I recall as a train spotting kid we used to count the number of coaches or wagons on every train that passed.
I have to admit I still do it. I've just been watching a few train vids on youtube (I blame Di for luring me to Youtube with vids of Snoozebury) and once there I watch other train vids and count coaches/wagons. (second childhood obviously!)
Mind you not got it as bad as some bloke I saw at a few shows in the Bristol area back in the 80s with an Ian Allan ABC ticking off numbers on layouts!
Yep I still do that :D
Considering I used to live very near two level crossings where china clay trains went past, and I knew how many wagons were in each train, that is especially weird :D
Yep!! Every train I see or train film, I count the coaches and, even worse, I check to see if I've got the right number of N gauge coaches on my layout. How sad is that!!
:) :beers:
Actually, one of the things that really annoys me when watching video of either the real thing or the models, is when the photographer concentrates on the loco, and you don't get a chance to count the coaches/wagons. :hmmm:
I count as well and really get miffed if the video fades to a new shot before all the counting has been completed :veryangry:
Cheers John.
Quote from: Yet_Another on March 06, 2016, 09:28:07 PM
Actually, one of the things that really annoys me when watching video of either the real thing or the models, is when the photographer concentrates on the loco, and you don't get a chance to count the coaches/wagons. :hmmm:
It's not just me then!!!
:beers:
And here's me thinking I suffered from 'Obsessive Compulsive Disorder' :worried:. I just have to count the carriages and, like others, get really annoyed when I can not finish the counting before the camera angle moves :veryangry:. David.
And here's another 'counter' along with all the angst if I don't get the chance to finish my count :-[
Back in the day when I was running our club's UK-based layout, when in a mischievous evil mood, I used to run a full set of HAA hoppers. Round the train went, with a few kids counting the number of wagons. It was a long train - 36 wagons - so often they weren't absolutely certain if they had counted correctly. Next time it did the circuit it only had 34; then the next time 35, so on, so forth. The brighter kids caught on fairly quickly...
I have not encountered someone ticking off the numbers of the locos on the layout, but I recall one layout (00 gauge) which did produce a 'spotters' list of all the locos you could see on the layout that day.
I count if it's a four or five coach Voyager so I know whether I'm standing or sitting in the luggage rack.
Quote from: Yet_Another on March 06, 2016, 09:28:07 PM
Actually, one of the things that really annoys me when watching video of either the real thing or the models, is when the photographer concentrates on the loco, and you don't get a chance to count the coaches/wagons. :hmmm:
+1! Watched a video of Law Junction last week where this was really irritating!
FWIW, the habit never goes away!! Aa a former professional railwayman, although now long departed from my one-time career, if a train comes into view, I still automatically count the wagons and do the necessary calculations to determine train size. As well, I still (also automatically) check and call signal colours and aspects when I see them. Conversations with former colleagues indicate that I am not alone.
As I said, it never goes away... :) :)
:hellosign:
...a counter from Italy...
Marco
No, I won't admit it..... oops, I think I just did :-[
Quote from: Komata on March 06, 2016, 11:38:33 PM
FWIW, the habit never goes away!! Aa a former professional railwayman, although now long departed from my one-time career, if a train comes into view, I still automatically count the wagons and do the necessary calculations to determine train size. as well, I still (also automatically) still check and call signal colours and aspects when I see them. Conversations with former colleagues indicate that I am not alone.
As I said, it never goes away... :) :)
A colleague at work used to work for British Rail at Paddington many years ago. She still checks any train she sees, to make sure it has a tail lamp.
Quote from: austinbob on March 06, 2016, 09:48:58 PM
Quote from: Yet_Another on March 06, 2016, 09:28:07 PM
Actually, one of the things that really annoys me when watching video of either the real thing or the models, is when the photographer concentrates on the loco, and you don't get a chance to count the coaches/wagons. :hmmm:
It's not just me then!!!
:beers:
It bothers me too. As I've become more interested in running correct (or, at least, believable) trains I've taken more notice of what's behind the locomotive. But photographers seem to assume no-one is interested in anything but engines...
