Running Bear's Coffee Shop LII


new guy said:
LOL Aye, that'll DO it! UPS says I got over 40 pounds of packages coming!! LOL When I consider that most boxcars are only a few ounces...oh mine GOTT! What have I done!
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Since you mentioned boxcars weighing only a few ounces, I'll ask this question for both our benefits.
I have noticed that when pulling a long train of say around a dozen cars that having the heavier ones up front near the engine(s) work best. When lighter cars are in the middle they get de-railed which I imagine comes from being tugged at from both ends.
So, do you guys weigh your cars on a scale?
Or just throw in some ballast weight until they "feel" right?
I've been wondering about this for some time.
E.
 
BigE said:
Since you mentioned boxcars weighing only a few ounces, I'll ask this question for both our benefits.
I have noticed that when pulling a long train of say around a dozen cars that having the heavier ones up front near the engine(s) work best. When lighter cars are in the middle they get de-railed which I imagine comes from being tugged at from both ends.
So, do you guys weigh your cars on a scale?
Or just throw in some ballast weight until they "feel" right?
I've been wondering about this for some time.
E.
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I found a vid on u-tube where a guy made a gage for proper weight vs length according to NMRR standards, that and another by the same guy, he made a nifty car/Loco holder for working on trucks and wheels. Prowling around those vids has been an amazing education, already saved me hundreds, for FREE! Some of the guys are a little..."ah"..."er"..."uh"... but making videos ain't that easy, LOL, stick with em, they have some good tips in there.
 
BigE said:
Since you mentioned boxcars weighing only a few ounces, I'll ask this question for both our benefits.
I have noticed that when pulling a long train of say around a dozen cars that having the heavier ones up front near the engine(s) work best. When lighter cars are in the middle they get de-railed which I imagine comes from being tugged at from both ends.
So, do you guys weigh your cars on a scale?
Or just throw in some ballast weight until they "feel" right?
I've been wondering about this for some time.
E.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna use split-shot, drill a small hole and put sand in the tankers, maybe even brake down and buy those little lead weights with the sticky backing, and anything else I can think of to get them to the correct weight, looks like an important consideration especially with long trains like I'm planning. Pesky physics rears it's ugly head! LOL
 
I absolutely try to keep all of my cars with the recommended NMRA weights. In HO scale they recommend 1 ounce plus a half an ounce per inch of car length. I have a few (very few) gondolas without weights which I usually fill with ballast and I have on a few occasions had them on a train and with a 2% grade, with a curve at the top have laid over 5 to 1o cars if a light car was at the head end of the train. Most of the rolling stock on the market today comes pretty clost to the recommended weight, but a few kits, such as Intermountains tank cars do not come with weights.

I keep a few blocks of these weights on hand to add weight to cars, or balance a steam locomotive.

weights.jpg

These also have an adhesive backing which help.
 
montanan said:
I absolutely try to keep all of my cars with the recommended NMRA weights. In HO scale they recommend 1 ounce plus a half an ounce per inch of car length. I have a few (very few) gondolas without weights which I usually fill with ballast and I have on a few occasions had them on a train and with a 2% grade, with a curve at the top have laid over 5 to 1o cars if a light car was at the head end of the train. Most of the rolling stock on the market today comes pretty clost to the recommended weight, but a few kits, such as Intermountains tank cars do not come with weights.

I keep a few blocks of these weights on hand to add weight to cars, or balance a steam locomotive.

View attachment 51398

These also have an adhesive backing which help.
Click to expand...


LOL The very animal I will seek! A 'Special' scale is essential now, not the wife's kitchen scale!
 
As Jed Clampit used to say, "weelll doggies".
Haven't been posting lately, my bad. Too much going on with all the grandkids, family, and doggies!
Don't mean to leave out anyone, but a few things come to mind.

Louis . Great pictures you have posted lately. Here's one for you!
image.jpg

Chet. Are you saying 1 & 1/2oz per inch? Long time ago it seems I remember just 1oz per inch.

Karl. Good to see that you are feeling better.

Curt. You bridge looks really great .. The scenery work does not look as if any changes were made.

Truss rod, Cory, LASM, Garry, and all others. Keep on trucking, er .. Railroading.

Today
High 98 | Low 65 °F
0% Chance of Precip.
Yesterday
High 101.5 | Low 62.8 °F
Precip 0.
 
Sherrel - According to the NMRA suggested weights, it is 1 ounce, plus a half ounce per inch of car length from what I understand. If a car were say 5 inches long, the weight would be three and a half ounces. A 7 inch long car would be four and a half ounces.

I screwed up pulling a 40+ car long train up my 2 % grade with a light unweighted car about 5 cars behind the power and with my super elevated curves, I laid then entire train on its side with the exception of the caboose. OOPS!
 
montanan said:
I screwed up pulling a 40+ car long train up my 2 % grade with a light unweighted car about 5 cars behind the power and with my super elevated curves, I laid then entire train on its side with the exception of the caboose. OOPS!
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Funny. Something similar happened to me when I got those So. Pac. passenger cars from my brother. I hadn't gotten steel wheels for them yet. No grade or super elevation involved. I had the baggage cars (very lite weight) up front behind the engines (was running a consist of my SD40-2 and GP38-2). I had just setup a bunch of trees. They came through a curve and all but the engines turned over on their sides but it didn't stop the engines and I had my back turned. By the time I hit the emergency stop button, they had taken out all the trees in about 5'. Good thing I hadn't tacked them down so they just got knocked over.

Given my 18" radii it also occurred to me I needed to get the extended shank couplers so they don't pinch either each other. That night I order new couplers and some 36" steel wheels. I also hot-glued some pennies inside the liter cars. Problem solved!
E.
 
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The radius at the curve where the tracks are super elevated at the top of the grade is around 40 inches, but the weight of the train was just too much for the light car. Nothing hit the floor when the train went on its side because the area had scenery, but I wiped out a herd of 1/87 cattle.
 
Just got an order in! Not bad for as big as it was, they only missed one Loco and some track odds and ends. I've got the e-mails flying, we will see how they handle it. I'm not to worried, it was a complex very large order and they probably got excited! I've worked warehouse and I know what it's like, I'm not gonna get my 'shorts' 'in a scrum', YET!
 
new guy said:
Just got an order in! Not bad for as big as it was, they only missed one Loco and some track odds and ends. I've got the e-mails flying, we will see how they handle it. I'm not to worried, it was a complex very large order and they probably got excited! I've worked warehouse and I know what it's like, I'm not gonna get my 'shorts' 'in a scrum', YET!
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I wouldn't worry too much. A lot of my big orders got broken up into multiple shipments. Check your packing list.
 
I don't know about anyone else but your enthusiasm has me going.
I just placed an order for 4 tunnel portals.... finally. Now I can start doing some serious planning about the mountain effort. This won't be my first mountain so nothing new there.
E.
 
BigE said:
I don't know about anyone else but your enthusiasm has me going.
I just placed an order for 4 tunnel portals.... finally. Now I can start doing some serious planning about the mountain effort. This won't be my first mountain so nothing new there.
E.
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Was thinking along those lines, LOL, if it was not for this forum I would be far behind where I am now. Having 'fellows' in the loop makes a difference. You all responded to my initial enthusiasm in such a positive way I could not consider pulling back. Pass up an opportunity to become a member of such a laid back cool group of Dudes? Who actually seem HAPPY in this crappy day and age! NO WAY!! I wanna be like THEM!!! Interested and engaged with a part of the world where people are NOT treating each other like s#!T all the time! Nuff of THAT!

Check out THIS!
WIN_20150806_152337.JPG

Got the makins of a STABLE! Broadway Paragon, DD40(M)AX, One of my SDP 45's,
WIN_20150806_152438.JPG
And the BIG one!


Motivated NOW!
WIN_20150806_152611.JPG
 
Joe called ME before I could call HIM! LOL! All is well and I got the missing items coming, plus a little extra. He seems like a very decent chap, I know I made his summer, he just a small fry and even I know orders like THIS do NOT come along every day!!! LOL
 
Dang NG! You got the DDA40X!!!
You realize you're going to have an odd mix of old school stuff and new school stuff.
Not that I care.
I'm sure some might complain about me pulling those older style passenger cars with my SD40.
I don't care what those "sticks in the mud" think. I'm ok with it and that's all that counts.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for realism but I'm not about to sit around and count rivets.
 
new guy said:
Joe called ME before I could call HIM! LOL! All is well and I got the missing items coming, plus a little extra. He seems like a very decent chap, I know I made his summer, he just a small fry and even I know orders like THIS do NOT come along every day!!! LOL
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Was this a supplier or a private individual?
 
Good morning/afternoon fellow Track layers and Spike pounders,

Hi Flo & Francine, how are you ladies today? I'll just have some coffee, thanks. Here's a little $1 tip for you.

For the newer folks on here this a a picture that Bill Tidler used to post some time back showing the two ladies. I always assumed Flo was the tall Blonde and the dark haired gal reminded me of foxy Francine I used to work with some years back so hence the name I gave her.


nner2Jpg_zps0d339a7_edit_1402885940537_zps5pkmjwsv.jpg




montanan said:
Sherrel - According to the NMRA suggested weights, it is 1 ounce, plus a half ounce per inch of car length from what I understand. If a car were say 5 inches long, the weight would be three and a half ounces. A 7 inch long car would be four and a half ounces.

I screwed up pulling a 40+ car long train up my 2 % grade with a light unweighted car about 5 cars behind the power and with my super elevated curves, I laid then entire train on its side with the exception of the caboose. OOPS!
Click to expand...


Say Chet, I imagine the line superintendent fired you on the spot for that one?



Sirfoldalot said:
As Jed Clampit used to say, "weelll doggies".
Haven't been posting lately, my bad. Too much going on with all the grandkids, family, and doggies!
Don't mean to leave out anyone, but a few things come to mind.

Chet. Are you saying 1 & 1/2oz per inch? Long time ago it seems I remember just 1oz per inch.

Karl. Good to see that you are feeling better.

Curt. Your bridge looks really great .. The scenery work does not look as if any changes were made.

Truss rod, Cory, LASM, Garry, and all others. Keep on trucking, er .. Railroading.

Today
High 98 | Low 65 °F
0% Chance of Precip.
Yesterday
High 101.5 | Low 62.8 °F
Precip 0.
Click to expand...



Say Sherrel, That's what I intend on doing.




montanan said:
The radius at the curve where the tracks are super elevated at the top of the grade is around 40 inches, but the weight of the train was just too much for the light car. Nothing hit the floor when the train went on its side because the area had scenery, but I wiped out a herd of 1/87 cattle.
Click to expand...


Chet, I heard that the cattle ranch was extremely up set about you killing off his heard and put a bounty on your head for that! You have guts posting that info.
 
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