Weighting Rolling Stock

Nscalemodeler

New Member
I have heard that some people add weight to their cars to make them more balanced and ride better. Can anyone tell me what is a good weight for standard freight cars?:wave:
 

jon-monon

Active Member
Some people follow NMRA's RP 20.1: http://www.nmra.org/standards/rp-20_1.html

Some people come up with their own standard.

Some people go by feel.

Some people just add some weight.

Some people don't worry unless a car has problems.

IMHO NMRA weights are good if you don't have extremely long trains. I've heard complaints that some people don't have enough motive power to pull long trains that are properly NMRA weighted. If I planned longer trains, I think I would take 4 or 5 cars I have that feel kind of heavy for their size and weigh them, then make my own chart based on how they way. I think the important thing is for unifiormity as much as weightyness.
 

sandjam

New Member
Here is another link you might want to look at.

http://www.urbaneagle.com/data/RRcarwts.html

I do not use either one.
IMO the NMRA RP 20.1 is heavy. I do not see the reasoning to add more weight than is actually required to keep the cars on the tracks. Logic dictates less load, less wear and tear on your motive power.
In my personal experience, I have found putting the lighter cars at the back of the consist works best.
If the light cars are in the front, they tend to get "pulled" off by the weight of the consist.
I guess I am one of those who makes their own standard, problem is, my standard is "what is required to keep them on the tracks and no more". I have never put one on a scale.
When I do have the rare need to add weight, I center it on the frame (L/R) and place half over the front trucks and half over the rear trucks, never in the middle.
If there is no problem, I don't worry.
Many people use pennies and double sided tape for this. Weight is readily available at the LHS or on-line, but cost more than 2 cents. Pennies are filed easily.
.

sandjam
 

seanm

Member
I thought the perpose of weighting cars was to give them all the same weight per a given length... that way you don't have to worry about what cars are heavy and what cars are light.


Seanm (newguy)
 

SD90

Active Member
I usually weight all of my rolling stock heavier than NMRA standards also. I run trains that are between 35 and 50 cars and don't have any trouble with 1 or 2 locomotives pulling any of my trains, going up the hill, I need 3 SD40-2's or 2 SD90's, I don't think it will wear out the locomotives any sooner, but it does keep things on the track. I only have a derailment when someone runs a switch.
 
Top