Weight Division... Adding weight to O gauge rolling stock.

Discussion in 'Kits, Kit bashes & Scratch builds' started by Gary, Oct 28, 2018.

  1. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Question...

    Should I add weight to the O gauge Parkside kits ?? If yes, how much weight would be essential ?

    For the closed vans, adding weight now before the roof goes on would be ideal, same goes for any other roofed vans I have. As for the open wagons, well the weight can be hidden as part of the load.

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  2. Kimbo

    Kimbo Staff Member Moderator

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    Hi Gary, this should start an interesting topic..... if you follow the GOG guild lines then weight is added by the length of the wagon, 1 gram / mm with a minimum weight of 125 grams.
    Some people prefer to us 25 grams per axle, some 50 - 75 grams.
    I think on your layout, you will only be pulling trains of approx 7 wagons long and the Jinty you have will have no problem pulling wagons loaded up with a total weight of 100 - 150 grams. On my layout, LSD, the best results I found was to keep all the wagon weights the same as the heaviest kit built white metal wagon that would be used on the layout. I had a maximum train length of 7 wagons and had no problems running and shunting them.
    The issue of weight will be if and when you start to run long trains as I have found that some of the locos I have struggle to pull more than 10 of the weighted LSD wagons. But using RTR the same loco will pull 35 - 40 wagons with ease.

    Just as a side note, I use small magnets to hold the van roofs on, making the task of adding or removing weight much easier, open wagons are weighted under the chassis in most cases so that empty wagons can be run with no problems.

    Kim
     
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  3. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks Kimbo, I'm sure the other O gaugers here will chime in with their own recommendations ! You are right about train length, they will not be very long at all. ;)

    I do like your idea of magnets in the roof, very interesting. It could be something that I may adopt. :thumbup:

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  4. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    Plastic kits once built are pretty light so adding weight is a must. As both you and Kimbo say adding weight to a box van is easy. Adding weight to an open is a different kettle of fish. If, like me, you like to see removable loads then the weight needs to be well hidden, preferably under the wagon. There are different methods of doing it, Liquid Lead is one method. I use lead flashing cut to size and fixed with super glue. If you use Liquid Lead I believe (if I remember right) you fix it with pva, it in time causes the lead pieces to swell and split apart.

    Pete.
     
  5. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    In the plastic kits I build lead weight is added (inside vans)to about the same proportion as the weight in an RTR wagon, my open wagon fleet does present challenges however, strangely enough it is the Plate and Conflat wagons which seem to be the most difficult to hold down probably because they have no body. I've also got a Lowfit to do at some point... now that's going to throw up adhesion issues too.
     
  6. Kimbo

    Kimbo Staff Member Moderator

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    Here’s how I’ve done a few different open style wagons.

    First up, open wagons I find the easy way to go is as Pete said some “lead” flashing sheet from Bunnings. Once weathered up you really don’t notice it when the wagon is run empty.


    Here what they look like when the weight is added


    BR Trestol wagon, again could be loaded with a heavy load, but as I like to run empty wagons as well.....



    The weight is added in the framework of the chassis....I use a two pack adhesive, which in 4 years has not had any problems with swelling or cracking as Pete mentions above.


    Peco wagon chassis kits which I convert to represent a flat wagon which I use as a coupling convertor wagon, have a “lead” flashing floor scribed with an blade to represent planking.


    If you build any tankers Gary, then I’ve added weight inside the tank body when building them. :thumbs:

    Kim
     
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  7. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    Fantastic wagons there Kimbo. Nicely painted and weathered. :thumbs:
     
  8. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Some great alternatives to adding weight to the different pieces of rolling stock Kimbo. I do like the scribed floor method. :thumbs: I have thought about making barrels from lead to fill or partly fill the open wagon.

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  9. Toto

    Toto I'm best ignored Staff Member Founder Administrator

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    I have self adhesive car wheel balancing weights which can stick inside vans etc over the axle position. Still to try them yet.

    Toto
     
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  10. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    Some great tips for weighting the flat and low open wagons Kimbo, thanks for that heads up.:tophat::thumbup: Some superb weathering there as well.:tophat::tophat:
     

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