Building a freight car test track

[rrebell]

Depends on what you intend to do, Example, I know people who run logging layouts and to get the springs to function, all cars are over weighted. On my layout, weight dose not matter (most trains are around 5 cars, however couplers that work properly and of correct height are very important. I don't just change out couplers to Kadee but run what comes as long as they are the knuckle type but if one breaks, I only use Kadees as a replacement!

[jrbernier]

Good Morning,

  Here is my list of things I do as I assemble freight cars:

• If it is a 'kit', I place all of the parts, a pair of Kadee couplers and a set of metal wheels on my digital food scale to see what it weighs.  I add weight to get it up to the NMRA specs, and put everything back in the box.  I use either 'stick-on' weights (box cars) or #9 lead birdshot for weighting flat cars. open hoppers or gondolas.  I 'fix' the birdshot with Matte Medium, and paint it to match the car. 
• If the model has plastic trucks, I ream out the journals with a 'Truck Tuner'(available from Micro-Mark).  I insert the metal wheels and 'test' for rolling qualities.  They should be free rolling - Replace the trucks if you cannot achieve that.  Sprung metal trucks can be more problematic as the cast journal cannot be reamed out very well and you may need to get custom axle length wheel sets from NWSL or Re-Boxx(I just ordered 20 sets from Re-Boxx).  I use I-M metal wheels bought in 100 count bulk boxes for most everything.  Buying the 10 or 12 count 'blister' packs of wheels at the LHS can get rather expensive.  If your LHS cannot get the bulk packs, there are multiple on-line dealers that have them at quite good prices(I get mine from Yankee Dabbler).
• I 'paint' the trucks and the faces of the wheel sets at this time.  Both 'Modelers Choice' and AMB have nice wheel painting jigs.  They work well with either an air brush or hand painting.
• Drill/Tap for 2-56 screws for all coupler & truck mounts - no 'glued on' couplers or 'push-pin' truck mounts - You have to be able to maintain your rolling stock!  At this point I mount the couplers/trucks & adjust the coupler height and the trip pin height using the Kadee gauge. The trucks should 'swivel', but not have any 'slop'.  They should be 'free' to swivel when you tip the car from side to side.  If you do not have a tap set, a #2 self tapping screw will do the job.
• I fasten the weight in the car and use clear acrylic caulk to make sure the weights do not come loose.  
• Finish assembly/paint, and 're-test' your car for rolling qualities and coupler action.

  I retired last year and have been working through my 'stash' of kits - I have built 96 cars since the 1st of the year.  Only 2 cars have had to have 'adjustments' made after testing them in long trains at the club layout.

Jim

[cowman]

Agree.  NMRA track gage to check wheel spacing (and many other functions).  Short section of track with a rerailer or two on a short board (weight marks a good idea) and coupler height gages at each end.  A small level helps determine if your test track has a little pitch (is your bench level) to test roll and some small scales to check weight.  My current one is a little bigger as I put a turnout on it to check to be sure cars and locos tracked through it.  Not sure it is necessary.

Have fun,

Richard

[dstarr]

My test track is just a 4 foot length of 1 by 2 lumber with snap track nailed to it.  I have a rerailer track to ease getting the car on the track.  I have a "power track" to allow connecting a power pack for running locomotives.  I have a home made coupler height gauge, just a block of wood of the right height and a coupler screwed down to it.   

   Coupler height is always checked and usually comes out low.  I have added  washers under the trucks of better then half my cars.   I check rolling resistance by merely giving the car a push and watching how well it coasts.  It's a subjective method, but it's good enough for me.  I weigh cars on a kitchen dietetic spring balance scale I "borrowed" from the wife's kitchen many years ago.  Most commercial cars are a little light, but I don't bother the add weight unless they are more than an ounce light or they have been giving trouble on the layout.  When in doubt, checking wheel gauge and/or cleaning the wheels is always worth while. 

