Securing Cargo Loads on Flatbeds - Military Vehicles

Train guy,

I can't answer about the #Abrams/car question as that's way too modern for me, but I can offer you an idea for chaining the vehicles down.  I would recommend that you attach the chain to the vehicle hard point and the "measure" it out to about where you think it should go (remember the chain needs to be taut...).  I open the next link in the chain to get the proper length and then I take needle nose pliers and crush the last link so it looks like a cotter pin.  I then take the needle nose pliers and push the "cotter pin" link into the wood deck.  Usually put a drop or two of CA onto it also to permanently affix the chain to the deck.

Below is a WWII vintage vehicle with chains to the outside of the deck, but you get the idea...

Hope this helps.

Price

Thanks for the tip.  How did you attach the chains?  Glue?

I actually use the clevis attachments on the armor models.  I glue the clevises in a position that would be reasonably expected if they were in tension by the chains.  Then I open the chain link and attach the chain to the clevis.  I do not glue the chain to the clevis.  

Hipe this clarifies.

Price

This is a timely thread as I am modifying MTH flatcars for WWII items. I don't care for the plastic oversize chock-blocks MTH uses...I was going to make my own out of some scrap mill lumber - and cutting one side on 45 degree angle. Any other ideas that may be easier? I'll need to make about a hundred of them.

I like the look of chains but for me that'd have to be a retirement project as it looks involved.

Hi PAUL,

  You can purchase 1/4 inch triangular balsa wood strips sold at hobby stores and cut then to length you need on the band saw.  I think this would save you a few steps.  Here is one from Hobby Lobby.

https://www.hobbylobby.com/Cra...ngular-Strip/p/26516

I'd probably just set the saw to 45 degrees and cut a triangle of pine to size, no shipping, dirt cheap, and the materials are in my scrap wood box.   Once you have the strip, just cut it to length for each stop.

These are the original Menard's flat cars with the (now fixed) coupler problem.  I stained the chocks and added chains after these pix were taken.  Someone on the bay was selling these Corgi tanks for 5 bucks each so I got several for my D Day commemorative train.

This may help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ibv2x3Hf8

PRR Mike, do you think those are 89 foot flatcars?  They look like it but it's hard to tell in the video. 

Ps.. I love how the M1's in your video link have about 6 inches of overhang on both sides of the flatcar.  Kind of shed's some light on how big these things are. 

I don't know, I'll let the knowledgable experts on the forum add their input.  Interestingly the hull

length is 26.2 feet. The gun seems to overhang the rear of the hull by 4-6 feet? . So 32 feet X 2 gives

about 64 feet of tanks.    

To account for proper spacing. that would leave about 9 feet at each end and 9 feet,

between the tanks, sounds about right for an 89 foot flatcar.

I use necklace chain from Hobby Lobby, however it is too shiny, but paint can take care of that. I think it is a more prototypical size. On world war II flat cars most everything was tied down to side pockets, I'm not sure they drilled through the deck of a flat car. The only flat cars  I have with keyhole type slots in the deck are my 89' Atlas cars and then they are only cosmetic. A lot of equipment was tied down with multiple strands of wire and then twisted tight. And wheels where also blocked for sideway movement with tough paper between the side walls and the blocking. I do not model any military trains but I do other stuff. The loader does not have correct chain but is a good size, the log car as nice chain. The yellow 89' car as the recessed key hole slots along the sides instead of down the middle. The spots in the middle are for the fifth wheel mounting. The spring underneath in the middle keeps things tight. I don't have any little chain binders.

Clem,

I too use jewelry chain from a hobby store, but I dip mine in a solution to rust it rather than paint.  I tried painting and found I could never adequately cover all the books and crannies.  Thanks.

Price

What is the a good process for weathering the chains ?

Obviously this only works on metals that will rust (“silver” chain from craft store works, “gold” does not...), and your individual mileage will vary...

dedicated plastic container

2 tablespoons salt

1/4 cup vinegar

2 cups hydrogen peroxide 

mix together and immerse chain, try to lay chain out on bottom of container so that it overlaps as little as possible

chain will start rusting within an hour or so, but I leave mine in overnight to get a good thorough coverage

when satisfied, pull out chain and let dry on paper towels in sun; it may continue to rust some more as it dries

Hipe this helps.

Price

I have constructed many flat car tie down arrangements on flat cars including installing decks, repainting and weathering in prototypical and non-prototypical paint schemes for the military, attaching chains, etc. There are quite a few ways to do it but first, you must decide the length to which you want to go to be prototypical. Abrams tanks on long flats are attached by chains to channels in the cars (see photo attached at website and website references below). Unless you buy/build channeled cars, you will be attaching chains to the various apparatus available on the cars for tie down. Wheel chocks are probably required for many tie downs prototypically. One of the best is "Tie Downs For Rail Movement" revised 2010: https://www.metabunk.org/attac...3_edition-pdf.14671/

Check the following sites:

https://www.sddc.army.mil/site.../LessonsLearned.aspx

https://www.globalsecurity.org...my/fm/55-17/ch20.htm

http://www.hulcher.com/feature...ie_down_military.asp

Best of luck,

Scrappy