Tichy 40' flat car kit

minesweeper Dec 5, 2018

  1. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Good day folks,
    I just bought one of these kits.
    [​IMG]

    while it says on the instructions that this is an all stell 40' flat built from 1928, I had a hard time finding the technical data.
    The dimensions I can do myself, but I would need the weight data (empty + max load), brake type (if fitted), and max speed allowed.

    Can anyone point me in the right direction?

    PS, how much does an axle weigh? looks like there are quite plenty of them on the car, too many maybe?
     
  2. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    I forgot to point that I am in Europe and am not familiar with US rolling stock.
    I do not really need the data for THAT model, a similar 40' of that era could be enough to give me an idea on how to stencil that car once finished.
    PS the rack for the wheels looks like a permanent one, or may be just attached to the car when needed, so the car can serve other purposes?
     
  3. VinceP

    VinceP TrainBoard Member

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    Every wheel car i've seen they only go 1 or 2 rows high on the wheels not 3 or 4 like the above photo.
     
  4. wvgca

    wvgca TrainBoard Member

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    50 ton 33 wheels and axle weigh 2200 lbs
    70 ton 33 wheels and axle weigh 2400 lbs
    100 ton 36 wheels and axle weigh 2950 lbs.

    if they are 50 ton wheels, 11+10+10+9 = 40x2200 lbs ..
    roughly 36 tons, empty flat weight would be roughly 35,000 lbs, or 17 tons ..
    so 40 wheelsets would be 3 tons overweight ..



    should give some idea of total weight
     
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2018
  5. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Thank you wvgca, and vince,
    17 tons (metric?), plus one metric ton per axle (2200 lbs), one row is good to go even on the 16ton axle load branch.
    In any case the loco servicing depot is small enough that it does not really need even 20 axles at a time.
    The car would then go on a peddler trip along the area, with anything between a few axles and one (double) row
     
  6. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Folks
    I saw the kit has plastic wheels (9mm), what kind of wheels should i get for replacement?

    Inviato dal mio BLN-L21 utilizzando Tapatalk
     
  7. Mr. Trainiac

    Mr. Trainiac TrainBoard Member

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    If you want to replace the wheels and keep the truck sideframes, Intermountain, Kadee, or Exactrail make 33” wheels. Finding those in Europe might be hard. If you can find replacement wheels with the same diameter, they would probably fit.
     
  8. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Thank You Mr Trainiac, I will get some from the US, I have an Army post office mailbox here.
    That is, if I keep the trucks, I have some spare US type trucks with european couplers that I may decide to use, when the kit is progressing.
     
  9. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    The car is finally done (well, except the inscriptions), I used two trucks with european couplers from the spares box, and put the buffers on.
    Since getting the scale size wheels is an issue, and could not use the ones provided with the kits (rib wheels were not used in Italy), I just put four whells (two new and two "used").
    Poz 677100.jpeg
    The car has been slightly weathered on the underside (after the picture was taken), but I will have to wait for all inscriptions.
     
    dalebaker likes this.
  10. MisterBeasley

    MisterBeasley TrainBoard Supporter

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    I would caution against using too many metal wheelsets on the model. That's a lot of weight for one car. Old plastic wheelsets will probably work fine, without the added weight.

    I have built a few of these cars. I use them as empty "idler cars" in a car float operation. Even empty, they stay on the rails just fine, pushing or pulling a few freight cars. Since mine are used only in the car float terminal, I have dispensed with many reporting marks that would be needed in interchange service.
     
  11. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Mr Beasley,
    the wheels I put on the car are made of plastic, not really for the weight, but for the possibility of taking away the axle points (in real world are not conical), and because these have a kind low profile; less than the ones I put on the trucks for rolling.
    I do not mind to overweigh the cars (just a little) because my layout is flat, even if it reproduces a mountain area, therefore trains tend to be really short (by US standards less than pike size) and the pulling power of the locos is not affected. Heavier cars, especially flats behave better under these conditions, and being my turnouts hand laid, I prefer the rolling stock to have an additional "safety" margin.

    This car anyway has just the weight provided in the kit, I did not feel like to put additional weight as it looked stable enough.
     

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