Weighing things up

As I’m planning on building a short rake of similar coach kits, it’s important to ensure that each vehicle has a roughly similar mass. The odd coach (or wagon) that is significantly lighter or heavier may cause problems with derailments, especially on tight curves and pointwork.

My wholly unscientific approach is to weigh all the intended parts of each carriage during assembly, to gain an idea of what the total weight will be. Then, as other vehicles are built, their overall mass can be adjusted to match. Adding whitemetal passenger figures is an easy way of adding a little extra ballast. Conversely, plastic passengers offer a weight-saving option.