All great input. Thanks for all the ideas. This Forum is/has always proved it's worth as an information sharing tool.
Len S
Len S -
I run a lot of intermodal equipment. I do not glue containers or trailers to the host car either. I have a simple formula that works very well. I use self adhesive wheel strip weights mounted on the floors. One ounce per container regardless of its length. One and one half ounce per trailer or roadrailer because they run on lighter cars. I never have any problems.
"I've spent most of my money and time on trains, the rest I've just wasted."
To add weight follow the NMRA car weight standards. I use automotive stick on mag. wheel weights. They come with sticky backs and come in 1/4 oz for cars & 1/2 oz for trucks. Go to O'Really's and ask for the 1/4 oz mag. wheel weights - P/N 100360 - Cost about $30.00 dollars. And they come in a box of 30 sticks with (30) - 1/4 oz clip able segments with side cutters. This is much cheaper then paying $6.00 a stick from other sources. Just weight with digital mail scale and do your figure and add the right amount of weight to scale weight the car with the weight. Until you get the right weight, then add inside model rail car.
And away you go.
I don't any IM cars but I do have several flatcars that carry containers and truck trailers. These cars are generally fairly light out of the box so I weigh each car then split the needed amount of weight among the containers, which are hollow and open on the bottom, putting an equal amount in each. If the load is a truck trailer I spread the weight over the floor of the trailer. In both cases the weight is out of sight and nobody is the wiser.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Unless your cars have square wheels or your track resembles a corduroy road, you shouldn't experience enough vertical lurch to overcome the small nubs at the corners (or lockdown sockets) of your containers even if they aren't weighted.
Additional weight can be applied to the platform by wrapping wire solder around the axles. Be sure to insulate to avoid shorting the wheels, and solid wire solder is preferable to cored solder.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with JNR domestic containers)
My 32' vans stay on my 75' flat cars with no extra weight. Because of the high center of gravity with a piggyback or the top container in a double stack, I would think lighter is better. All that weight up high would make them more likely to fall off, not less.
"an object in motion tends to stay in motion, in the same direction......."
"and the object with greater mass in motion has more stored energy to be applied to the above theroy"
Sheldon
I have never had IM cars, but I have had some ran on my bench. They are very light and the ones here did not track well. So yes I would add weight. On the IM cars I have seen, there was no way I saw to add the needed weight. So, they would have to go into the containers.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Group,
I performed a search on this, but didn't see anything. Does anybody add additional weight to IM trailers and containers? Out of the box, they seem pretty light and I am concerned that they could fall off of moving trains (particularly the top containers of a double stack or trailers on a flat car. I would like them to be removable and interchangable, if possible, to simulate the typical activity in an IM yard.. I have just started collecting the equipment and was wondering before I get too far into the process.
As always, any help or advice is appreciated.