after reading the pinching pennies thread, i have to ask, whats all the fuss about weights? i guess the weights that come with the stock is not enough, and we should add more? HO scale. how much should a boxcar weigh?
Depends upon the HO length.
The general rule is 1" plus 1/2" per inch of length.
A 6" box car should come it at 4oz but it doen’t have to be perfect.
Tankers seem to be underweight but in other cars I have added
pennies with two side tape.
The standard is listed on the NMRA website RP 20. In general its 1oz plus 1/2 oz per inch of car length
Randy
The reason for adding weights is better operation. Many years ago, tests were made by the NMRA Standards and RPs committee and found that bringing all the cars up to certain weights improved operational reliability. Light cars have a tendency to derail on sharp curves, this problem is aggravated by having light cars close to the engine and heavy cars at the rear of the train. In addition to weight you can reduce the problem by using broader curves, larger turnouts, and coupling light cars at the end of the train.
Enjoy
Paul
The prototype has problems with car weights too, so may specify where certain cars may be placed in a train
I have some Rivarossi passenger cars that look great but tend to uncouple on curves. They are without interiors and adding weights, I think, would help them track better. My question is, just how much weight do you add? I don’t want seven cars causing the locomotive to pull work harder than necessary when pulling them. And what’s an ideal source for weights?
NMRA’s standard for HO is 1 oz. plus an additional 1/2 oz. for each inch of length. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should be very close, without , in my opinion, going over. A-line tape weights work well and should be available at the local hobby shop. Steel nuts and washers will work, as will pennies. Twelve pennies equal an oz. I like to mount the weight as low as possible and center it inside the car to maintain good balance. A postal scale works well for determining how much weight to add.
Tom Watkins
Thanks for the input Tom.
I’ve started using lead shot, for my HO models.
Its very dense, thereby enabling you to obtain a low centre of gravity, if you want.
Brushed on white glue provides adequate adhesion – even for suspension e.g. in the smoke box or boiler of a steamer (to improve traction).
I paid $15 for a 25# bag, at a sporting goods (guns) store.
Store it in jam jars – wonderful structural gluing weights.
JUST REMEMBER TO WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE SMOKING OR EATING – WHEN HANDLING ANY TYPE OF LEAD WEIGHTS.
Another thing that works very well for HO Scale Covered Hoppers, Center Flow Hoppers, and even Rivorossi passenger cars is steel BB gun shot pellets. You can get a one pint carton of them for about $3.00 at Wal-Mart. That little carton is heavy!
I slowly pour BBs and fill up the bins or open holes in the floors of these cars. Next, I pour and drench White Elmer’s Glue on top of them, making sure that every BB is hit . After drying overnight, I can hold each car upside down and not a single BB falls out. The freight cars wind up just slightly above or below the recommended NMRA weight.
On the Rivorossi passenger cars, you can then install the one piece interior in with little difficulty (paint it first!). The Rivorossi passenger car will be close to what the Walthers passenger cars weigh, so one doesn’t have to worry too much about locomotives straining.
Don’t forget to add metal wheelsets to freight cars and Rivorossi / IHC / AHM passenger cars! They add a little extra weight and track so much better than plastic wheelsets! I’ve been using the Protos but I’m now trying out the new Branch Line sets.
Lastly, to those of you that are worried about “Locomotives Straining” with weighted cars. Easy Solution: GET QUALITY!
Don’t put a regular Bachmann, Con-Cor, or Tyco F7 in front of your 12 car Walther’s streamliner or 15 car hot shot freight special and expect those locomotives to run like a prototype GG1! [B)] What you would wind up having there is what our “Good-Ol-Boys” here in the south call:
A TRACTOR PULL CONTEST![C):-)][banghead][:p]
No need to spend $100 for decent engines. Proto 2000, Proto 1000, and even Athearn Blue Boxes pull nicely compared to the low performers. These units
I use automotive “stick on” wheel weights. They come in 1/4 oz. increments. the last time i bought them , you could get 5 lbs. for about $13.00 and get them at a tire/tool supply house.
Hi Antonio,
I just wanted to add that while white glue does work, I’ve found that Aleene’s “Tacky Glue”, available at most craft stores for around $1.00 per 5 ounce bottle works better because it is much thicker and made to glue materials that are different, such as the lead shot to the plastic models. It also works great for glueing the pennies too. I just place a small amound on the plastic, add the pennies or lead shot. and I’m done. If you want, you can stack the pennies by using a drop or so between them.
Hope this helps.
Mondo
[quote]
QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45
Another thing that works very well for HO Scale Covered Hoppers, Center Flow Hoppers, and even Rivorossi passenger cars is steel BB gun shot pellets. You can get a one pint carton of them for about $3.00 at Wal-Mart. That little carton is heavy!
I slowly pour BBs and fill up the bins or open holes in the floors of these cars. Next, I pour and drench White Elmer’s Glue on top of them, making sure that every BB is hit . After drying overnight, I can hold each car upside down and not a single BB falls out. The freight cars wind up just slightly above or below the recommended NMRA weight.
On the Rivorossi passenger cars, you can then install the one piece interior in with little difficulty (paint it first!). The Rivorossi passenger car will be close to what the Walthers passenger cars weigh, so one doesn’t have to worry too much about locomotives straining.
Don’t forget to add metal wheelsets to freight cars and Rivorossi / IHC / AHM passenger cars! They add a little extra weight and track so much better than plastic wheelsets! I’ve been using the Protos but I’m now trying out the new Branch Line sets.
Lastly, to those of you that are worried about “Locomotives Straining” with weighted cars. Easy Solution: GET QUALITY!
Don’t put a regular Bachmann, Con-Cor, or Tyco F7 in front of your
You have to add weight to have your trains run reliably. My formula is roughly 1oz. to 1 inch of length. Example a 5 inch car weighs 5 oz. A 6 in. car is 6 oz, except for TOFC cars. auto carriers,and 89 foot high cube cars,I weigh them up to 9 oz. thats with metal wheel sets and KaDee couplers.My cars roll very easy and will roll on the slighest grade. Lead shot and lead sheet are my weight of choice. I replace the steel weight with lead sheet on box cars, lead shot glued in low cafities.Thats what works for me.
Any suggestions for adding weights to tank cars? In N, these are sealed units and there is no obvious way to add lead shot or other metal.
Thanks,
BennettW
One option I suppose would be to drill a small hole in the bottom, then pour sand in, then plug the hole. Another option I haven’t tried is to wrap the axles with solder.
Enjoy
Paul
Hey Mondo, Thanks!
I’ll be going to a big store here in Tampa called Pearl Art Supply in the near future. I’ll look for that glue!
10-4!
I have also used “Pine Wood Derby” weights that you can find in most LHS. I still have some left over from when I was in Scouts with my son.