THANK YOU !!!

[SteamGene]

I have to disagree with Roger in that a train needs two things:
a.  locomotive
b.  markers. 
a lash-up of diesels is a locomotive
an EOT is a marker. 
The 0-10-0 with one hundred cars and no markers is not a train, it's a cut of cars being moved.   Remember, this is a railroad definition for North America.   For instance,  I did not include "a long piece of light cloth extending from the head or neck to the feet, often dragging on the floor behind the wearer."
Gene

[rogertra]

I have to disagree with Roger in that a train needs two things:
a.  locomotive
b.  markers. 
a lash-up of diesels is a locomotive
an EOT is a marker. 
The 0-10-0 with one hundred cars and no markers is not a train, it's a cut of cars being moved.   Remember, this is a railroad definition for North America.   For instance,  I did not include "a long piece of light cloth extending from the head or neck to the feet, often dragging on the floor behind the wearer."
Gene

Gene,

You're agreeing with me, not disagreeing.

All that's needed to make a train, is markers, nothing else.

A single loco displaying markers is a train and can occupy the mainline oustide yard limits.

A single loco not displaying markers is a locomotive and cannot operate beyond yard limits.

An 0-10-0 with 100 cars, the last of which is displaying markers, is a train and can occupy the mainline outside yard limits.

An 0-10-0 with 100 cars, not displaying markers, is a cut of cars and cannot operate oustide yard limits.

A five car m.u. displaying markers is a train and can occupy the mainline outside yard limits.

A five car m.u. not displaying markers is a cut of cars and cannot operate outside of yard limits.

For "markers" one can substitute EOT for modern practice.

[SteamGene]

Roger,
If I took a set of markers, each one displaying red to one side and what ever other color the railroad uses to the sides,  and set them on each end of a tie, I would not have a train.  I have to set them on a locomotive - or its tender to produce a train.  Means of locomotion and markers. 
You are right, if the rear hopper of a 100 hoppers coupled to a 0-10-0 had markers attached to it, it would be a train.  And the conductor would be a very unhappy man!
Gene

[ASIANLIFE]

So we have a definition for the prototype, but how about the model world.

This thread really started on the basis of Summertrainz sending in a loco, and getting back a train, much to Roger's delight.

The definition including markers cannot easily apply to our models. As I guess Roger was pointing out, the locomotive suddenly became a train, and that was not just Bachmann adding some markers when they returned it.

In modelling terms, do we have a train when a loco gains a consist ?

BTW- Gene and Roger, many thanks for your expertise- enjoyable reading

Paul

[rogertra]

Roger,
If I took a set of markers, each one displaying red to one side and what ever other color the railroad uses to the sides,  and set them on each end of a tie, I would not have a train.  I have to set them on a locomotive - or its tender to produce a train.  Means of locomotion and markers. 
You are right, if the rear hopper of a 100 hoppers coupled to a 0-10-0 had markers attached to it, it would be a train.  And the conductor would be a very unhappy man!
Gene

Gene.

The implication is that the markers would be attached to a locomotive, passenger car, M.U., caboose or freight car, thus creating a train.

And you knew that!  

[SteamGene]

Roger,
Suppose Conductor Sarah Bellum places marker lights on her caboose, VT&P #99, as it sits on the caboose track.  Does that make it a train? (You don't want to know how a woman became a conductor on a Southern railroad in 1957!  Suffice it to say that the Late Unpleasantness had some strange fruit. ) 
Gene

[rogertra]

As you do not place markers on a caboose while it sits on the caboose track, it wouldn't make her caboose a train.  You only put the markers in place when you are ready to depart.

However, as soon as her caboose is on the departure track, and the markers have been put into place, probably with some cars between her caboose and the power on the front end and depending on the general shape of conductor Sarah Bellum's caboose, I might be tempted to provide a rear end helper to assist her over the steepest grades.