Kato NW2 switcher weight

[CRL]

Use double headed switch engines for twice the fun switching.

[nickelplate759]

Pete, the NW2 pulls 12 cars after I put it together and cleaned the wheels with a MiniTrix wheel cleaning brush.
Lead or brass sounds good, I'll ask him if he could make frame halves of that material

Lead is too soft.   The frame would get distorted and the engine would run poorly, if at all.  Brass would be a much better choice.

[randgust]

Did we establish that the locomotive is not slipping the gear at the end of the motor shaft?

If that's not the problem, then it's relatively easy to temporarily add some weight in the cab by removing the seat / floor insert and see if that accomplishes what you want.   The LL SW8/9/1200 fills up the entire cab with a removable weight.

[peteski]

Pete, the NW2 pulls 12 cars after I put it together and cleaned the wheels with a MiniTrix wheel cleaning brush.
Lead or brass sounds good, I'll ask him if he could make frame halves of that material

Ok, I wasn't clear on that. So you are now happy with that model?  How about the noise level?

[peteski]

Lead is too soft.   The frame would get distorted and the engine would run poorly, if at all.  Brass would be a much better choice.

Well, one would think that, but Kato GP38-2, and the retro frames (from JnJ or NSN?) were made from lead, or maybe pewter.  I think pewter could be made with lead.  But I do agree that brass would be the best choice.  Well, Tungsten would be even better, but it is very hard to machine or cast.

[randgust]

I had the NSN GP7 retro frame to correct the wheelbase issues on the original Atlas unit (the RS3 chassis under a GP shell).

It worked, but it was so soft I have to believe it was lead.   And because it picked up through the truck frames, rather than end axle pickups and wipers, the lead oxidation had to be cleaned.   But it pulled like crazy, I'll say that much.

It was so soft that it kept distorting the frame sections right above the trucks when you pushed the shell down.  Lead is too soft, period.

Kato is really the master of metallurgy on the frames and on the wheels. You might be able to do better, but I wouldn't count on it.  It's not an easy frame section to imitate and will take very precise work.  Throwing an ounce or so into the cab for testing should take about 20 minutes tops.  Beat up some soft lead fishing sinkers to rough shape with a hammer, cut them to shape with a pair of rail cutters, and just try it.  The only trick is that you need a piece of insulating material across the bottom so the lead cab weight doesn't short out the frame halves.

[TimF]

Use double headed switch engines for twice the fun switching.

I got one more NW2 on ebay two days ago, it is my favourite RR, Burlington Northern 

[TimF]

Did we establish that the locomotive is not slipping the gear at the end of the motor shaft?

If that's not the problem, then it's relatively easy to temporarily add some weight in the cab by removing the seat / floor insert and see if that accomplishes what you want.   The LL SW8/9/1200 fills up the entire cab with a removable weight.

Rand,
I controlled like you stated before, all wheels are right on track and even inside the trucks all is properly set.
Adding weight in the cab  on monday I'll go to the homedepot and buy tungsten...may be this helps...

[peteski]

Rand,
I controlled like you stated before, all wheels are right on track and even inside the trucks all is properly set.
Adding weight in the cab  on monday I'll go to the homedepot and buy tungsten...may be this helps...

I didn't realize I could buy Tungsten in Home Depot.  Where do I find it?

[randgust]

Not that there's anything wrong with simply adding more units.   Shawmut (Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern remnant) in our region was notorious for long coal trains held together by nothing more than piles of MU'd switchers and a solitary GP7.

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/719503/

Union Railroad in Pittsburgh was/is another major practitioner of the art of just piling on SW's until the train moved.

https://akronrrclub.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/img_0021.jpg

[TimF]

I didn't realize I could buy Tungsten in Home Depot.  Where do I find it?

I have to correct myself, I go out and shop some fishing lead  OR "gardinenband", used for curtains, inside the band are small lead balls

[sd45elect2000]

Simpler jus to go to a gun shop and buy shotgun reloading supplies

[Mike C]

 Even more simple is to buy lead sheet from Amazon .

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=lead+sheet&crid=2VM6RGG72X8JQ&sprefix=lead+shee%2Caps%2C170&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-oa-p_1_9

[CRL]

He only needs an ounce or two... why the bulk recommendations?

Go to a tire shop & ask them for one old tire balancing weight or a few cutoffs.

[peteski]

He only needs an ounce or two... why the bulk recommendations?

Go to a tire shop & ask them for one old tire balancing weight or a few cutoffs.

They still use lead weights?  I thought they were all made of steel nowadays (new environmental laws).  And we used to play with lead toy solders  . . .