Any best practices from running heavier, cast frame, rolling stock?

Limit the number of these car that in the train. Watch the amps while you're running. Make sure the axles are lubed. And, yes run them at the front of the consist.

I have one (1) die cast Lionel N&W hopper car. Add it to a string of 30+ Weaver/MTH plastic and I can tell it is there. A friend in our club bought all of the NS heritage series hopper cars. He runs it w/ three powered engines. It's a beast to pull.

Sell them  Any half way sized train containing die cast cars only cause problems

bluelinec4 posted:

Sell them  Any half way sized train containing die cast cars only cause problems

No. Die-cast cars are the best runners out there - many are no heavier than weighted plastic cars. They are also sturdily constructed and won't break from a light breeze. I quit buying delicate scale plastic cars (I do buy sturdy scale ones) years ago - too many steps and other details litter the right of way, many falling off when I was nowhere near them.

Anyway, like the prototype RR's do, car weight must be considered when making up a train. heavy to the front, lighter to the back, if there is a meaningful difference.

But - not all of us can run big trains, so heavy, well-tracking cars are not a problem anyway. A 4-car passenger train (18" or larger cars) is all that I run, and my long freights tend toward 10 cars.  I am not one of these "I pulled 100 cars!" guys.  

D500 posted:

bluelinec4 posted:

Sell them  Any half way sized train containing die cast cars only cause problems

No. Die-cast cars are the best runners out there - many are no heavier than weighted plastic cars. They are also sturdily constructed and won't break from a light breeze. I quit buying delicate scale plastic cars (I do buy sturdy scale ones) years ago - too many steps and other details litter the right of way, many falling off when I was nowhere near them.

Anyway, like the prototype RR's do, car weight must be considered when making up a train. heavy to the front, lighter to the back, if there is a meaningful difference.

But - not all of us can run big trains, so heavy, well-tracking cars are not a problem anyway. A 4-car passenger train (18" or larger cars) is all that I run, and my long freights tend toward 10 cars.  I am not one of these "I pulled 100 cars!" guys.  

I agree completely with D500.  My coal drag is 22 of the scale Lionel 6-27xxx class H43d hoppers, and I use real coal in all of them, (Rice Coal from Tractor Supply).  That is as prototypical as you can get.  The Atlas H21as do not hold up to this kind of use, and I have not employed any other plastic hoppers since.

As far as modern cars go, they are as heavy duty as you will ever find.  They are well-built and exquisitely detailed with parts that stay attached.  I have never had any tracking issue through several Atlas #5 and #7, as well as a couple of O72 turnouts in the yard.  A small blip of lube in the roller bearings makes them roll silky smooth.  Two of the MTH E44s pull it with no problem at 50smph mainline speed.  I will not run non-diecast hoppers again.

They have great trucks. Push one with your finger and you’ll see there is no drag. Very smooth runners.