The following standards are designed to facilitate interchange, smooth operation,
and reliable performance of rolling stock on the layout of the Antelope Valley
Model Railroad Club.
- All freight cars, passenger cars, non-revenue cars, and powered and
non-powered locomotives must be inspected before they are first used on the
layout, and annually thereafter. (If passed, they will be marked by the Club
Technical Inspector with a distinctive mark on their undersides.)
- All cars must be marked with paint on their underside with the member's
distinctive color code, as assigned by the Club Secretary. (Color assignments
are listed on the roster.)
- All cars shall conform to the NMRA (National Model Railroad Association)
RP-20 weight practice for HO scale, that is, 1-ounce plus 1/2-ounce for each
inch of car length. (For example, a 6-inch car should weigh 4-ozs, and a 7-inch
car should weigh 4 1/2-ozs.) Car weight should not be less than 5%, or over
10% of the standard. Non-conforming cars may be approved by the Club Technical
Inspector, for example, in the case of a passenger/unit train.
- All weights, loads, and containers must be securely fastened to the
cars so that they will not fall off when the cars are inverted.
- All cars must have body-mounted couplers; no talgo-mounted (truck mounted)
couplers. Non-conforming cars may be approved by the Club Technical Inspector,
for example, in the case of a passenger/unit train.
- All cars must have Kadee® or Kadee-compatible couplers, except locomotives
that may have a dummy front coupler. All couplers must be in good repair, and be
set to match the Kadee coupler height gauge within 0.03-inches (1/32-inch).
Non-conforming cars may be approved by the Club Technical Inspector, for
example, in the case of a passenger/unit train.
- All wheel flanges shall conform to the NMRA RP-25 wheel contour practice.
Metal or plastic wheels are acceptable, but no dirty or worn wheels are permitted.
(A worn wheel is a wheel having a sharp flange, or missing the proper contour.)
- All wheel gauges must conform to the NMRA S-4 wheel gauge standard.
- All cars must be able to roll down a 2% grade.
- All rear-end cars shall have a resistance of 12K-ohms between one pair
of wheels. (This requirement is due to the type of detection system we use,
and can be met by having a 1/8-watt, 12K-ohm resistor installed between the
wheels on one axle.
