Extra weight in HO scale BLI coaches

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

So I have these two HO scale P70 passenger coaches from Broadway Limited. However, they are prone to derailments in certain curved areas of my oval layout. I adjusted the curves so they are perfectly leveled and aren’t bent in any odd ways, and the effect is noticeable. My P70 coaches aren’t derailing as much anymore, but they still do from time to time.

I want to see if I can modify the coaches by adding extra weight into them, but I’m having difficulty finding where to put these weights and which types to use. Does anyone have any tips and/or ideas on how to provide extra weight in my BLI P70 coaches? What to use and where to put them? Any tips would be great.

2

This reply isnt very helpful, but I personally didnt have issues with BLI coaches on even tight curves that are properly laid. Even if they were to derail, I dont think additional weight will help much, since its a track issue not a car weight issue.

If you must add weights without having them be visible through the windows, your best bet will be to either stick flat weights into the ceiling somehow, or hidden inside the bathroom where the tinted windows wont make the weights super obvious.

Good luck!

Charles

3

Before adding weight there are other things to consider. Are the curves too sharp for the design of the cars? Are they pulling the cars off because the couplers don’t have enough swing? Are the trucks hitting the body? Too fast for the curve? Are these the longest cars? Are the trucks warped or stiff in the turning?

What I’m getting at, is adding weight might not solve the problem. It may cause other issues.

Pete.

4

I’m not at all familiar with the BLI cars, but I put extra weight in all of my rolling stock.
For passenger cars, I have Rivarossi, Athearn, Model Die Casting, and Branchline (now Atlas).

I usually cast my own weights, using scrap wheel-balancing weights, often available free from tire and alignment shops.

Here are some locations, mentioned earlier, where weight can be added…

Wash rooms, with their frosted windows, are a good place to add weight…

…as are the smaller washrooms in combines, along with the baggage compartment, which usually has smaller windows, or no windows at all…

This shortened Rivarossi combine, formerly a dining car, has weights in the mid-car washrooms, and also on the underside of the roof…

This one was originally a Rivarossi model of a Santa Fe combine, but I turned it into my version of a doodlebug…

I used an Athearn diesel truck and a Mashimi can motor to make it self-propelled, then added a considerable amount of lead to ensure that it could also pull a couple of additional cars…

At just a bit under a pound-and-a-half, it can pull better than

5

It’s actually pretty easy to make your own weights, customised to whatever size and/or shape that is needed. There’s a thread HERE that outlines the process.

Wayne

6

Have they always derailed? Is it at the same spots?

Weight helps stabilize the car by keeping the trucks pressed onto the railheads a little more firmly. Weight also helps prevent stringlining by increasing wheel pressure without increasing rolling resistance by much. Rolling resistance is not proportional to car weight.

However, passenger cars are generally long and generate a lot more leverage at the couplings than shorter cars. Have you experimented with longer shank couplers first? Often the derailment is caused by couplers reaching the ends of their swing generating a pop up force which can tip a wheel flange over the railhead. Weight may reduce the effect of the pop up force but won’t address the real problem.

The other common problem is something interfering with the truck rotation, often the center beam. Sometimes (as on Rapido’s absurdly detailed cars) a protypically correct brakeline can reduce truck rotation by just enough to derail sometimes and not others, the brakeline moves a bit. Walthers heavy weights are known for truck frames touching center beams and coupler boxes. You could ask me how I know that.

I added weight to a set of IHC Budd cars after a series of derailments before I knew much about this stuff. Now I would add weight as a last step. Now that I want to add interiors to these cars the weights I added are in the way. These are more toy train than models (truck mounted couplers) but look great. They’re intended for my grandsons more than for me, brand new in box although ages old by the time I bought them. Reason I doubt it was the lack of weight is I also got a set of well used but mint Rivarossi cars which are light years ahead of the IHC stuff. Same basic design, truck mounted couplers, but run like a dream even though they are pretty light.

Before adding weight you may save some effort did get better results by first examining exactly why the cars are derailing (exactly where and how frequently). Check the track