How Much Do Fox Valley Models N Scale Metal Wheelsets Weigh?

[Kisatchie]

I have 52 log cars that consist only of Micro-Trains 39' tank car underframes and a few pieces of Evergreen channel and angles, plus Micro-Trains trucks/couplers.

These cars seriously need extra weight, so I was wondering if it would be worth it to put FVM metal wheelsets on them (.540 axle length). Does anyone know how much these wheelsets weigh?

Thanks for any help.

EDIT: I tried weighing these cars on a postal scale, and the best I can tell, they weigh about 1/12 of an  ounce each.

Hmm... you mean, how
many termites per
wheelset...?

[C855B]

50 wheelsets amounted to 1.5 oz. on my scale after some test calibrations, so I'd figure roughly 0.03 oz. each. That's probably not going to be much help. No place to hide something dense in the channel like a piano wire rod?

[Kisatchie]

50 wheelsets amounted to 1.5 oz. on my scale after some test calibrations, so I'd figure roughly 0.03 oz. each. That's probably not going to be much help. No place to hide something dense in the channel like a piano wire rod?

The underframes have a small lengthwise channel I could put some weight in. MTL makes it hard, however, since the channel is interrupted in several places by brake rigging details and supports. Longest channel section is about 3/8 inch long, and the shortest less than 1/4 inch long. I wonder if tungsten putty is worth using.


Hmm... I prefer silly
putty

[John]

is there a way to get weight into the body? drill a small hole, put in some lead shot?

[Kisatchie]

is there a way to get weight into the body? drill a small hole, put in some lead shot?

These cars are just underframes and log bunks, similar to this:

https://www.google.com/search?q=micro-trains+underframe+tank&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAmoVChMIlbbsrsP1yAIVTEAmCh2jkQJ2&biw=1079&bih=818#imgrc=zF4wS_m7bmFqzM%3A

Nowhere to drill...


Hmm... maybe you could
use real heavy logs...

[wcfn100]

I'd try the metal wheels and body mount the couplers and see if you really need more weight.


Jason

[Kisatchie]

I'd try the metal wheels and body mount the couplers and see if you really need more weight.

I already have body mount MTL #1027 couplers installed with MTL bettendorf trucks. Maybe if I replaced the trucks with metal ones from BLMA, that would help. Gotta check price and availability on the trucks.

EDIT: I checked BLMA trucks, and they are made of plastic w/metal wheels. Not gonna work.


Hmm... why didn't MTL
make their underframes
out of lead...?

[Dave V]

Kiz,

After years of reading these threads of yours, I have to ask--and please don't take this as anything other than genuine curiosity--but I can't picture what it is you're modeling.  Your question threads draw a picture of mountains of reefer cars, all of which seem to be missing or equipped with incorrect trucks, couplers, ladders, roofwalks, hatches, etc.  Now we learn you have 52--yes 52--kitbashed log cars from tank car underframes!  What are you modeling, and how do you come to have so many cars with so many issues?

Inquiring minds want to know!

P.S. I do recall that you were a victim of the Katrina disaster in which you lost much (if not most) of your N scale stuff along with your entire household.  Even ten years on, I don't pretend to imagine how painful all that still is.

[Scottl]

How about putting logs on those bunks.  Make 'em out of lead putty 

[Kisatchie]

Kiz,

After years of reading these threads of yours, I have to ask--and please don't take this as anything other than genuine curiosity--but I can't picture what it is you're modeling.  Your question threads draw a picture of mountains of reefer cars, all of which seem to be missing or equipped with incorrect trucks, couplers, ladders, roofwalks, hatches, etc.  Now we learn you have 52--yes 52--kitbashed log cars from tank car underframes!  What are you modeling, and how do you come to have so many cars with so many issues?

Inquiring minds want to know!

P.S. I do recall that you were a victim of the Katrina disaster in which you lost much (if not most) of your N scale stuff along with your entire household.  Even ten years on, I don't pretend to imagine how painful all that still is.

