Racing Trains?

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

Yes, I've seen it done at a train show once. It was run as a kids' activity, but if I had only known about before hand, I would have brought a Marx tin lokie with a single reduction motor along. Just in case....

It's been a while but I swear they've done this at some of the TCA shows in Cranberry and even once at Greenberg before it moved.  I know I have seen this locally at least a couple of times.

heard about it, never witnessed one.

my understanding is that the Marx 999

is the one to go with, they run fast and furious!!!

Found this on Youtube. A train show in Palatine, Illinois.

 

 

Here's a more typical drag race you get a prize at the end!

 

franktrain

Yes, I've seen such setups at Allentown, PA and Virginia Beach, VA.  I'm told the Marx engines always win.  (Probably because an old-time repairman told me they are designed to run at 12 volts, tops, and the transformers go way above that of course).

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.

Yep, I really need to buy a Marx Commodore Vanderbilt engine and get into O-gauge train racing. With that streamlined hull it should do quite well. Can't decide on a rusty "rat rod" look or a basic satin black with flames paint job! 

I wonder if I can get a sponsor????   LOL

I think Dale M. has entered a real rocket in some of those contests, he has a custom built one with rocket technology.  There was a thread a while back about train racing where he described what he was doing.

Train races used to be a staple of the Fall S Fests.

 

Rusty

Reminds me of The Great Locomotive Chase.

 

The wife's high school band performed that number a few years ago.  (Now, where would she get that idea from?  LOL)

His blog post is a must read for train racing.

 

 

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.

There's a fellow in the Richmond Va area that has an O Gauge dragstrip module. I have contemplated getting a Lionel GP with the flamejob and souping it up.

 

Gilly

This apparently happened in Finland.

Train races seem to be all the rage in Europa. Slovakia this time.

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.

I have never seen or participated in a train drag race but, when the moon is full, I have been known to send my trains off around my layout to see how fast I can get one going without launching it off the platform.  So far, I have not crossed that threshold.  (Knock on wood)

Curt

I would go for a K line MP15 or a Lionel type diesel with the can motors built into the trucks - those really haul.  The ultimate would be putting Brushless R/C motors in there.

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.

Bob,

if it has a motor, someone will race it. Here is Dale Manquen's tale of train racing. You know he had to keep modding until he won!

Yea I bet you I could get a engine to run 70 mph with RC car system in it..

When I was a kid the local YMCA had train races every year after Christmas. Lionel Scouts were the fastest if you could keep them on the tracks. 

 

Pete

My grandson and I drag race all the time - James always beats Percy.

I had read about train contests, not sure it was racing, that TTOS used to have in
some of their meets.  They were saying AMT-KMT F units were the usual winners,
but now I don't remember if that was for speed or load hauled?

AGHRMATT:  Thanks for posting.  The car/train racing was the wildest thing I have seen in a very LONG time!  It made my day.  bob

My brother and I raced our trains as kids, That never turned out well.

The movie Four's a Crowd 1938 has this great Lionel Pre war race about 8 minutes into this clip.

At IRM, we used to race the snails with our Shay.

 

 

We'd usually win 2 out of three...

 

Rusty

Geez, the newer Percy must be different than the 90's Percy. I have one of those, and it is a rocket!

You know, this would be a really neat thing to do at York!