I'm 98% done (plus painting) constructing a Tichy 42' flat car, a rather nice kit. I see it only will weigh 1.1 oz plus couplers (say 1.2 oz.). Before I decide to figure out how to add enough unseen weight to the car bottom to get to NMRA recommended range, thought I'd ask:
a) what commercially available loads do you like, that have enough dimensions to add some weight into the bottoms of the loads (if I don't want to build my own loads from scratch)?
b) is there a way to attach loads non-permanently so they stay in place but do not mar the deck paint job?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
Not a commercial load, but a simple load to build that will add weight. Buy a steel bar a little narrower than the car deck at the hardware store and cut it to lengths. Use stripwood to separate the layers. Under the bottom layer, extend a couple of pieces over the stake pocket holes and put a pin through the stripwood to hold the load in place.
Just a thought.
Good luck,
Richard
Walther's makes some flat car loads that are hollow (tarp covered loads) and can have weight glued inside them. As for keeping them in place you could use a magnet in each load and a steel washer(?) under the deck. You need to use the super magnets as they are very strong and hold thru the plastic deck.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
Regarding the weight issue, I would start by using metal trucks.
As for loads, in the early days of Piggy Back, many flat cars of that type were converted to carry a single 30'-35' van.
Sheldon
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
Buy, or better still, make a load which suits the car, then "attach" the load to the car the same way as was done on the real ones: with stakes, blocking, and dunnage.
For a flatcar, construct a suitable load to match the width of the deck, then, with the load in-place on the car, secure it with stakes fitted into the stake pockets. Carefully apply appropriate cement to secure the stakes to the load, and when the glue has fully set, simply lift the load and its attached stakes from the car. For a removeable one-piece load, add the stakes and any necessary blocking with the load on the car. As long as you apply the adhesive neatly, the load should be easily removeable. Mark the underside of the load or the interior of hollow loads indicating which car(s) it will fit. Some examples are shown below.
A load of rail:
The rail is old brass rail pulled from Atlas bridges, while the stakes and blocking are strip styrene. Ca holds the rails together, while lacquer thinner was used for the plastic-to-plastic joints.
These loads were built from strip and sheet styrene, and weigh very little. However, because of the cars' deep side sills, there's ample room for extra weight, and most of my flats and gondolas weigh in excess of 6oz.
A lumber load on a flatcar:
...and a similar load on a bulkhead flat:
A removeable load of poles, constructed of tapered dowels:
Some plate steel (Plastruct ABS sheets with strip styrene stakes and blocking):
Because the Tichy cars have straight rather than fishbelly sidesills, there's little room to hide extra weight. Mine is used in MoW service, so the car's light weight isn't much of an issue, as it usually travels in a short train. With metal trucks, it tips the scales at 2.5oz. and tracks just fine. I made removeable sides using Evergreen 2"x12" "planks", securing them with .040"x.040" stakes because scale 4"x4" stakes were too tight in the car's stake pockets. Because the material used was a little bit undersize, I added wedges cut from 2"x2" material, much as the prototype would have done. Fitting the 2"x12"s to the stakes and then adding the wedges was all done directly on the car, to ensure that everything fit properly, and because the sides are in sections (small enough for one LPB to put in place or remove) each one was numbered.
Wayne
Wayne,
Beautiful loads!
As for holding loads in place, something else that's useful is that gummy, amber-colored stuff you sometimes find various labels attached to things with. It's tacky, but is designed to not mar or react with the surfaces it sticks to. You can salvage it from things you buy, for instance, I recycle it from under the label of those reusable plastic containers you buy various sliced lunch meats in. I wonder if there's a commercial source for it?
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Paul,
In the MRR,issue,June 2012,there is a article, in Workshoptips,Make flatcar loads,that swap in and out,similar to Wayne's work. Worth looking at for Idea's..
Cheers,
Frank
Thanks for the tips and clarifying photos. Lots of great examples. And I have that June 2012 MR and will did it out.
Mike, et al,
I think you are referring to Bullfrog Snot. The sticky stuff that holds things together and peels off quite easily. Won't swear to it as I don't have any or have I used used any, but that is what I was told was the commercial equivalent to the stuff we find on so many things.
Richard,
Maybe. Bullfrog Snot just seems like it is something thinner and less tacky than this sticker sticking-stuff. When the BS sets up, you wouldn't want it grabbing onto the rails like this amber-colored stuff would.
Woodland Scenics Accent Cement would also work well to keep a load in place, yet leave it easily removeable. You apply it to the load (a couple of strategically-place dabs should do the trick) let it dry until it turns clear, then set it in place. It can be re-used several times before it loses its grip, then you simply roll it off using your finger and re-coat. I use it to position figures, but occasionally move them elsewhere for variety or to suit situations for photographic purposes.
