Train Racing Technology from his website.

My brother and I and our friends raced our trains on our basement layout when I was a kid, but the real fun was our "space program" - we took all the straight track we could along with boards and boxes for support and built the longest straight we could from behind the layout across it, ending in a ramp up at about a 30 degree angle.  We would twist the transformer control as fast as possible to accelerate and launch a loco (no tender or cars) across the basement, aimed at my mother's laundry basket.  Sometimes we'd miss, but most times we hit or came close enough.  The remarkable thing was that our Marx "spacecraft" never failed us, although what had been a 2-4-2 ended up a 0-4-0.  

Those were fun days.

Lee,

Yes, I remember youth fondly crashing trains into each other a' la Gomez Adams was about as wild a I got. I could always repair a train from a "crash" with little damage..... However, I never thought to start a space program LOL with toy trains!

Now, I finally figured out why my father stowed my trains in the attic for years, thanks!!!

PS.

My weren't you a little devil!

Mike Maurice