car lengths opinions needed

[Barduck]

I'm trying to design me some passenger/luggage/mailcars to put behind the Challenger or Bigboy based on the pictures of models I found here: http://www.brasstrai...-CNW-11-Car-Set

Designing in 7-wide, I tried at 44 studs long first but scratch that real fast as it didn'nt look good. I currently designed them at 50 studs long:

which looks better allready but still to short. Specially the mailcar looks all wrong, can't squeeze everything featured on the model in it. So I'll need to lengthen them again, but question is, how long. 60 studs or even 70 studs. Problem is, when does it get to long to still be able to run on normal LEGO tracks (curves and switches)

[neonic]

Design looking good, both lengths

Only imo 6 axles looks a bit to much for such wagons.

[Barduck]

rebuilded the mailcar to 60 studs to get this:

still needs details underneath and on the roof added and change trucks to 2 axles (only the luggage car has 3 axle trucks). I think it's looking much better in 60 stus than in 50. In the set in top post you can also see the comparison, 50 vs 60 studs

Edited February 10, 2014 by Barduck

[JopieK]

very nice Barduck!!! I recently finished my postal wagon, but stick more to LEGO (Santa Fe) length. Looks impressive indeed!

[Barduck]

added a new picture to the set, mailcar with 2 axle trucks, details on roof and underneath done. Trucks still in black as some parts don't exist in in the darker gray, only in light

[dr_spock]

Nice.

You could build a couple simple quick 60-70 stud flat cars and run them through your layout curves and switches to see if you have enough clearance get around. I think you're going to get some crazy overhangs in the tight curves.

[jamesed_1971]

Nice coaches, I think the length is right, I have designed some coaches to go with my Lego Flying Scotsman (60 Studs long), the coaches are based on the British Rail Mark 1 Coaches which were 57 foot long, my Lego version is 52 studs long.

[AlmightyArjen]

Nice.

You could build a couple simple quick 60-70 stud flat cars and run them through your layout curves and switches to see if you have enough clearance get around. I think you're going to get some crazy overhangs in the tight curves.

This was the first thing that came up in my mind too: I think you'll have a problem at switches and I'm not sure how the cars look on a curved track... Nice design though, but I'd go for a few studs less...

[Barduck]

"luckely" I've not yet a layout made, the tables aren't even ready. It is in plans though. I've planned it so that the steamers will be running on the ouside track while the middle track will be for the standard LEGO trains I got. On that outside track there'll be only 3 switches, 2 to get to and off the turntable and one to get to the fiddle yard.

[Barduck]

Added the passenger coach and the one called "American Beauty" aswell now. Now to get everything in MLCad. Oh, and JopieK, I'll be needing stickers for those, hint hint. Check the link to the modeltrain compagny to get an idea on which ones. It's the 5451 and 5447 seat coaches, the 8225 mailcar, 5704 luggage car and the one nicknamed American Beauty

Edited February 11, 2014 by Barduck

[zephyr1934]

The long passenger cars look great in your renderings, but they might wind up looking a little awkward in lego curves.

For my own personal tastes I've settled on 6 wide cars around 42 studs, and windows about 1 brick high to strike the balance between length and lego curves. Even at that size, it is difficult to get a train of eight cars moving. No matter what size you go with, you might also want to put some bricks to on those test flat cars to approximate the weight of your designs to make sure that the weight does not cause other problems.

Finally, I believe RPO mail cars tended to be shorter than other passenger cars, so there is precedence for different lengths even within the same scale cars.