Rolling Stock Standards

Workbench set up to check rolling stock standards

Now that I have at least a staging yard ready for rolling stock, I have started to unpack some of my rolling stock. Before any make their way onto the tracks I am checking them for damage and standards. As seen in the photo of my workbench, I have a test track set up with a re-railer and a Kadee coupler height gauge. Along with that I have a ruler with NMRA weights marked on it, a postal scale, and a NMRA standards gauge. With these simple tools I can check rolling stock. Of the six cars I unpacked today, one needed some repairs and several needed coupler adjustment or replacement. I have several hoppers and a gondola that are under weight without their loads, they won't receive car cards or make it onto the tracks until I have figured that issue out. As my standards aren't too different from my old modular group, I am mainly dealing with wear and tear as well as creating car cards.

Rolling Stock Standards:

• NMRA weight or close
• Metal wheels in gauge
• Couplers: coupler and trip pin at correct height, smoothly centering, if replacing use Kadee 58
• Cinderella principle for trucks (not too loose, not too tight)
• Appropriate build date (before 1954?)
• Car card created
• Weathering--right now I am sorting between weathered and need weathered