Not a railway professional of any kind, and alas here in Tokyo there's virtually nothing loco-hauled any more except for the odd freight train, but I do find myself checking train lengths and formations.
Guilty as charged your honour! Fun isn't it :thumbsup:
johnlambert
Re: 'But photographers seem to assume no-one is interested in anything but engines...'
As you will no doubt be aware, 'The squeaky wheel always gets the most grease', and so it is with locomotives. They make the 'most noise', and as a result they get all the attention. The carriages / wagons are mere appendages to the 'star' of the show...
A 'visual' proverb if you will... :) :)
Better not tell Annie and Clarabelle that :uneasy:
Another one here.
A particular thing I do is count HST sets on layouts to see if they are A) Original Western Region (7 coaches), B) Elsewhere (8 coaches), C) One of those black ones (Grand Central, 5?) or D) None of the above.
In model form, D) is rather common. Of course, us in the N gauge world who have used Dapol as HST suppliers have had a valid excuse for several years....
Skyline2uk
There are a number of websites which now give details of 'real' train formations, especially passenger or parcel trains. Some may require a payment; I've just recently got three downloads from the GER Society giving train formations in 1956 and 1980something, and I've spent some recent modelling time remarshaling my stock to replicate either exactly or very closely the real thing. It is one beauty of N gauge; a loco+8 or 9 (or more) doesn't look out of place on a layout.
Martyn
The 2016 Hornby yearbook that I recently reviewed in this parish has a good article on passenger train formations, page 86. It's written with 00 stock in mind, but is, of course, equally applicable to N gauge.
Now I know why I feel so at home on this forum ....and I was a professional railwayman too!
Ron
Quote from: Bealman on March 10, 2016, 09:18:28 PM
The 2016 Hornby yearbook that I recently reviewed in this parish has a good article on passenger train formations, page 86. It's written with 00 stock in mind, but is, of course, equally applicable to N gauge.
I think you're missing the point guys and gals - it doesn't matter what the number/type of coaches are supposed to be, its what you see/count that matters. It's a compulsive disorder thing. It's imperative you see ALL the coaches whatever they are.
Must check the gas is turned of!! Back in a tick
:) :beers:
As others have remarked upon before, I also think an odd number of coaches looks more realistic than an even number. There is absolutely no logic behind that but it works for me :hmmm:
Quote from: newportnobby on March 10, 2016, 09:38:22 PM
I also think an odd number of coaches looks more realistic than an even number.
Regarding the above and my OCD (?), have you ever noticed that car alloy wheels, more often than not, have an odd number of 'spokes', (quite often 5) ???. My own car, on first look, appears to have 10 'spokes', but on closer looking, it is actually 2 lots of 5 'spokes' ???. Go on, go and look at your and your neighbours car :). David.
I am definitely not afflicted by this disorder.
Staying with my sister in Canada, I would watch the trains go by for a couple of hours a day. I counted a few of them (all freight) and they were all over 100 cars long. The smallest cars were 50' in length, but most were longer. The problem with counting the cars of this number and train length is that inevitably mistakes are made in counting so the number obtained is indicative, but of dubious accuracy.
So, counting was an unsatisfying exercise and also meant that I could not concentrate on looking at the cars and noting whom they all belonged to, an activity which was much more interesting to me.
Webbo
Glad I'm not alone! It turns out nearly all of us do, apparently! I count every train I see in video and it makes me insane for the shot to stop 3/4 of the way through the rake! I always find myself getting antsy towards the end of a train because I start thinking the photographer will stop at any moment.
And Webbo, I agree that big North American trains can be harder to count (especially with intermodal freight), but I try to count the first few cars and then pick a point and not move my eyes from there while I'm counting. That way I don't loose my place nearly as easily and I can usually count the whole train and feel reasonably sataified that I have a correct count (not that I record it). I do admit it detracts a little from viewing and so I won't always count trains I'm interested in, but often I can get a good enough look at the freight while counting that I can do both :D
I'm a counter too...
