Test Track: Williams CSX SD-45 with Weaver Grain Hoppers -1

The next train to be put through its paces on the test track is this unit grain train composed of Weaver, MTH and AtlasO centerflow / cylindrical hoppers.

Originally part of a 42-car monster that failed to run due to excessive weight (it caused a spectacular stringline accident), it's been pared down to 21 cars for operation. Still, this train weighs in at 25 pounds so it's no lightweight. Each Weaver car was ballasted to about 20 ounces using lead shot and equipped with body tabs to hold the chassis inside the body (you can Google "Weighing Down Weaver" for a discussion of what I did). Following this project was extensive truck (bogie) tuning to eliminate derailments due to track irregularities. Cars 14-17 are older cars (before Weaver Models introduced their "Ultra Line") equipped with plastic-wheeled trucks, hence the reduced rail-joint noise when they pass. No spontaneous uncouplings occurred amongst the plastic Weaver couplers during shooting, each shot was done in one take save for the last one in the second part, and no derailments occurred during any forward movements once shooting commenced.

Motive power is a power/dummy pair of Williams CSX SD45s dating back to that firm's "shiny paint" days, and only emerged from their boxes for the first time a week ago to power this train. One coupler on the powered unit had to be rubber-banded to prevent unscheduled openings, and the dummy unit had its horn disconnected to silence its random activation while rolling.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• model
• train
• O-Gauge
• Williams
• Weaver
• MTH
• AtlasO
• CSX
• Chessie
• System
• grain
• unit-train

[NJT4111]

I would put scenery on the test track, looks like a great loop, and it would look neat with some small buildings and trees

[RailRide]

Scenery will arrive on the basement layout, currently in the final planning stages :)

[Beaver456]

I need to get back into O gauge. You just don't get that clicky clack of the wheels in the smaller scales. Good job. Can't wait to see more. :)

[RailRide]

Yes, the roar of O Gauge :) There's a mind-boggling array of stuff available out there, from the small and fanciful to the huge and prototypical (other than the middle rail, couplers and wheels).

I follow the forums at O Gauge Railroading--there's a wealth of experience and they're quite friendly to newcomers.

More videos to come--I got lots of stuff to test out.

[furryfurball1221]

awesome! you should put your camera on one of the cars, and push it around the layout

[RailRide]

That's coming soon--I want to make some modifications to "CamTrak" that'll make it a bit more stable first.

[11paribram]

Lol behind the couch....nice video, those locos are awsome.

[furryfurball1221]

awesome!