Weighting Car kits

[michealfarley]

I disagree that you can't "overweight" cars.

If cars are too heavy, your locomotives work harder, which can shorten motor life, burn out bearings and strip gears.

If cars are way too heavy, the axles can wear themselves right out of the sideframes

If cars are too heavy and your curves are sharp, you can "stringline" your train right off the curve.

If your cars are too heavy and your grades are steep, your locomotive wheels can slip enough that you can wear the rail head off the track.

I've seen all four of the above scenarios happen at a local club. The NMRA RP-20.1 lists their chart as the "Optimum Weight", so I imagine they took some of the above scenarios into consideration when writing the RP.

[mondotrains]

I've bought many cars that were weighted with pennies and have noticed that many modelers use the same glue they use for styrene on things like pennies. To glue pennies into a car and never have a problem, you need a glue like "Tacky Glue" which is available in most craft stores. It's inexpensive...around 89 cents for 4 ounces and will glue dissimilar materials, like metal and plastic together, without letting go. However, you can pry this glue loose where you need to and it will not have "melted" any plastic. I use this glue for many, many applications such as gluing cast plaster rocks to my layout. It's water-based but thicker than Elmer's glue and dries more quickly.

Hope this helps. I really think weighting with pennies is cheaper and works fine if you use the correct glue.

Regards,.
Mondo

QUOTE: Originally posted by BentnoseWillie

I have an old post office scale I got years and years ago when the local PO got digital scales. Great lttle gadget. I used pennies for a while for car weights, but had problems with the glue releasing the pennies over time, resulting in the weight moving around. Now I use the self-adhesive lead weights sold for R/C airplanes. They're reasonably cheap, and come in convenient 1/4-oz. increments.

I tend to weigh kit parts before I start assembly, so I can figure out where to put weight if needed (not so easy with some car types). I start with the NMRA recommendation of 1 oz. plus 1/2 oz. per inch of length, then add a half-ounce.

Too much weight can cause a problem if you're running trains of any length or have any grades - it's best to experiment a little and see what works well for you.

[BentnoseWillie]

I have an old post office scale I got years and years ago when the local PO got digital scales. Great lttle gadget. I used pennies for a while for car weights, but had problems with the glue releasing the pennies over time, resulting in the weight moving around. Now I use the self-adhesive lead weights sold for R/C airplanes. They're reasonably cheap, and come in convenient 1/4-oz. increments.

I tend to weigh kit parts before I start assembly, so I can figure out where to put weight if needed (not so easy with some car types). I start with the NMRA recommendation of 1 oz. plus 1/2 oz. per inch of length, then add a half-ounce.

Too much weight can cause a problem if you're running trains of any length or have any grades - it's best to experiment a little and see what works well for you.

[ndbprr]

I think something is being missed here. The NMRA recommendations are MINIMUM car weight. There is no maximum. The point is that you can't overweight a car. The heavier the cars are the more realistic staring ans stopping is also. SO pour the weight to 'em and just make sure you exceed the NMRA minimum. Now can you weight cars to where you can't pull many up a 4% grade? sure and neither can the prototype. I just fill cars with plaster. It self forms to the car shape, doesn't come loose or rattle, isn't magnetic, and can be wiped off if any spills in a visible area. It also exceeds the minimum weight requirements.

[IRONROOSTER]

QUOTE: Originally posted by NTDN

QUOTE: Originally posted by davemcc

Thanks, folks. The link helps. Now I just need a scale that will weigh ounces!

get a food one from your local walmart type joint, cheap and weighs in ounces.

Jay

I use a cheap one that has a shallow bowl - keeps parts from rolling off.
Enjoy
Paul

[mondotrains]

Hi,
I'd like to offer some help on weighting rolling stock.

I've found that pennies make great weights and it only takes 6 to add an ounce to a car. Pennies are cheaper and handier than those self-sticking lead weights that hobby shops sell and I use Tacky Glue (available at craft stores like Michael's) to mount them.

For open top hoppers, I use lead buckshot available at gun shops. In fact, I got an open bag from a local gun dealer for free (probably around 4 pounds). To disguise the BB's at the bottom of the hoppers, I just sprinkle on a little fake coal and then use diluted white glue or matte medium to adhere the weights and coal. When the coal loads are removed, to simulate empty hoppers, the little bit of coal in the bottom is hardly noticeable.

Hope this helps.
Mondo

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by davemcc

Thanks, folks. The link helps. Now I just need a scale that will weigh ounces!

get a food one from your local walmart type joint, cheap and weighs in ounces.

Jay

[Anonymous]

Thanks, folks. The link helps. Now I just need a scale that will weigh ounces!

[jrbarney]

Dave,
Here 'tis.
http://www.nmra.org/standards/rp-20_1.html
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[Anonymous]

There is an NMRA standard relating to this - but I'm unsure what it is! Personally I just ballast until the car runs smoothly and without wobbling, which seems to work quite well.

[Anonymous]

I received a ConCor kit and it didn't include a weight. How do I determine how much weight I put in the model? I bought some lead sinkers thinking I could use those (the kit is a gondola), but I'm not sure how many. Any ideas?