I tested a project for weighting rolling stock this week.
I went to our local hunting store called Gander Mountain which stocked everything and is staffed by a gunsmith. Lead shot was my objective.
I found a 25 pound bag of lead shot in the #9 size which is really the smallest pebble or the greatest concentration of shot in a small space. I think it was like 20.00 for what is essentially a life time supply of weights.
Drove home, whipped out the few flatcars (Athearn) that were too light on the rails, weighted them on the digital kitchen food scale and added weight to close to 5 ounces by pouring lead shot into the tray along with the car. (50 foot flat car)
Flipped the shot into a empty dullcote can cap and put the flat car upside down. I then carefully and evenly poured the lead shot into the center area until the shot just filled the empty spaces.
Out came Elmer’s Gel Glue. My wife has chemo treatments so cannot use fumes in the house for now. I coated all the shot in a layer of gel school glue and set it aside to dry for the rest of the weekend.
I did do a few of these with shot that was sold by 2-3 ounce bags running over a dollar per ounce. Here I am hefting a pound for a dollar and quite pleased with the results.
Im half tempted to package 2-3 ounce bags of lead shot and sell them on ebay for a buck or two to cover the cost of those 25 pound bags of lead shot.
When the flats are done, they can be run without loads and stay on the track with decent weight in them.
I stumbled across a source of weight that’s rather job specific (I’m an industrial X-ray technician). We use lead screens in our film cassettes 14 by 17 inch film sheets. When these cassettes are damaged or unusable for any other reason, they need to be discarded, but before you can just dump them in the garbage, the lead sheets (hazardous material) have to be removed. I’ve ended up with a nice stack of .030 and .010 inch thick lead sheets. The .030 weighs about 1 ounce per square inch. Cut them into strips with a utility knife and square and trim to length with scissors. Easy to add in place of or addition to the provided steel weight.
I use regular tire weights that you can get from your local tire centre, there stick on and are pre cut in quarter oz increments. they will fit under flat cars if you trim them down just a little on one side. It’s the most efficent method I’ve seen yet.
I have been using steel BBs as weights, held in place with hot melt glue or silicon sealant. For larger openings, I cut solid core solder to length and fill in whatever amount the center sill will hold.
I have some #9 lead shot on order and will use it to fill in the cavities in the bottom of IHC passenger cars before the interiors are installed, because the lead shot will be heavier and more compact than BBs. Lead shot is hard to find locally, so I have had to resort to mail order.
Glad to see old ideas never fade away…[:D] This method dates back to the 50s…[:D] Thanks for passing along your “find” for the “younger” modelers…[:D][tup]
I have also used Wheel weights from the local gas Station and also Roofing tin that comes in a 75ft roll. I just cut the tin about the width of the car. Put the car on the scale and add the layers of tin until I get the correct weight I need for that car. Then I Epoxy the layers to the floor of the car. Kevin
Counter Weight,
Thanks for the tip. I’ll have to look them up next time I’m in Gander Mountian, Bass Pro, or Dunham’s. [8D][8D]
I’ve used some sheet lead discarded by the phone company several years ago. This is about a 1/4 inch thick. I also have used lead from a gun store intended for making rounds for a muzzle loading rifle. The shot seems like it would be easier to handle. [:0][^]
I’ll also give the Elmer’s Gel Glue a try. It may help to keep from triggering my wifes allergies. [:D][:D]