I need help developing a weight guestimate. Here's the details: 1950 pullman 85' passenger car. Little interior. No floor. Has center sill, solid side sills. Couplers. No trucks. No mechanicals below except brake plumbing. 100% solid side and end sheets. Beyond that, I can't think o fany other details. Any help is appreciated as we're planning on moving this to its new home to complete its rehab.

Thanks,
Gerald

From Rock Island data sheets:
1949 Pullman built coach.
Gross weight - 65 tons
Weight of trucks - 19 tons
Net body weight - 46 tons
I would subtract at least 10 tons for the missing underbody gear and interior, leaving 36 tons, at most, for the car shell.

I was going to use 100,000 lbs as the starting point for the body, and they pare it down for missing items. The biggest saving might be the missing floor since those were often 'filled' with mastipave or a concrete slurry.

How are you going to move it? If by rail on a piggyback flat the exact weight might not be so much of an issue.

If by truck or dolly over the road, it might be wise to actually get it weighed first rather than rely on the inexact specualtion we offer here. There is really no way we can furnish much more than an educated guess or ballpark figure from this distance and info.

But there are firms using load cell technology that basically have portable pads and a laptop computer. Put down a pad or two at one end, insert jack, and lift the body an inch off the ground. Repeat for other end. You have the total weight. The entire body does not have to be airborne all at once. One of the duties the firms do is calibrate and check high wide loads, as well as check industrial scales.

If you have a truck stop nearby with a scale, (many of them do), ask them who they use for service. Then put on your best begging clothes.

Bob Kutella