Longest O gauge train Record -- Switzerland

I think Vinnie can beat this Record!

I'm amazed that the couplers can withstand that much pulling.  Even though they showed the guy dealing with coupler failures, it seems like it was only a couple of cars.

Thanks for posting!  This is indeed very impressive.  I like how they made their own three-rail track too.

Pretty impressive.

Somebody tell James May that the Swiss have laid down the gauntlet!

A lot easier to pull on that layout than anything Else I've seen.

Makes me want to take my Big Boy there 

Just got to find out how much I can pull with it.

I like the rail system, easy to form curves with that material.  Is it aluminum?  Thanks for posting video.

Steve, Lady and Tex

Wow!  Very cool.  No doubt many will view this as a challenge.  I don't because I can't play: my longest loop is 135 feet around, so I could not even fit a train long enough on it (even if I had that many cars). 

Well it eclipes the trackage planned for my outer loop too. I do enjoy long trains. Couplers seem to become a "pain" at ~45+ cars. The added effort is just the time to setup a train that long. I can easily spend over a hour just setting up / storing the cars.

Gilly

Thanks Matt, now who's going to break that record? Do the NJ boys have a track long enough?

hello

@ tex-sx: yes rails are made from aluminium

@ gilly: they secured the couples with o-rings

Regards

Jens

PS: i'm from Switzerland ;o)

I'm surprised they didn't try some distributed power at the end. I pull 54 coalporters with loads and have to use a powered unit on the end to keep it smooth.

They have the track to pull it off (for that matter, so do we) but the curves are the problem. THey're just not broad enough. We've had Big Boys pull 100+ car ore trains, but those cars put a lot of flanges per foot in the curve because they're so short, plus they don't weigh as much as bathtub gons. If we tried it with cars that long they'd string-line.

That is awesome.  Hope they kept all the lokomotivens well lubricated.

Truly Fahrvergnügen.  

Excuse me, Frau Blücher is calling me to have some bratwurst and bier.

Thanks for posting Matt.

 Come on over Matt! I ran nearly a hundred down stairs! Bring some cars and we'll set a new one! I've got enough new cars to try that again. Ten locos should do.

I bet the NJHR have ran that many. Tommie Z too. Dennis Sirrine runs that in G gauge!

Now 200+ would impress me.

Don't need no stinkin' rubber bands either!!

Out of curiousity, how were the aluminum strips made? Were they specially manufactured or cut from a larger sheet, or were already available in a useful size?

What length are the strips and how were they joined? (oh, I see at 0:48 into the video)

How were the wood strips that hold the rails cut, or rather, what method was used to keep the slots a consistent distance/depth?

I had been toying with the idea of an outdoor extension of my planned basement loop, and this might be more economical if I can find a suitable source of the aluminum strips and learn the method of building the roadbed support.

---PCJ

Matt

Thanks for posting.  Interesting track work!!!  Looks like aluminum

I believe quite a few years ago the LCCA ran very long train that was set up at an airport.  The cars were 9400 series box cars and the date of the event was stamped on the box cars.  The train used several engines and transformers. Maybe someone from the LCCA can shed some light on this.  LOCOMOTION

That is not even close. The Chi Town Union Station in Commerce Michigan set the record for O scale 2 rail.   I don't know if that record still stands? 

1112.06 feet long

1205 cars

26 locomotives

1400 lbs.

22" of elevation change

1680 degrees of turn per lap

Yeah Lee, but if you add just a few feet, and ran the train with the lead engine also being the pusher..... hmmmm.  

Now that there is my kind of model train.

I am pretty sure Tom Z has broken that record many times   We have plenty of track but every line has a grade so its hard to get that many cars going.  Best I have done is 108. 

As for the couplers the older Atlas couplers are the best   Never had one pop.  About two years ago Atlas must have changed something because the newer cars are worse than any others.  The MTH and Lionel thumbtack couplers will have sopme pop after 25 cars are added.  Cable ties or rubber bands around them cure it.  The new MTH and Lionel couplers are pretty good

Doz ish lota vagons!  Mit nos migna-truskshon.

Great find. Wish I knew German. For some reason I'm thirsty for a beer.

So far my longest train (that rolled great and stayed hooked) was 28 cars pulled by one loco.