See I do even number of coaches - I was brought up beside the Brighton line - EMUs in multiples of 2 & 4 - with the one exception (BB)...
I count on N gauge layouts to work out roughly if the size of train I want to run fits into someone else's design - you might be able to plagiarise someone else's idea.
Also I have a pet peeve.. Why is it you only rarely see BoBs & WCs with a short train. Watch modelling videos - most only have a three coach train or less I know about the ACE but they could handle longer trains...
Ducks and runs.... :hmmm:
Yes, I am much interested in numbers, but concentrate on locomotive road numbers as they passed by at the beginning, middle and end of the trains. There is a website that allows you to key in the road number and railway and it will spit out exactly what the loco is, where it was built and when, as well as providing all sorts of photos of its travels around North America. Believe it or not a similar capability applies to North American freight cars.
Webbo
Quote from: Webbo on March 11, 2016, 08:54:27 AM
Yes, I am much interested in numbers, but concentrate on locomotive road numbers as they passed by at the beginning, middle and end of the trains. There is a website that allows you to key in the road number and railway and it will spit out exactly what the loco is, where it was built and when, as well as providing all sorts of photos of its travels around North America. Believe it or not a similar capability applies to North American freight cars.
Webbo
If you get a chance to dig out that link, Webbo, I surely would appreciate it :D That sounds like a very cool resource!
QuoteWhy is it you only rarely see BoBs & WCs with a short train.
The Southern had a lot of small locos from 1890s/1900s that could deal with short trains, however they started to get withdrawn in the 1950s so that by the time the M7s got withdrawn there were only standards and Bulleids left so in the 60s it was quite common to see spam cans and rebuilts with a 2 coach push pull set; same applied with the withdrawal of other smaller older locos, T9, K10, L11, 700s, etc by the 60s in most ex SR places all that was left were Standards and Bulleids so they had to cope with anything from 1 coach/van/wagon up. Also electrification was spreading which meant more older steam was withdrawn.
The WC/BoB were designed as light weight so that they could be used on the majority of ex SR lines, on many of those lines there were no turntables long enough so quite a few tender first workings would be seen.
Quote from: martyn on March 10, 2016, 09:00:32 PM
There are a number of websites which now give details of 'real' train formations, especially passenger or parcel trains. Some may require a payment; I've just recently got three downloads from the GER Society giving train formations in 1956 and 1980something, and I've spent some recent modelling time remarshaling my stock to replicate either exactly or very closely the real thing. It is one beauty of N gauge; a loco+8 or 9 (or more) doesn't look out of place on a layout.
Martyn
Martyn,
Could you post any links you have for these websites please??
Would be most interested to have a butchers at them.
Cheers
Neal.
Hi Neal;
I'm guilty of a terminological inexactitude (!); the websites seem to link to other forums or books about formations; there is a good, if expensive, LNER formations book (I don't know if this goes into BR dates). I'm not a member, but I believe there is a Yahoo group with information on formations. Other regular contributors to this forum have also given some idea in different topics.
However, I did use the GER Society webpage for my downloads; I don't know if any other 'Company' Societies do anything similar;
http://www.gersociety.org.uk/index.php/home/sales/files-emporium-2/category/15-to-trains-operating-them-and-organising-them (http://www.gersociety.org.uk/index.php/home/sales/files-emporium-2/category/15-to-trains-operating-them-and-organising-them)
A small fee is paid to the Society, then the appropriate file is immediately sent as a download. They are generally scans of WTTs, stock registers, etc.
Sorry to have been a bit misleading, but the GER Society files are good; note that the information includes BR information, one that I downloaded was for the 1980s.
I used to have a list of three or four websites that gave information on Eastern Region formations, gathered from other forums or sources, but unfortunately, the links ceased to work, and so I deleted them. One of the links had been suggested, by, I think, Dorset Mike.
Martyn
Only Southern stuff from me.