I experimented with car weights, and looking at the weights, what happens to the cars with NMRA weight standards on grades, and lighter than "standard", the actual physics of pulling cars up a grade and around super-elevated curves.
I model the N&W in the 1930's. I worked at a hobby shop in the 1980's and 1990's and bought a bunch of 2 bay hoppers, both Athearn and others. I kept the metal weights off the hoppers, BUT... replaced the plastic wheelsets with JayBee's. WHY you ask???? The ability of steam engines to pull is less than diesels mostly due to wheel diameters. I wanted to be able to pull AT LEAST 75 hoppers up a 3 percent grade without helpers with ONE 2-6-6-2 or 2-8-8-2.
BACKGROUND
I observed several model railroaders who over-weighted their cars to go up a 44" diameter super-elevated curve at 4 percent. many of the cars would lift the outer wheels as they went up the grades! Adding more weight won't fix this.
EXPERIMENTATION
I put 40 hoppers together with Jaybee wheelsets, and NO OTHER WEIGHT. I used the MDC trucks instead of the Athearn ones. I used a metal drill like tool to clean up the pockets and make sure of smooth rolling. I can easily pull 90 of the lightweight hoppers up a 4 percent grade with 28" diameter super-elevated curves. The lighter weight means the trucks will last longer and the weight is as low as it will go. These hoppers DON'T LIFT THE OUTSIDE WHEELS. You get the benefit of a great illusion as your engines pull almost twice the cars.
OK. So this is why I don't add weight to my cars anymore. Exceptions are cabooses which still need to be 3 - 5 times heavier so they can be pushed with a 2-8-8-2. It also allows teeny engines to pull 10 cars up a 4 percent grade.
Comments?
I model the N&W in the 1930's. I worked at a hobby shop in the 1980's and 1990's and bought a bunch of 2 bay hoppers, both Athearn and others. I kept the metal weights off the hoppers, BUT... replaced the plastic wheelsets with JayBee's. WHY you ask???? The ability of steam engines to pull is less than diesels mostly due to wheel diameters. I wanted to be able to pull AT LEAST 75 hoppers up a 3 percent grade without helpers with ONE 2-6-6-2 or 2-8-8-2.
BACKGROUND
I observed several model railroaders who over-weighted their cars to go up a 44" diameter super-elevated curve at 4 percent. many of the cars would lift the outer wheels as they went up the grades! Adding more weight won't fix this.
EXPERIMENTATION
I put 40 hoppers together with Jaybee wheelsets, and NO OTHER WEIGHT. I used the MDC trucks instead of the Athearn ones. I used a metal drill like tool to clean up the pockets and make sure of smooth rolling. I can easily pull 90 of the lightweight hoppers up a 4 percent grade with 28" diameter super-elevated curves. The lighter weight means the trucks will last longer and the weight is as low as it will go. These hoppers DON'T LIFT THE OUTSIDE WHEELS. You get the benefit of a great illusion as your engines pull almost twice the cars.
OK. So this is why I don't add weight to my cars anymore. Exceptions are cabooses which still need to be 3 - 5 times heavier so they can be pushed with a 2-8-8-2. It also allows teeny engines to pull 10 cars up a 4 percent grade.
Comments?