John-NYBWI'm curious as to how modelers add weight to their tank cars
I use a couple of 1 ounce egg sinkers hammered into more of a cylinder shape and glued into the tank body.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
While we're on the subject, I'm curious as to how modelers add weight to their tank cars which are usually under weight whether RTR or kit built. Some are seriously too light. With some tank cars its easy to get inside the tank and add some weights but with others, especially some RTR, it's not that easy. I was thinking of drilling a hole in the bottom of the tank, dropping in enough BBs to bring it almost to weight and then pour Gorilla Glue into the hole. I would then plug the hole and turn the car right side up so the BBs and the glue would settle to the bottom. Does anyone have an easier way to do this.
Whatever works. I just go by the NMRA standards. I already had a test track with a Kadee couple guage at the end - the old metal one with an actual coupler. So I stuck on a label graduated in half an inch incrememnts with the NMRA weights marked instead of inches. Stick a car on, couple it up - look at what the weight should be. Easy peasey.
Many of my cars are heavier than standard though. Especially open hoppers with loads. Try as I might, it never causes a problem. Even putting an underweight long flat car or gon in front of at or over NMRA weight cars - still no stringlining. That's deliberately trying. If they don't come off the track under overly rough handling, then running them properly with smooth stops and starts is not going to be a problem.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Maybe 1 oz per TEN scale feet?
davidmurray John-NYBW One thing I've never seen stated with the NMRA recommendation is whether you measure coupler to coupler or the body length. I use a formula someone suggested several years ago that's a lot easier to figure. One ounce for every scale foot of body length. It makes for a slightly heavier car but I prefer that anyway.
John-NYBW One thing I've never seen stated with the NMRA recommendation is whether you measure coupler to coupler or the body length. I use a formula someone suggested several years ago that's a lot easier to figure. One ounce for every scale foot of body length. It makes for a slightly heavier car but I prefer that anyway.
Rich
Alton Junction
John-NYBWOne thing I've never seen stated with the NMRA recommendation is whether you measure coupler to coupler or the body length. I use a formula someone suggested several years ago that's a lot easier to figure. One ounce for every scale foot of body length. It makes for a slightly heavier car but I prefer that anyway.
This doen't seem right to me. That would mean a forty ft boxcar would weight 40 ounces. Just a tad heavy
mbinsewi Overmod so a 40' boxcar is nearly 3 pounds? You'd need depleted uranium to do 89' TTX flats Come on Rich, just having a little fun.
Overmod so a 40' boxcar is nearly 3 pounds? You'd need depleted uranium to do 89' TTX flats
Come on Rich, just having a little fun.
I just recited the standard for the sake of the less knowledgeable readers than you or I, recognizing our brilliance.
Overmodso a 40' boxcar is nearly 3 pounds? You'd need depleted uranium to do 89' TTX flats
So, a 40' box car would be 40 oz., or 2.5 lbs., a train of 10 cars would be 25 lbs.
Now, back to the draw bar pull thead, just how heavy would your HO scale locomotive have to be to pull that?
NOW I know why some modelers don't use foam, and nail the track to the plywood.
Mike.
OOPS! never mind, I see John snuck a post in while I typed.
My You Tube
Overmod John-NYBW One ounce for every scale foot of body length. It makes for a slightly heavier car but I prefer that anyway. so a 40' boxcar is nearly 3 pounds? You'd need depleted uranium to do 89' TTX flats...
John-NYBW One ounce for every scale foot of body length. It makes for a slightly heavier car but I prefer that anyway.
so a 40' boxcar is nearly 3 pounds?
You'd need depleted uranium to do 89' TTX flats...
Sorry, typo. I meant to say one ounce for every TEN scale feet of body length. A 40 foot boxcar is 4 ounces. That's slighty higher than the NMRA recommendation which would work out to 3.75 ounces (1 + (.5 X 5.5)). For a 50 foot boxcar, it would be 5 ounces as opposed to 4.5 ounces by NMRA recommendations.
John-NYBWOne ounce for every scale foot of body length. It makes for a slightly heavier car but I prefer that anyway.
Shame on me, I guess, but I don't add weight to any of my rolling stock, freight or passenger. I do, however, add significant weight to the few dummy B-unit locomotives that I own to try to more closely match the weight of the A-units.
One thing I've never seen stated with the NMRA recommendation is whether you measure coupler to coupler or the body length.
I use a formula someone suggested several years ago that's a lot easier to figure. One ounce for every scale foot of body length. It makes for a slightly heavier car but I prefer that anyway.
Welcome to the forum!
The NMRA weight reference you're referring to is not a 'standard' but a 'recommended practice'. I usually try to get a 'feel for the car and yes, I do reference the NMRA practice. I always round up..
Here's a copy..
https://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/standards/sandrp/pdf/rp-20.1.pdf
Good luck and enjoy!
Neal
Welcome!
I'm in HO scale, and I usually round up.
Hello All, I'm new to the forum, but a fairly long time model railroader. I have recently kitbashed some n scale gondolas and am trying to get the weighting correct. NMRA standards are for .5 oz plus .15 per inch. When measuring the length, do you round up or down or just split the difference? I cannot find that anywhere or in any archived weighting articles?? Thanks!