[cedarwoodron]

And get one of those inexpensive food scales- the battery powered digital ones, preferably with a rectangular glass weighing plate - they are sufficiently precise to help you weight your rolling stock quite accurately ( if hundredths of an ounce or metric measure are accurate enough)! Cedarwoodron

[cedarwoodron]

Get a 48 inch piece of fir wood. Attach cork roadbed. Then use sectional track and place two short 6" sections at either end, then two rerailer tracks, then straight track in the middle, firmly and levels attached to the roadbed. Get two kadee coupler gauges and attach to both end track pieces, making sure they are properly mounted. Now you have a rolling stock test track to determine coupler height and brake hose clearance, as well as check for wheel function. Jim Hediger wrote up a one page article on making one of these in MR less than 3 yrs ago- cant recall the specific issue- but I do a lot of rebuilding and fixing old swap meet cars. This test track is put to use all the time. I put a circle hook screw in one end and hang it on a nail vertically on the wall in my shop area in the garage. Easy to make, necessary to use! Cedarwoodron

["JaBear"]

 

AdelaideRobin

What would you expect of my cars if I brought them to your layout.

Gidday Robin, I think you've got things pretty well right, but if you brought your freight cars to the local club, I'd expect, Kadee compatible couplers set to the correct height using the Kadee coupler gauge, clean wheels, plastic or metal; set to the correct gauge by the NMRA gauge. I'd prefer the cars to be at the NMRA recommended weight mainly to prevent the possibility of "string lining" . I'd also expect you to have fun. 

AdelaideRobin

Question is what does running well mean?

Here's my test set up, free rolling at 3% is good, 2% is even better. I gather that others may have even higher standards, but I don't like the idea of freight cars set out at industries "taking off" on track that is less than perfectly level.

Just my two bobs worth,

Cheers, the Bear.

[CP5415]

As Larry stated, if you brought your cars to my layout, your standards would be respected.

One thing I'd recommend though is to weigh all your cars according to NMRA standards.

http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/rp-20_1.html

SCALE	INITIAL WEIGHT (ounces)	+	ADDITIONAL WEIGHT per inch of car body length (Ounces)
O	5	+	1
0n3	1-1/2	+	3/4
S	2	+	1/2
Sn3	1	+	1/2
HO	1	+	1/2
HOn3	3/4	+	3/8
TT	3/4	+	3/8
N	1/2	+	.15

To make this easy, & through reading MR magazine, I made the following.........

I grabbed a scrap piece of 1x4. tacked on a scrap piece of track & made a measuring ruler for my rolling stock following the NMRA suggestions for HO scale car weight.

One thing I am in the process of doing, besides KD's, is using metal wheels as the funds become available, meaning, I have cars that have plastic wheels as well as metal wheels on my layout.

Gordon

[BRAKIE]

AdelaideRobin

Question is what does running well mean?

Here's my standards.The car must be able to roll down a slight grade made from 3 playing cards for at least 5 inches..Its not as tough as it sounds since most of today's quality RTR cars can do that.The older cars require their journal box clean with a Reboxx exact socket tool and metal wheels..Couplers and trip pins must be at their correct height..I do not follow RP20.1 since I feel its outdated for today's modern cars due to the various lengths (from 42'-89') of these cars.

If you brought your cars to my layout I would expect them to meet your  standards not mine.

[AdelaideRobin]

Finally after all those years of doing what I've had to do I can now start to do what I want to do, build my railroad empire.

Over the last 25 years I have been collecting kits, buying r-t-r models, acquiring half finished projects from other modellers and although I can't start the layout just yet I figure a good start will be getting all the freight cars finished and running well.

Question is what does running well mean?

 I have decided that every car will have KD's and I've see the recommended weights for cars but surely there is more to it than that. So are there any suggestion for a set of tests each car should pass before it goes into service? What would you expect of my cars if I brought them to your layout. What can be done on test track to get rid of the pesky operational problems? All comments gratefully received.