Looking for a list or guide of weight of rail cars By NMRA.
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Check their web site for RP's (Recommended Practices).
Harry
The NMRA recommended practice calls for 5 ounces plus one ounce per inch of car length for O scale. That means 15 ounces for a 40 foot O scale freight car.
Then NMRA RP is OK and most newer O scale freight cars will come in at or over the RP. Atlas Trainman and Lionel box cars and reefers tend to weight in at very close to 15 ounces. MTH 40 foot box cars and reefers are very consistent and weight in a little heavier at 17 ounces. Atlas Master line cars tend to be heavier, the 40 foot box cars and reefers run 19 to 20 ounces.
I like my cars a little heavier than the RP. I have some Lionel and Weaver freight cars with most of my fleet coming from Atlas and MTH although that is based more on road name and car type than weight. All my O scale cars play well together. As long as you are running on O-72 or greater curves and grades under 3% you should be OK with any of the O scale freight cars from major manufacturers made in recent years in any position in a train up to about 20 cars long.
Some manufacturers used to sell extra weights for their cars. I weighed several of mine with these. I don't know if they still carry them or not. Was either Weaver or Atlas I forget which one.
Rick
your cheapest weight surce wuld be to got a sporting goods store and purchase a bag of 7 mm shot. That bag will last you lifetimes and the small shot will fill almost any cavity!
Pennies are cheaper.
Originally Posted by Bobby Ogage:
Pennies are cheaper.
Totally agree! Also, you can stop by your local tire shop, and ask if you can have a bag of the old tire/wheel weights that they discard. Some places will simply give you a couple of pounds of them.
Originally Posted by RICKC:
Some manufacturers used to sell extra weights for their cars. I weighed several of mine with these. I don't know if they still carry them or not. Was either Weaver or Atlas I forget which one.
Rick
It's Weaver They're in the parts, weights, and trucks section for $8.
I pick up wheel weights off the streets when I cycle. Lead fishing weights are also handy; they come in various sizes and shapes.
I used NMRA guidelines when my Weaver ACF hoppers proved too light to run in a dedicated unit train (I have 17 of them). I bought a couple of bottles of lead shot from Ebay around 2007 or so, and use a scale to measure out equal amounts of shot to go in each hopper bay along with diluted white glue to hold them in place, bringing the total car weight up to the standard.
Due to the construction of these cars I had to add tabs to the body shell to keep the floors from falling out, but that't a thread for another day. 
---PCJ
Hot rodders will recognize these. They're a much more affordable option to the Weaver weights.
http://www.jegs.com/p/JEGS-Per...hts/1415966/10002/-1