I saved 95% of my rolling stock (over 2000 cars), but forgot to load about $7,000 worth of locos because I forgot to cram them into our overcrowded car when we evacuated.

Over the years, I continued to buy more rolling stock, assembling myriad Intermountain kits, body-mounting a couple thousand couplers, changing thousands of wheelsets to lo-pros, scratchbuilding log cars, etc. etc. A couple dozen Intermountain reefer kits came with incorrectly colored parts, so I asked here about getting more correct parts here on TRW. I like reefer cars, so I kept accumulating them. I even found someone on eBay selling 100 Atlas 50' mech. reefer shells for $50, so I grabbed them. I need to get some custom decals for my fictional railroad. Currently, I'm putting Micro-Trains underframes in them because they have the fuel tanks, which Atlas reefer underframes lack.

In effect, the issues I've had are minor. I don't recall having cars with incorrect trucks. I pretty much add Micro-Trains trucks as a matter of course, unless I'm not sure the original rapido trucks were correct. Then I ask here which MTL trucks would be best. I don't recall having roofwalk or hatch troubles. Most of my "troubles" merely require standard upgrades to the equipment. Maybe I've overdramatized them. I don't know.

As to why I have 52 logging cars, I like them too, and they won't take up much space on my future dream layout. Once I get my books published (if ever), I'll be able to start building it (as planned, 40' X 65'). If I can't get my books published, then some day there will come a point where I start selling everything on eBay.

As to what I want to model, pretty much the port of New Orleans, Louisiana, the Gulf Coast, and northward (my fictional Kisatchie Gulf & Northern). Also, I plan to go eastward to Southern Railway country.

My psychiatrist has no problem with me collecting so much stuff. It's good therapy, replacing parts, trucks/couplers, and adding detail parts as well as scratchbuilding cars. I also have a lot of cars I've stripped the paint off and I'm decaling them for the KG&N gradually. It keeps my mind occupied, distracted from my Bipolar disorder. My wife has trouble understanding why I spend so much time and $$$ on my hobby, but she puts up with me, though. She's a saint!

Well, that's the story of my life these past 10+ years . Anyone have any more questions... ask away.


Hmm... yeah, Kiz. Where
did you hide my
banana daiquiri...?

[Dave V]

Maybe I've just misread some of it...  It just seems like you have a lot of Intermountain reefers that are in need of something!

New Orleans...some very cool railroad history there.  I've not been back to NO in a very long time but I honeymooned there when my wife and I were stationed at Fort Polk in the mid-90s.

I used to say that I couldn't relate to collectors, calling myself a runner.  However, a visit to my train room would suggest I'm at least on the threshold of being a collector...there are more trains in the display case and in boxes than on the layout!

[mu26aeh]

However, a visit to my train room would suggest I'm at least on the threshold of being a collector...there are more trains in the display case and in boxes than on the layout!

That just means you need a bigger layout 

[Kisatchie]

Maybe I've just misread some of it...  It just seems like you have a lot of Intermountain reefers that are in need of something!

That's what ya get from buying kits on eBay. I bought about 50 IM reefer kits in the past 5 years, and I knew when I bought them that some had missing parts. The photos of the kits showed some sprues were missing, but for the price ($3 or so each), I figured I could just find the missing parts elsewhere.


Hmm... I found Kiz
rummaging through my
closet the other day...

[Dave V]

I bought about 50 IM reefer kits in the past 5 years, and I knew when I bought them that some had missing parts.

Wow, the only thing I have 50 of are hopper cars, and even those are spread over two eras...   

[robert3985]

Undrifting this thread, I weighed four FVM wheelsets on my Ohaus Triple Beam Balance gram scale and they weigh exactly 2.8 grams (.0987671 oz).

For comparisons sake, I also weighed four MTL lo-profile plastic wheelsets, and they weigh exactly .4 grams (.0141096 oz.)

To be perfectly clear, these measurements are the combined weight of four (4) axles.

It's clear the metal FVM wheelsets are significantly heavier than the plastic MTL lo-pro wheelsets, but even at that, they still don't weigh much.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore