# 85' passenger car ideal weight



## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

I have some 85' passenger cars that do not quite measure up to the current weighting standards.

The wheels spin nicely. As light as the cars are, my little engine can barely pull a consist. If the cars had the proper additional weight, won't my little engine have even a harder time pulling, or should it get easier?

I don't have traction tires; the engine is not fitted for them. It is a Rivarossi 4-6-2.

Bill


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

NMRA recommended weight for an 85' passenger coach is 7 oz (1 oz plus 1/2 oz per inch of length).

I have an IHC Pacific that can haul 6 heavyweights with ease. Adding weight will make them harder to pull, but unless you have some significant grades that's not really going to be a factor. I would look elsewhere for a different source of friction. The one that immediately comes to my mind is those long, 3 wheel trucks binding on 18" radius curves, or wheels that are out of gauge wide, so that they bind against the web of the rail.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Bill

If the 4-6-2 is able to pull a good string of freight cars,
it may indicate that, as CTvalley has suggested, there is
too much friction in the passenger trucks.

Those big 3 axle trucks have 6 wheels each, and if they
are plastic they will have rolling resistance. If the cars
are lighted the wheels will be metal, but the wipers 
rubbing against them can add to the rolling resistance.

How many of the 85 footers do you have in your
train? That enters into the equation also.

Is there a difference in the pulling ability of the loco
with these cars when all are on a straight run vs
when the cars are on a curve?

Don


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## Mister Bill (Jan 30, 2014)

I can pull six or seven cars with the 4-6-2, but I have ten cars in my stable. My 2-8-8-2 with traction tires can pull all ten but that is not prototypically correct.

I have tuned the Rivarossi wheels to run as fine as modern steel wheels. 

I should probably be satisfied, but that is what keeps me coming back each day.

Bill


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*More pulling power*

Mister bill;

Another trick you can use to pull more passenger cars is a powered baggage/express car. 
I have one I built for my underweight N scale steamers. They can't pull as many cars as I'd like
and the baggage car does the trick. I basically grafted an old Bachman 70' car shell over a Kato geep mechanism. Works fine! You should be able to do a similar kitbash in H.O.

Traction Fan


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## Bkubiak (Oct 20, 2013)

I have 6 ea Harriman style passenger cars from Roundhouse and they are as light as a feather. I can almost blow on them and knock them over. They are 8 inch's long and have two axle trucks and they derail a lot in turns, I want to add some weight to them. I do not have a postage scale and I am thinking to buy a 1 inch wide x 2 foot long steel bar that is about 1/16 thick at Home Depot and cut it to fit. 
My question is that a C cell battery feels about the right weight, perhaps too much, does anyone know how much a C cell battery weighs?? or how long should I cut that bar, 6, 7 or 8 inch long?"


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

You'd probably find lead an easier metal to work with than steel.

Most hobby shops should have 1/2" wide lead strips, marked in
one ounce segments that you can easily cut apart. They even
have self stick material on the back. 

Others have suggested going to tire shops and retrieving used
balance weights, free.

Don


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Pinecar (a division of Woodland Scenics) makes non-toxic (lead-free) weights in several configurations. Many hobby shops stock them.

If you really want to dial in your cars' weight to the RP spec, then I would invest in a postal scale. You can get them for as little as $20. Unfortunately, Bill, without knowing the weights of either your cars or the steel, it's tough to tell you what to add.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Bkubiak said:


> I have 6 ea Harriman style passenger cars from Roundhouse and they are as light as a feather. I can almost blow on them and knock them over. They are 8 inch's long and have two axle trucks and they derail a lot in turns, I want to add some weight to them. I do not have a postage scale and I am thinking to buy a 1 inch wide x 2 foot long steel bar that is about 1/16 thick at Home Depot and cut it to fit.
> My question is that a C cell battery feels about the right weight, perhaps too much, does anyone know how much a C cell battery weighs?? or how long should I cut that bar, 6, 7 or 8 inch long?"


I wouldn't use a dead C cell battery...when they start to leak, you'll be faced with a whole new problem.....


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## Bkubiak (Oct 20, 2013)

Old_Hobo said:


> I wouldn't use a dead C cell battery...when they start to leak, you'll be faced with a whole new problem.....


Sorry I was not clear enough, I do not wish to use an old dead C cell battery, just want to know what they weigh. I think the battery is too heavy for my purpose.


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## gator do 65 (Jan 27, 2014)

Used tire weights work very well and can be found at any tire store, are usually free, come in 1/4 oz. increments and attach with double sticky foam tape!

Food scales also work and can be found in dollar stores for cheap.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

You might find that the used wheel weights will not have their adhesive backing intact, as they've been ripped off the wheel....new wheel weights cost me $1.95 a strip (about a dozen 1/4 oz. sections)


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## Bkubiak (Oct 20, 2013)

Old_Hobo said:


> You might find that the used wheel weights will not have their adhesive backing intact, as they've been ripped off the wheel....new wheel weights cost me $1.95 a strip (about a dozen 1/4 oz. sections)


I was in Harbor Freight looking for something unrelated to trains when I came upon packs of adhesive backed wheel weights. They came in packs of 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz and 1 oz all for the same price and there was 24 oz per package so I grabbed a pac of 1/2 oz weights. Gotta keep the ol eyes open, you never know what you will find


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## Mr. SP (Jan 7, 2015)

*Pulling vs Weight*

If possible get inside your locomotive and add weight above the drivers. If I'm remembering right the AHM steam locomotives were light on the drivers.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Bkubiak said:


> I was in Harbor Freight looking for something unrelated to trains when I came upon packs of adhesive backed wheel weights. They came in packs of 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz and 1 oz all for the same price and there was 24 oz per package so I grabbed a pac of 1/2 oz weights. Gotta keep the ol eyes open, you never know what you will find


Come on, Bill! You've been doing this long enough to know that there is no such thing as a shopping trip which is not related to model railroading!


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