Goods Train Formations - General Discussion

[Platy767]

Hello all,

A confluence of posts and books led me to post this.

I have recently been amazed by the size of some collections of forum members.
This is list of stock from a reasonably well known modeller  after 2 decades of modelling. Not a lot by modern standards and availability, eh?



My aim has been, where I can, is to maximise my % of kit built and bashed rolling stock.

I strangle myself somewhat because I have 2 couple systems running, but I managed to get somewhere near Rev Denny's quantity, at least for goods wagons (my main interest)

I allocated the following
6 coal wagons with Rapidos
5 general opens with Rapidos
4 vans with Rapidos

5 coal wagons with MTs
5 general wagons with MTs
4 vans with MTs.

Plus a few special traffics with various couplers.

I have a few coupler conversions to do and a few wagons a work in progress, but, by and large I will have a wagon fleet that can serve the size of the layout. Loads need to added to some of the opens.

This does not include all the LNER and GWR carriages, siphons, fruits and my railcars, but that is another story.



Mark

[Newportnobby]

Locomotives became more powerful and thus hauled longer trains. As I model transition era I have locos like 9Fs, 8Fs, WDs etc so my wagon total comes in at (currently) 297 (a paltry figure compared to the likes of @Trainfish and @Hailstone ), most of which are, or will be, weathered

[Stuart Down Under]

Eek - that made me take a look at my goods wagon count; 435! But I probably only have about 20 on the layout at present, because I much prefer passenger trains. However, that still doesn't justify 293 coaches and 116 locomotives. I just have to stop buying stuff, I suppose. When tracklaying is finally complete, I will only have room for 24 trains. I started off full of good intentions, with David Jenkinson's advice that you should have a list of everything you need, and only buy or build it if it's on the list. But he probably never applied Rule One...
 

[Graham]

I dont even want to count them, there are nearly 50 Class 66's alone.

[Platy767]

Too many wheels for me to keep clean.
Mark

[Southerngooner]

I've tried to be more measured since I got back into N in 2013, and have managed to only buy stock that fits with Brickmakers Lane (BR SR), plus some stuff that will work on both this and James Street (BR Midland). Some things have appealed but having some financial constraints has helps. My wife and I each have £150 a month for "personal" spending, which covers clothes, a cycling holiday for me, plus anything needed for the layout. This does help keep a lid on excessive spending! I've still managed to acquire nearly 300 wagons, for a layout that can maybe take half that.......

Dave

[jpendle]

I dont even want to count them, there are nearly 50 Class 66's alone.

I've tried to limit what I buy to what will fit in my storage yard.

So later this year I'll be adding storage yard number 2, if I can find somewhere to squeeze it in. 

John P

[Graham]

Yes I try, but then Revolution keep releasing goodies, then the C-Rail container FSA etc are coming along and I will definitely need some of them.

[Greygreaser]

Gosh I've 20 steam locos some in need of repair or becoming 'donors', 11 diesels and 5 DMUs covering nearly 3 eras.
Similarly the 42 carriages are spread over these periods and across mainline and surburban sets. Goods and PW wagons run to 56 again some need attention or dissecting!
Given the layout might run 3 "periods" of trains this seems plenty when it might at best accommodate 6 trains simultaneously - i might NOT be able to control 6 however! The other consideration is train length which will have to be small/short to match track 'blocks'.

[Platy767]

Given the layout might run 3 "periods" of trains this seems plenty when it might at best accommodate 6 trains simultaneously - i might NOT be able to control 6 however! The other consideration is train length which will have to be small/short to match track 'blocks'.

I'm not sure about diesels, well, I suppose a few won't hurt, but for me, this collection size seems plenty, but not too much to manage. Besides, we don't have to have everything on the layout all the time, and definitely not if we have different periods.

On the other hand, I understand some forum members exhibit their layouts or are involved with large / multiple club layouts for which they provide stock with many long trains running. So, plenty of opportunity for more variety.

Mark

[Chris Morris]

I have never counted my wagons but I have a lot less than some of the above. All the wagons on my railways are there for purpose with pretty much no purchases that don't fit location or era. I have no problem with "rule 1" but its not what I want to do.


This photo conveniently shows my three most used freight trains - the clayliner which consists of 31 Peco 5 plank wagons plus brake van, the Kensington milk which of course consists of Dapol milk tanks plus a bogie brake and my standard goods train. This goods train consists of over 35 wagons, mostly vans of various types plus a few tanks and open wagons.

I have a six wagon plus brake van engineers train made of Grampus kit built wagons.


In steam era I run a short pick up goods

[Chris Morris]

The above trains are good for the 1950s and 1960s but when running my 1980s stock the freight trains are quite different.


I have a short "general" freight train. These wagons would probably be heading for the naval dockyards at Plymouth.

I found it harder to find good freight workings for the West Country in this period. I do know that the old clay wagons were replaced by CDA wagons during this time and this train represents new CDAs being taken from Exeter to Cornwall by non other than William Cookworthy.



Effectively the return working of the above, the old "clayhoods" being taken from Cornwall for scrapping. This fine photo is courtesy of Chris Nevard/Model Rail

[Chris Morris]

I also run trains from the current scene. This is hampered at the moment because I am waiting for the Revolution 66 to arrive. I have managed to assemble two freight trains which I think are suitable for the era and location.

The engineers train using Dapol JNAs




I run these together with the modern day equivalent to the clayliner using JIAs. Please Revolution get those 66s built, I'm desperate!

[Chris Morris]

My other layout, Cwm Bach and Llados Halt is a simple affair set in the late 50s or early 60s. I just use 4 vans and 4 coal wagons on this layout. A train of 2 vans plus 2 full coal wagons comes to Cwm Bach and is shunted into the yard and then the empty coal wagons and vans are taken back along the line.


The coal yard at Cwm Bach. The empty coal wagons are being shunted out of the way so the full ones can be put into the yard. The coal loads have a piece of metal under the coal so the wagons can be "unloaded" by holding a magnet over them.


I can't claim that I never stray from the straight and narrow.....

[Platy767]

Thanks Chris. Lovely layouts.
I had to google the J.Jones butcher reference and realised it wasn't the local butcher shop in Thetford  , but rather it was a Dad's Army character  .

Anyway, the vented van looks like it belongs.

Mark