how would i go about adding stacks of wood to a HO scale flatcar ? , thanks
I guess that whould depend on what kind of wood you are using. For the most part this is what I would do.
I would glue the wood together on a flat surface, let it dry. Then sit the dry load on the flat bed car. Then I would glue the load on tho the car. If the car has side support bars then ad the supports after the load is mounted. If not find a scale “rope” or “chain” and secure you load. what way the load gets loaded & secured depends on the lumber yard (AKA:You).
I am thinking about mounting a Indy car onto a flat bed car for a “Ride With Me Tour”. You know many people in those small towns dont get to see “Work Equiptment” quite like that 
I hope that helps. Good Luck!
Icemanmike-Milwaukee
well ill be using thin strips of bolsa wood , and would i have to glue each tiny strip together to make the load up ?? cos to me that would take forever but thanks for the info , ill give it ago
Used with care, a hot glue gun might make the work go faster
There are of course prefabricated loads you could use.
The one place where the NMRA Bulletin magazine has done a really nice job over the years is in the whole topic of open load photographs and modeling ideas.
Years ago I used to use the ends of flat toothpicks as stakes in the stake pockets of my Athearn and Mantua flatcars to hold a load in place.
Dave Nelson
Hello “daylight98,”
One of the classic articles by a great modeler named Jack Work is “Lumber loads for your flatcars,” in the February 1957 MODEL RAILROADER, page 32. It tells you everything you’d want to know about how to do this. You can order a photocopy of the article from customerservice@kalmbach.com.
However, I’ve done it myself and I can tell you it’s a lot of work – it takes an enormous number of scale-size sticks to make a decent load. If you’ve got the time, great, knock yourself out. But if you’re looking for a faster way, I’d suggest the no. 289 stacked lumber Laser Kit from American Model Builders.
good luck,
Andy
Andy Sperandeo
MODEL RAILROADER Magazine
Another nice pre-built lumber load is available from Chooch. It is a one-piece casting nicely detailed. All you need to add is the proper tie-down detail.
Jim
Roseau, MN
The current issue (June) of N Scale Railroading has an article on making open loads for flats and gons. Should be pretty easy to translate from N to HO.
Think about hiding some weight in the middle of the stack! I had to dig a hole in one of the resin loads.
Lindsay
Just finished a series of lumber loads, went to a coffe shop and asked for a bunch of wooden stir sticks, they are a great size, dont waste time building a stack ,leave the inside hollow, its like making a small box with no lid, the ends are small short pieces.
The place where you can buy (at least in my country) all sizes and shapes of scalewood at low cost si the hobbyshop that caters to model airplane builders . They even have very thin sheets of plywood that can easily be cut to size for plywood packets to load on bulkhead flats.
To make a stack of wood use sheet balsa and cut rectangles the size of the stack. Then use a razor saw to cut the ends to make it look from the end like a layer of boards. trim off a couple to look shorter. Then just stack the flat sheets.
Dave H.
I have gotton quite engenious with my loads. While I attend college I hold down a checkers job at a local retail department store (ALCO if your interested) I have access to thousands of discarted register tape cores. I have done everything from carve them into large industrial shapes, to contructing a crate structure around them. I then place them on flat cars with the appropriet tie down rigging.
I am sure a resourceful person can come up with some of these quite easily.
James