I must say I love the debate. It is like theoretical vs empirical physics...
I think I like the idea of cutting to width and gluing lead strips in the center of a side sill best so far for simplicity and for time to complete. Only concern is "safety" of lead vs tungsten.
I could see how powdered tungsten applied and glued in thin layers could also work, but might take longer and be more tedious.
Just remember the goal is to provide a weight to the steam era freight car that is sufficient for reliable operations purposes (since a static model's weight wouldn't matter). Theoretical maximums may not even be necessary.
Reminds me of the new engineering intern who provided detailed analyses that showed heating plant X to be the most thermodynamically and cost efficient to replace the old system. And then the seasoned engineer pointed out that the physical dimensions of that theoretically best unit were about 30% greater than any known access point into the building. Gotta keep the ultimate goal in mind. Of course some find noodling on the ideas a hobby in and of itself!
Having fun...
Dave
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David Bott
Sent from David Bott's desktop PC -- ____________________________ David Bott, modeling the A&Y in '34
