In the grand era of US steam, the consist of a passenger train usually followed a somewhat logical pattern.

Immediately behind the engine and tender would be the U.S. Mail/baggage car. This acted as a buffer between the noise, smoke, and cinders of the engine and the passenger cars.

Next would be the "sitting" or "chair" car. If you will, these were the "cheap seats".

Behind that came the "diner". Thus, the chair car patrons would "go back to the diner", if you have ever heard that very old terminology.

And last was the "sleeping car". This positioning put it fartherest from the engine and made the diner into a buffer between the sleeping passengers and the chair car.

After the diner closed for the evening, things should have been quiet unless some night owls decided on a few drinks and a card game at the empty dining tables.

If this consist seems accurate to my other US friends, is it also how passenger trains were arranged in Europe?

Ok, then let me post this question:

How many passengers should a train have?
I have a DA 800 and it is pulling three cars 4051, 4052 and 4026, I am looking to add a couple of more cars, I was thinking 4053 and an other 4052. Five seems to be a good number of cars.

How many 24cm cars do you put behind your engines?
What about 16cm cars?

Thanks
Jai