I would like to know the recommended weight for O-scale rolling stock cars. I imagine the weight varies with car length.
My plan is to weigh and identify any of my rail cars that are too heavy or too light. For the cars that are too light, I will add weight as needed, generally over the trucks. My goal is to avoid unnecessary derailments, especially on corners where light cars can be "lifted" off the track.
Thanks for any help or suggestions.
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The only published standard is the NMRA recommended practice of 5 ounces plus 1 ounce per inch of car length (not including couplers). A 40 foot boxcar (10" long) would thus weigh 15 ounces. Most of my Atlas 40 foot boxcars come in around 18 ounces out of the box.
Thanks: that was what I was after.
For optimal operation, lighter cars should be placed at the end of the train. This will reduce drag/rolling resistance on the rear, thereby reducing the "stringlining" effect (the train trying to pull itself straight while going through curves) which can lead to derailments. Having as wide of a radius of curves as possible and avoiding S curves (or having transitions between the divergent curves as long as the longest car on your roster) also helps.
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