No ideas on removeable loads, but I just built 3 of those Tichy flats myself. Mine will be used as "idler" flats at my carfloat terminal, so they won't be carrying loads other than some "incidentals."
For these cars, I added real wood decking. It's wood siding from Northeast Scale Lumber, cut to size and stained with a couple of different colors of India Ink.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Mr.B,
Nice job on the flats,,,,,,,What's that white car doing on the sidewalk,did the cab run into it???LOL
zstripeWhat's that white car doing on the sidewalk,did the cab run into it???LOL
The Chrysler and the Checker are there for support. Between them stands lovely Rita, meter maid, who wasn't steady enough on her feet until the glue set. The owner of the Chrysler will now learn that a few cents in the meter beats a few dollars for the parking fine.
Tarp covered trucks by Chooch
Home made crates with weights inside
[URL=http://s197.photobucket.com/user/steamage/media/three_lumber_loads1_zps01df6223.jpg.html][/U
Built three laser cut lumber loads.
The Tichy flat car comes with a white metal weight that goes between the two sides of the center beam. It doesn't add much weight. I replaced it with three pieces of lead sheet .040 thick cut to the same shape as the weight. Its not a huge increase in weight but it does add something.
I also made loads out of the same lead sheet representing heavy steel plate. That added a lot of weight but getting the lead smooth was a real challenge. I'm still not quite satisfied with the appearance because there are still some irregularities in the plates.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
There was a Workshop Tips feature a couple years ago where the load was mounted on a removable second deck. The deck was made from .020" styrene with a siding pattern, and was cut to fit exactly over the original deck. Small pegs glued into the four corner stake pockets fit into notches in the removable deck and hold it in place.
S&S
Modeling the Pennsy and loving it!
I seen this on another video where the person used an old covered hopper without trucks chained down to a flat car. the C.H. was extremely weathered and banged up as if it had been in a crash. otto
I made these loads from pieces of an unbuilt 1/25 model car kit. They're held in place with black thread that I ran through the stake pockets, taped to the bottom of the car, then applied a few coats of diluted white glue. Once the glue dried, I snipped the excess thread and, using a hobby knife, carefully separated the thread from the pockets. Now the stiff thread acts as pins holding the removable loads in place.
"I am lapidary but not eristic when I use big words." - William F. Buckley
I haven't been sleeping. I'm afraid I'll dream I'm in a coma and then wake up unconscious. -Stephen Wright
MisterBeasley No ideas on removeable loads, but I just built 3 of those Tichy flats myself. Mine will be used as "idler" flats at my carfloat terminal, so they won't be carrying loads other than some "incidentals." For these cars, I added real wood decking. It's wood siding from Northeast Scale Lumber, cut to size and stained with a couple of different colors of India Ink.
Mr.B
How exactly did you go about putting a wood deck onto the Tichy flats?
Did you sand down the original plastic floor or did you manage to build the car without the plastic floor?
Dennis Blank Jr.
CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad
Thanks again for all the ideas, tips, examples. On this one, I decided to add my 567 model that was by the engine house. It held about 12 fishing line split shots. Then added some chain as tiedowns. I drilled oyt the bottom of the resin crate and added a couple of nuts for weight. The crate needs a strap tiedown, maybe a painted piece of rubber band (but that would rot within a short time, I'd guess.
It's still underweight (2.2 oz) so i may add another crate and/or add some thin weights to the bottom.
It still needs decals, dullcote & weathering. I'm confused on picking decals (one more thing to learn).
Here's a photo:
peahrensb) is there a way to attach loads non-permanently so they stay in place but do not mar the deck paint job?
NOT MARK THE DECK? What kind of a railroad is this? Flat cars are *supposed* to take abuse. Maybe not as much as a scrap gondola, but gee... the NAIL and or WELD loads to the flatcars.
HERE are the flat cars that the LION wants to model...
Three refuse cars sandwiched between two work motors. Those are dumpsters on the cars. Workers lift and drop the stakes, lower the side as a ramp and pull empty containers off, and load the filled containers. Other people do the actual collection and cleaning in the station. This train just removes the containers. You can bet that they get tons of abuse every day.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
LION, can't see the photo until hitting reply (well, now it works) but now see what you mean.
But won't dumpsters stink up the layout? I like the realism of DCC sound, but not so sure about the smells! Unless, at least, there's a DCC function button to turn the stink off or a CV to lower it (is less than 128 reduced smell?). And how will BEMF affect the smell; i.e., if the train tries to slow will the BEMF maintain a constant smell?
peahrensLION, can't see the photo until hitting reply (well, now it works) but now see what you mean.
LION was working on SERVERS last night. Installing a new fire wall, so our network was down for about 40 minutes or so. You get no pictures from me when the network is turned off.