We had run this 100 car train from the top of the BMHR layout to the bottom and I went back to the top of the layout to take a video
of this "victorious" return of the train to the high ground of the fiddle yard. What I got was a great example of the first cars after the loco falling inward on the curve at the top of the layout..."stringing".
This is why running long trains on a complex layout with rises,falls and serpentine curves is so challenging and fun!
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That got me a few years back with 45 cars. The only solutions for a complex layout are very heavy, short cars up front (more flanges per foot) with lighter, longer cars on the rear or multiple locomotives in consist with a pusher or two on the back.
this is why it's very important to weight your freight cars to the NMRA o scale standard of 5oz plus 1oz per car length inch... esp when running these long trains!
The correct term is "stringlined."
I know that feeling well. Did any of the couplers break
I had a problem with stringlining on only a 24 element train - my War Train I posted a video of some time back. I wanted to run the scratch/bashed built, 36-wheel, 25 inch long railway cannon car near the end of the train -- it weighed a lot and it caused a alot of stringlining initially and a lot of work for me - I had to add weight to various cars in between until they weighed so much that, while the train did no stringline anymore, it was a challenge to get moving. I learned quite a lot, and it was a fun project.
Several years ago, my 30 car coal hopper train behind a Challenger stringlined upon start up in a curve so I placed a declining numker of pennies in the first 8 cars--problem solved!
I had a problem with stringlining on only a 24 element train - my War Train I posted a video of some time back. I wanted to run the scratch/bashed built, 36-wheel, 25 inch long railway cannon car near the end of the train -- it weighed a lot and it caused a alot of stringlining initially and a lot of work for me - I had to add weight to various cars in between until they weighed so much that, while the train did no stringline anymore, it was a challenge to get moving. I learned quite a lot, and it was a fun project.
Thanks to everyone for your comments and great input. The new factor that none at BMHR club had consider/discussed is "flanges per inch" on the forward cars...it makes sense...will try to incorporate in our future efforts.
To provide a timing context, we ran the nearly successful but stringlining train on 4/3/12.
We then spent some time pondering improvements/fixes, the major one being to put the heavier cars forward and the lighter cars rearward. Then on 4/26/12, we assembled and ran the successful 100 car train shown elsewhere on OGR foum at:
https://ogrforum.com/d...ply=7061414404682363
After this was posted, the Detroit Club posted a video of a 102 car train pulled by 2 locos on a flat layout with no serpentine curves, but heavy cars. So we are now gearing up for 120 to 140 cars.
More fun to come.
Mike
This poses one of those "just because we can doesn't mean we should" conundrums. Isn't there a restriction on the lengths of prototype trains running on US railroads? I know there was some controversy over a UP experiment with an ultra-long train.
This poses one of those "just because we can doesn't mean we should" conundrums. Isn't there a restriction on the lengths of prototype trains running on US railroads? I know there was some controversy over a UP experiment with an ultra-long train.
I don't think that there is any actual legal limit on train length. But the longer it gets, the bigger the problems become in logistics. You have to consider siding lengths, passing loops, yard congestion and a host of other issues once you exceed a certain length.
But here is a link with some details of the UP experiments for anyone looking for a challenge. 
A record of 1205 cars and 26 locomotives was set by a 2-rail modeler in 2010 Chi-Town Union Station in Metro Detroit.
"Chi-Town Union Station is also the home of the world’s longest model train.
On March 20, 2010, Chi-town assembled and ran on a permanent indoor model railroad layout, with grades and curves, a train 1,112.06 feet in length consisting of 1205 cars and 26 locomotives. The train weighed almost 1400 pounds."
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