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Scale Test Car Weight

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  • Member since
    July 2018
  • 43 posts
Posted by Monon Railroader on Monday, August 17, 2020 9:45 PM

MisterBeasley

Is this a model of one of the actual prototype cars used for calibrating real world scales, or are you actually calibrating model scales with it?

No... no scales in my future. :-)

Amanda

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • 1,190 posts
Posted by mvlandsw on Saturday, August 15, 2020 10:33 PM

My two are brass that I weighted to about 2 3/4 oz. I also modifiied the side frame mounting to equalize the wheels. I can shove 20 cars uphill with them through curved switches with no derailments.Not how they are usually handled on the prototype but I wanted them to run reliably.

Mark Vinski

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Saturday, August 15, 2020 4:47 PM

I've scratchbuilt 5 or 6 scale-test cars, but the two that I've not given away are 2" long, with this one weighing-in at 2oz....

...and this slightly-different-style one at 1.75oz.

I'm pretty sure that the others are all around the same weight, too.

Mine always travel at the rear of the train, and I sometimes use that as a deliberate operational impediment when the train in question needs to "switch" the industries in the towns through which it passes...lots of setting-outs and run-around moves necessary.

Wayne

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
  • 16,367 posts
Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, August 15, 2020 12:59 PM

I would say pack as much weight into the cavity that will fit. I used a "liquid gravity" weight product that is tiny steel shot.

 NYC_Scale by Edmund, on Flickr

The NMRA R.P. begins with a 1 oz. HO baseline and a half ounce per inch so a 2" car "should" be 1.5 oz. Commonly, the scale test car would be carried behind the caboose. They had trainlines but no air brakes.

Have fun! Ed

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Saturday, August 15, 2020 12:42 PM

Is this a model of one of the actual prototype cars used for calibrating real world scales, or are you actually calibrating model scales with it?

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    August 2011
  • From: A Comfy Cave, New Zealand
  • 6,251 posts
Posted by "JaBear" on Saturday, August 15, 2020 5:41 AM
Here’s a link to the NMRA Recommended Practices regarding weights, I happily use it, others don’t.
 
 
Cheers, the Bear.Smile

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

  • Member since
    July 2018
  • 43 posts
Scale Test Car Weight
Posted by Monon Railroader on Saturday, August 15, 2020 3:02 AM

Hi all.

Another question if I may. I bought an HO scale test car and I was wondering how much it should weigh. There was a discussion a while back on the weights of cars but the test car wasn't mentioned.

Not a big issue... just wondering.

Thanks for any wisdom!!

Amanda

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