Options for running Trainworx quad hoppers without a load?


granite

granite

New Member
I have some Trainworx 100T Quad hoppers, and I'd like to run a few as empty cars (without loads). They're the 'made in China' version, with thick metal pieces glued onto the inside of the slope sheets for weight. I tried prying out the metal weights, but they are glued in very tightly and I'm afraid I'll damage the car if I try any harder.

Does anyone have any experience with removing these weights and adding a more inconspicuous weight so that they don't look so out-of-place if run without the load? I know I could paint the weights a similar color as the body, but I'm just wondering if there are any other options.

Thanks!

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Only suggestion I have at the moment is to carefully heat the metal plates to soften the glue. Maybe a hairdryer?? Are there tabs on the upper edge of the plates? Hard to tell from the picture.
 
I would sacrifice appearance to keep the performance of the car, keep and paint the weights. If you add a little weathering, you might even be able to convince everyone that they are meant to be there.
 
Thanks for the replies, guys! I appreciate the input, very much. N-gager, you were spot-on, I picked a "test car" out of the bunch and warmed up the weights with a hair dryer, and it did soften-up the glue enough to pry them out. The glue used by the factory is some sort of nasty black stuff that left plenty of residue. I'll probably try warming the residue back up with a hair dryer again to see if it will come off better. Hopefully that glue isn't toxic... :eek:

As marriedshades and Adam alluded to, the car absolutely has to have some sort of weight, so now I have to figure out if there is a way to add weight down low in the car that looks less obvious. I'm going to do some experimenting, but may very well end up just painting the stock weights.

Too bad these cars weren't engineered more like the MDC/Athearn 70-ton hoppers so that they could be run without loads and still look okay.
 
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I have some hoppers where the weights are long bars running down the middle between the exhaust chutes. If you can find some way to do that either in the interior or underneath, that might work for you. Even if you had to put them in the interior they might be less obvious than those plates on the end.
 
I would JUST paint!!! Why? Simple heating the goo to remove could cause the plastic to WARP.
The the car is scrap maybe?
 
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