Ideal weight for rolling stock?

[homestyal]

Lots of us make from scratch and kit built rolling stock but what weight is ideal per unit? Too light and it bounces around, too heavy and it drags the motive power. I appreciate it mostly depends upon the 'power house' but there must be an ideal weight or at very least an average to aim for.

 

[Rhinochugger]

MMmm - I can't say that I've ever weighed mine.

Decent metal axles usually does the trick, and sometimes they need to be a bit more robust than the ones that come in the kits even the metal ones. I changed the plastic wheels on my Swift Sixteen gunpowder van for Accucraft UK wheelsets, and that has given the necessary weight to make it a reliable performer.

If no one else comes back to you - I'll take the scales out to the garage ........................

 

[korm kormsen]

playmobil used to give their 4 wheel cars an additional lead weight. and they run good and reliable.
car weights 240 grams (flatcar) to 540 grams (cabose) -without weights.
the weights are 180 grams and are to be clipped below the belly of the cars.

so i would concluded, that about 500 grams (about one pound) for one foot long cars should work. it did/does on my layouts.

 

[dunnyrail]

It is actually not a simple question as one needs to understand the reason for asking the question! Oh heck I am now sounding like deep thought......

However assuming that you want weight good reliable running I would have thought that the equivalent weight of a similar sized LGB Vehicle would do the job.

However if you are going to create a Loading Book for your Trains and you want to have satisfactory numbers so that you can calculate what a specific Locomotive can haul then this is an entirely more difficult answer. But perhaps I am overthinking this?

 

[LGB-Sid]

The 3D printed ones I have just made weigh between 500-520 gramms , they are fitted with metal wheels and around that weight I have found they will push through the spring on R1 points without derailing, but I assume it does all depend on Loco, condition of track etc etc.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

The "ideal" weight as you defined it depends on curve radii, type and mounting of couplers, length of trains, grades.

So maybe you could mention these.

I go for maximum reliability, and I run long trains, and motive power is no issue, I just add more locos.

Minimum curvature is 10' diameter, and I have some nasty grades, so I use scale prototype unladen weight... i.e. the unloaded weight of the prototype divided by the cube of the scale. (in my case 29 cubed)


Greg

 

[Paul M]

If you're into live steamer, it's slightly different of course, but they need to be heavy enough to make the loco "chuff"

 

[homestyal]

Some great answers there chaps, thank you.
I suppose it's not a straight forward question as there are so many variables.
I think to start with, metal wheel sets should be fitted to aid adhesion and navigation of , in my case, LGB points.
However some of my wagons are a little lightweight due to plastic wheel sets and light plywood. I've began adding car wheel weights and adhesion is improving. Obviously the more being pulled helps the overall traction and steadiness.
Thanks again.