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Drag racing trains?  Has anyone ever done or heard of this being done?  I often wondered about how fast, in scale miles per hour our trains run, flat out.  I know MTH has scale miles per hour on their DCS system, but is it accurate?  

 

Would, or is there interest in drag racing trains to see who is the fastest.  It seems to me, that, all things being equal, most trains I own, seem to reach a top speed that seems to be close to the same speed.  I have no data to back this up, but by observing, it would seem to me that they all pretty much achieve the same speed ultimately.

 

If I have done the math correctly, it would take a straight track, 27.5 feet long to simulate a quarter mile, then some additional track for staging and stopping.  It is probably a moot point, if what I believe (all trains ultimately run at the same top speed), to have a racing venue for 3 rail electric trains.  

 

That being said, there could be different classes, i.e. stock, modified, funny trains, and so on.  It could be big.  All you car guys could jump on this, adding different gear ratios, larger wheels, faster rotating motors.  Heck, this could develop into the N.H.T.A. (National Hot Trains Association).  

 

Just musing.

 

 

 

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Originally Posted by MartyE:

Yep.  They do this or have done it at some of the local shows.  Always a good time.

 

I've never seen modern electronic equipment doing this.  It's always the PW stuff.

Hey Marty:

 

I see you're from PIttsburgh.  I am in McMurray (north end of Washington county).  Which local shows are you talking about?  Bob

No, No, No, you guys got it all wrong

 

If you really want to see what train racing is you have to google "Train Races".

 

This is where you couple up three automobiles with tow bars.

 

The first auto has a driver-engine-throttle-no brakes

The second auto is just a dummy.

The third auto has a driver-brakes-no engine

 

The three car train sets race with a bunch other train sets in a figure eight, in California, of course.  Absolute crazy fun.  Many U/T videos available.

I saw train drags at the World's Greatest Hobby on Tour north of Philadelphia at the Expo Center at Oaks earlier this year.  As I remember, it was the only interesting hands-on opportunity at the event.  The kids were really into it.  The vendor had about 15 differenet diesel locos to choose from.  We watched several races while waiting in line and knew which two to pick when it was our turn.

Originally Posted by Tom Tee:

No, No, No, you guys got it all wrong

 

If you really want to see what train racing is you have to google "Train Races".

 

This is where you couple up three automobiles with tow bars.

 

The first auto has a driver-engine-throttle-no brakes

The second auto is just a dummy.

The third auto has a driver-brakes-no engine

 

The three car train sets race with a bunch other train sets in a figure eight, in California, of course.  Absolute crazy fun.  Many U/T videos available.

Saw one of those. Absolutely hysterical. The other fun part of this is that you can't win the race if the train is broken -- hard to accomplish on a figure 8 track. By the way, they do them in states other than the People's Republic of California.

Last edited by AGHRMatt

I won't race my trains, but happily volunteer to drag anyones engines around a layout. Will return each engine with photos of results, plus vacumn the area to pick up any pieces I may have missed or to small.

Seriously, I've thought of it, but still remember a friends 1100.00 engine go off a track, drop 4 feet to the floor and spread parts to every area in the room after telling me how good at high speed it held the rail. Watching a grown man cry, was not a happy sight I wish to go through.

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