# Securing Cargo on Flat Car



## CJsNYCRR (Nov 11, 2014)

I purchased a bunch of flat cars with military vehicles on them as cargo. The vehicles were only glued down and have mostly all come off the flat car. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to secure these down to the flat cars? If possible is there a way to make them removable so that they can be secured when on the car but also can be removed and swapped out?


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## lajrmdlr (Apr 25, 2014)

CJsNYCRR said:


> I purchased a bunch of flat cars with military vehicles on them as cargo. The vehicles were only glued down and have mostly all come off the flat car. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to secure these down to the flat cars? If possible is there a way to make them removable so that they can be secured when on the car but also can be removed and swapped out?


Military vehicles are/were chained down with wood blocks on either side of the wheels or tracks. Just don't use chain that scale wise looks like one off the Enterprise. LOL The chains only need 1-2" dia. Check for pix thru a Google search. Each vehicle type has its own way of being chained.


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## GN.2-6-8-0 (Jan 10, 2013)

Try looking at a micro mark catalog you'll find a variety of chain in different sizes.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

As for swapping out loads, do you mean doing this as part of an operating session? Or are you thinking more long-term -- for example, run a car with one load for 6 months, then swap it out to a different load for another 6 months or so.

If you mean long-term, you could secure the load with a small amount of rubber cement -- or white glue (which can be soaked off later). Of course this does not solve the problem of a prototypical tie-down that is removable. In your case the chain might be prototypical, but how do you make it removable?

I have several empty flat cars that I might want to put removable loads on in the future, so I am interested in this topic as well.


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## CJsNYCRR (Nov 11, 2014)

My thought is to use the chain idea however to make it removable I would need to attach poles or hooks to the side of the car. This way I could loop the chain link around the pole and run it over the cargo to the other side where I loop the link again. This would allow me to have a few flat cars but numerous cargo options since they are interchangeable. It also would allow me to use the cargo in a layout when I want and then load it up and on the car when it is time to change it. Maybe someone has an idea on what is out there that could be used as a hook? How much vibration is normal when running? Does the chain need to be really tight?


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

If you are going to use chains, that will make the load more permanent. You can see how the load looks without some means of making it looked tied down in the picture of the scaffold on the flatcar.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

All of my flats have stake holes along each side.
If your's do, hat's where you could attach the chains.

Don


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## alcoman (Nov 4, 2009)

Most flat cars use a steel plate for the weight. It is under the entire deck of the car.

If you get a *rare earth* magnet and glue one inside the load then it will hold tight to the car. You can get them online or at many of the big box stores. In bulk they are less than 50 cents each. I salvaged some from old computer hard drives.

They will hold through at least 2 layers of plastic and if you stick one directly to a piece of steel then you will need a tool to pry it off. With plastic or thin wood to maintain the gap, they hold firmly but the finished load can be moved without a problem.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

CJsNYCRR said:


> How much vibration is normal when running? Does the chain need to be really tight?


Even a small amount of vibration is enough for a load to slowly creep and cause problems. But the chains (or other tie downs) don't need to be that tight. But they do need to be wrapped in a way that prevents creep in all directions.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I strongly recommend that you go with Alcoman's magnet idea. I have even used double sided tape, both foam tape and carpet tape. Model your tiedowns as part of your load, so they look like they're attached. You can stiffen thread and chain with white glue to achieve this effect.

The problem with using actual, functional tiedowns is that it's extremely fiddly, even in O scale. So, if all you want to do is occasionally change out a load on your workbench, this is OK, but trying to do it as part of an operating session will most likely prove extremely frustrating. At the very least, you are going to derail several cars, and maybe the whole train, not to mention risking damage to structures with your 1:1 scale fingers, hands and arm. Also, anything large enough for your fingers to easily manipulate is going to look very unrealistic, if that is a factor.


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## gator do 65 (Jan 27, 2014)

To attach the chains I used some wire at the ends of the chains and just looped through the stake mount's, This way I just clip the wire to change out the load's


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