add weight to flat car?


It's a car that would normally be placed in the consist where it won't be 'stretched' and lifted out of the gauge, or stringlined, by heavier components on either side of it. It would be placed near the end of the consist, say just before the caboose because on the rear, only the caboose's rolling resistance and mass would be pulling rearward.

It isn't practical to add more weight to such flats or shallow gons unless you figure out how to put a low profile load in them...rails maybe, scrap, rolls of ribbon steel or banding, cable reels...that sort of thing. IOW, you might as well place a weight of some kind on the bed to raise your running weight.
 
Both flats are detailed with air tanks and brakes pipe undercar don't want to hide that detail so can't put weightunder the car like the. ideal of putting it at the end of train
 
Any good tips for adding weight to empty flats or is that a car that needs a speed restriction.
On cars that have a metal weight already in them (like the Athearn Blue Box), I replace the provided steel weight with a sheet of lead. 4x the weight in the same amount of space. Lead is pretty malleable so you can press/beat it into pretty thin sheets.
 
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A single layer of shotgun shot, in a size 7 or 8, when placed in a single layer, will not hide any air brake detail. I've weighted many a flat or empty gon without hiding anything. The shot is held in place by a mixture of glue and water, then painted whatever color the underside of the model is painted. The shot basically disappears, but the detail doesn't.
 
My flats all have a framework underneath that looks kind of like 2 I beams side by side, space between them. I find a drill bit the right diameter to fit between them and drill some holes in a 2x4. Melt some lead and pour it in. makes some pencil size lead bars. just cut to fit and glue them in between the I beams. can't see them unless you turn the car upside down.
I give them just enough weight to stay on the track ok ( a little bit less than NMRA suggests), so that if I add a load they won't be too heavy and cause problems.
 
Personally, I use the same method as Iron Horseman, although my stock of lead sheet is getting low. And some say lead is toxic :)
I've known people that use low-melting point metal filler between the two halves of the centre sill. Google Field's metal, or fusible alloys to find suppliers in your area.
I don't switch any flat cars - don't need to. The few I have run in manifest freights and get their weight from the load.
 
Thanks for the tips and ideal. around here see a lot of enpty flat car run though and if I'm going to the expence to make the rest of my cars run there best might as well do it with the flats to. Don't like doing half a job
 
Get a container like a coffee can and go to your nearest automotive or tire shop and ask them if you can have a bunch of old wheel weights. Most shops will let you take some without charging you. You can then take them and melt them down and make any type of weight you want. Ill second the lead shot as well, but its not cheap.
 
Tire weight nice ideal though at the moment i don't have a way to melt the weight and plus old fish weights would work the same way
 
Lead shot or BB's work well, and I always use metal wheels and trucks. If you can't get a lead weight between the deck and the frame, well, there is plenty of stuff out there in the way of good looking loads!
 
BB's wont work as well because they dont have the weight to size ratio like lead shot does. One BB weighs a lot less then a smaller piece of lead shot which is what is nice about the lead shot. I wouldnt mind picking up a bag of it but cant justify spending 40-50 bucks. Nor could I justify spending a few bucks on a small package of it like PPW sells.

Wheel weights can be cut into small enough peices with a side cutter pliers to enable it to fit into small areas. Thats what I plan to start with.
 
You could do what a friend of mine and I did. We split the cost of a bag of shot. Maybe you and a few of your friends could do the same. That would bring the cost down to a more manageable cost level.
 
You could do what a friend of mine and I did. We split the cost of a bag of shot. Maybe you and a few of your friends could do the same. That would bring the cost down to a more manageable cost level.

Thats what I have been planning to do. I actually have a friend that loads his own rounds and has this stuff laying around. I just havent had the opportunity to ask him if he could sell me some. Im not sure where he sits on his supply currently.
 
What do the black powder guys use who are into the fur trade reenactments use to make their ammo? Maybe that would work for flat car empties.

Photoman475
 



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