HO rolling stock proper weight

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Pipestretcher

New Member
I'm in the process of getting some old equipment from my younger days up and running again. I understand the weight of the cars is important for keeping them on track. Does anyone have a formula or ideas for getting them properly weighted? Are todays new HO rolling stock weighted properly or do they all need to be added too as well?
 

posse

Active Member
I like to keep mine a little lighter than the NMRA standard. It's easier to pull more cars up a steep hill that way.
 

Cjcrescent

Master Mechanic
I like to keep mine a little lighter than the NMRA standard. It's easier to pull more cars up a steep hill that way.

I also like to keep mine a little under the RP.20 recommendation. It tests the engineer's skill in starting a long train. Even though I'm DCC I have very little to NO momentum programmed in. If you derail a train on startup, you get 20 Porterfields! (Named after a fellow modeller, notorious for a wicked sense of humor. These are worse than Brownies!!!;):D)
 

santafewillie

Same Ol' Buzzard
The standard is the same regardless of whether it's freight or passenger. The standard is based on car length. Like some of the others, I like to keep it about 4% - 5% under even though I don't have any grades.
willie
 

bobwrgt

Member
If you like to run long trains and not overload your engines then why add weight??
Run the cars and if they track well without derailing just leave them the way they are. Most of the cars i have had weight removed.

Bob
 

Y3a

Stuck in the 1930's
I don't even put the weights in the cars anymore. I have a 3.5% grade and a longer 2% grade and I pull coal drags. The hoppers have vacuformed coal forms that I glue real coal onto and then place as a load in the hopper. I use Jay-Bee wheel sets and mostly MDC truck frames for my fleet of hoppers. ONE Powerhouse 2-8-8-2 can pull 45 of them up the 3.5% grade. Putting the weight as low as you can makes your cars more stable, and with sharp axle points and polished axle pockets my cars roll very easily.
 

sd24b

Member
Only some of my double stacks, front runners and 89' high cubes get additional weight. I don't add any unless the car has a tracking problem Phil
 

Pipestretcher

New Member
I don't even put the weights in the cars anymore. I have a 3.5% grade and a longer 2% grade and I pull coal drags. The hoppers have vacuformed coal forms that I glue real coal onto and then place as a load in the hopper. I use Jay-Bee wheel sets and mostly MDC truck frames for my fleet of hoppers. ONE Powerhouse 2-8-8-2 can pull 45 of them up the 3.5% grade. Putting the weight as low as you can makes your cars more stable, and with sharp axle points and polished axle pockets my cars roll very easily.

How do you polish the axle pockets?
 

Cjcrescent

Master Mechanic
A little thing call the Tool. It deburs the axle journal. Check Micro Mart. Not for metal trucks, though. Phil


This is a tool that everyone needs. It works better than what we used to have to do, and that was use a drill bit in a pin vise. There are several different manufacturers making it. For under $15 in price I consider it an essential. It was hard to get the drill bit centered correctly into the journal. It is still the best method for reaming out, or smoothing the journals on sprung metal trucks.
 
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