Some reflections further to:
https://www.marklin-user...e-Rio-Grande-Moffat-RoadWatching the various videos and pix presented in above thread, I was wondering about "plausible" train lengths for US themed layouts.
A) Freight Trains
The videos of the two Rio Grande N-scale layouts show three or four Geeps - sometimes even supported by two helpers pushing in the rear - hauling between one and two dozens of freight cars, respectively. Even on larger pikes, it is impossible to match the prototype by running long freight trains with 50, 100 or even more cars. Compared to H0 scale, N scale trains are more likely to be in full view, thus need to be longer to look plausible. Using view blocks and tunnels to avoid having a full view of a train helps of course to fool the eye. When switching to H0 scale US stock, I soon abandoned my initial plan to employ more realistic 40 ft box car models by Maerklin/Trix due to "zinc pest“ inflicted warping and shifted to less realistic but more rugged 50 ft tin plate models - which are also easier to (un-)couple.
Looking at 50 ft models, my - biased - experience for freight trains is as follows:
F7 loco to 50 ft freight car ratio
1 to 3 = minimum
1 to 4 = balanced
1 to 5 = impressive
1 to 6 = looks really long
Thus, a minimum F7 loco to car ratio is 1 to 3, i.e. a F7 A-B-B-A lash-up should pull at least 12 (50 ft) freight cars (plus caboose) to look right, which would translate to 15 freight cars when using 40 ft exemplars. However, from my aesthetic point of view, that is borderline: the longer, the better. E.g., a F7 A-B-B-A with 14 (50 ft) freight cars (plus caboose) looks about right while 16 are perfect, and 20 (50 ft) box cars lead to a "wow" factor. Everything longer is pure luxury for the eyes (and a challenge on tight curves on a grade).
Anyway, the result is still a long train. An A-B-B-A loco with 12 cars and caboose occupies ca. 300 cm of track, with 16 cars and caboose that becomes already 380 cm. I resolved this by coiling sidings around curves. E.g., the circumference of a full R2 circle (12 x 24230 track segments) measures 270 cm, which "absorbs" already a lot. Since US stock has no buffers, a freight train parked on a R2 curve is a pleasant view.
(B) Passenger trains
For passenger trains, the rule of thumb is a ratio of 1 to 2, thus a F7 A-B-B-A makes a bella figure with eight coaches. And for the Alco PA, there is the example of the Santa Fe double-header pulling the very short but long-distance three-car (1 x baggage plus 2 x coach) Grand Canyon streamliner train at the end of the 1960s...
:o)
