Train Passengers

[Gary Yemm]

 
Hi All

  Iam modeling a 1970s main line layout and I was wondering

  How many passengers to put in a coach, would you make

  The coach half full or put a passenger on each seat.

  Kind Regards Gary Yemm

[Doneldon]

Gary-

There aren't any hard and fast rules here so you can use as many or as few passengers as you like. Some cars get deadheaded and have no one; others are full. The time of year you are modeling makes a difference (e.g., busy in the summers and around holidays). The type of train makes a difference -- commuter trains are usually pretty full, at least during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Yet, a dilapidated wood combine on a semi-abandoned narrow guage line would look ridiculous with a full load. The railroad makes a difference, too (Santa Fe pretty busy, Rock Island not so much).  Passenger loads vary a lot in the real world.

For most hobbyists, however, I think the passenger load is largely an economic consideration: Figures are expensive. Consequently, many of us just add enough pasengers to make the train look worth running. Walthers put about 18 passengers in most of their recent El Capitan cars and that looked okay. Of course, the Cap ran nearly full in the summer so 75 - 80 people would be more prototypical. That could cost $200 per car or more than $1000 per train! But, realistically, how many of us can put that kind of money into populating our trains? Few, I'm guessing. I certainly couldn't afford it but then I'm not even middle class if you accept one of our distinguished Presidential candidate's definition of middle income: $200,000 to $250,000 yearly.

I guess the bottom line is you can do what you want. Heck, it's your railroad.
                                                                                                                -- D

[jonathan]

I have never filled every seat in a passenger car.  It's a practicality issue.  First, one can't really see well inside a moving train.  Second, I don't want to spend any more than I have to for a detail not that visible.  Finally, scaling down figures and seats aren't always a match--two figures don't always fit in the space meant for two passengers.

Also consider this;  in the 1970's how many passenger trains had every seat full?  My guess is not too many.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

I wouldn't overthink or overcomplicate matters. I would put one passenger each in about half the seats in the car, with maybe no more than five instances per car of two passengers in each double seat to represent people traveling together--that is, if two will fit in a seat.

[wjstix]

In say a heavyweight 80 seat coach, I find  maybe 20 people or so look good.

Because the window glazing is usually much thicker than real trains' glass windows, paired coach seats are usually made too narrow for two adult figures to sit next to each other. So in effect instead of 80 seats, you have 40. Some seats (unless you're modelling a commuter train) would normally be unoccupied - either no one is sitting there, they're in the diner etc. - so if you fill about half the window seats on each side, it looks 'about right' to me. You can have a standing figure in the aisle, perhaps talking to a seated passenger.

BTW I like to paint my own figures, I enjoy doing it and it saves a lot of money...undec figures are usually around 1/10th what painted ones cost.

[Doneldon]

Gary-

There are some inexpensive painted figures from China on ebay. Be sure to get the 1:87 figures, not 1:76 or
1:100, though the 1:100 can work OK inside passenger cars. Also, be sure to have one or two figures up and
walking. People take walks on trains, go to the bathroom, have dinner in the diner, get a drink, etc.
                                                                                                                                                      -- D

[Desertdweller]

This is really a philosophical question.  In the 1970's (pre-AMTRAK) it was not unusual to find I would have an entire car to myself.

My N-scale railroad is centered on passenger operations.  I have lots of passenger cars.
Almost all of them have detail-painted interiors.  Sleeping cars that do not have interior partitions have them added.  Dining cars have tables between the seats.  My dining car tables have painted-on table cloths, and coach seats have tidies painted on.

For all of that, I do not have any passengers in my cars.  Most of the time, the cars that are on my railroad are on station tracks, in trains awaiting boarding.  In real life, these cars would be empty except for crews cleaning and stocking them.

I do have passengers and train crew members on my passenger platforms, waiting to board or to meet arriving passengers.  The only time passengers would be on my trains would be just prior to arrival or departure, or when the trains are in motion.

At any given time, I might have five or six trains standing in my terminal, in addition to the train actually running (I almost always run my railroad by myself, one train at a time).  So it is actually more correct, most of the time, to keep the trains unoccupied.

There are a lot of people on my layout involved in activities that do not involve trains.
People walking on sidewalks, lounging on porches and park benches, fishing in the creek, even sunbathing on a rooftop.

It's your railroad: just do what looks right to you.

Les

[Gary Yemm]

   Hi Guys

   Thanks for all the info you have given me. Plenty food for thought.

   Kind Regards Gary Yemm

[sd24b]

in a 48 seat coach I usually put in 10-16 people.  Domes, I fill to 75% capacity.  except for the full domes.  I purchase unpainted people so the cost is lower.   Phil

[Gary Yemm]

Hi Guys

A friend just sent me picture of. Pullman car that he has detailed.
He has put a couple at each dinning table and added two Stewards
Serving meals to the passengers. When I learn how to post pictures
I will put it on for you to see.

Kind Regards Gary Yemm

[Ken S.]

It also depends on window tint if it's even worth putting passengers in the cars. Walthers as of late has been tinting windows on their passenger cars and Chicago area commuter cars for some reason had a green window tint.

[Doneldon]

Gary-

Just a detail: Stewards don't serve meals; waiters do. Stewards are more like the Maitre'd.

                                                                                                                         -- D