Train Races

Reminds me of when I used to run the wheels off my trains as a kid. I would load up as many cars as I could and just run and run and run. Good stuff!

When I was a kid, I'd run my trains as fast as I could without them derailing.  I wouldn't dream of doing that today, but sure enjoyed myself back then.  Glad your kids had a great time.

When I was a kid our local YMCA held train races shortly after Christmas. Three Lionel tracks ran the length of the basketball court with a big S curve in the first 20 feet. You ran the engine, tender and two cars of your choice. I think the track was 031 and they used KW transformers. I ran my 2035 with a 1033 at home and the 2035 went much faster with the KW. I won the the first few races but got too excited and went off the curve in my last race.

Lionel Scouts were the ones to beat. Light engine and cars likely helped.

Pete

A routine event at the first frost and spring thaw meet.  Always fun to watch.

I remember the train races at the Bridgeport Boys Club Winter train show, back in the late 50's early 60s.

Thanks for the memory and smile.

@Norton that sounds like a great time!! I didn't know such events existed!

@BillYo414 posted:

@Norton that sounds like a great time!! I didn't know such events existed!

Early ‘50s. Trains were the top toy then. Pre slot cars.
We had a big train store locally that closed their doors about ten years ago  but they had races outdoors up until the end. Mostly G gauge. They even had classes for rocket powered vehicles that ran on the track.

Pete

Me and my daughter (6yrs old) did this a couple of weeks ago and that little bump and go trolley was the winner every time .
I told my daughter if my locomotive or any of the cars go off track it could cost me more than a race !!!!

The train races are a big part of the S Fests. Many folks have specially prepared trains for the races. These are run on a short section of straight track 20 or 25 feet. With engines only, no cars. The second part of the competition is the incline contest to see who's locomotives can get farther up the increasing incline.

Ray

Very cool. I would love to set up this kind of event near me.

Train hill climb sounds interesting…

I kept a link to this Train Racing Article.  I think it would be fun, but I am avoiding it.  I have been in Nascar and know the slippery slope to financial chaos when I see it.  One of the top Nascar racing teams gave a presentation about 10 years ago and there was a question.   "How much did you spend on the car last year?", Answer, "17 million".  "Why 17 Million?",  Answer, "That is all they would give us."

Did them at the Fall S fest's years ago, got old

Ha! I love this. My first Lionel train, a Nickel Plate Road 4-4-2 from the mid eighties, had a ROUGH life just because my 7 year old self couldn't contain my need for speed. Both marker lights were broken off, the pilot was bent (and eventually broke off as well), and the sides of the locomotive were all scarred up from flying off the curves. Poor engine eventually had all it could take, but I still have the shell. In fact, a couple of years ago I found a pristine twin to that same engine on Ebay and I bought it just because of the memories associated with it. Needless to say, this one leads a much more pampered life.

Don't do much racing with my trains nowadays, but my son and I still have moments where we admittedly abuse them a bit. Sometimes we will pull down my old postwar engines (the ones with metal gears and no traction tires) and hook them up back to back unsynchronized for a "pull off." The results are kind of surprising sometimes... For example, you might not expect the rock that is a 671 Turbine to get dragged hard by a FM Trainmaster, but that old TM is a BEAST, lol.