I'm trying to clean out some excess, and I have found approximately 750 brown and black MT regular wheelsets from back before I used Atlas code 55 track. All were removed from new or like new MT rolling stock and replaced with the old MT low profile wheelsets. Is there any use for these or should I just send them to the landfill? Thanks.
If your trackwork isn't the best then the extra sized flanges will definitely help to keep derailments down. MT made a low profile wheel flange that was .018". This was smaller than their .026" regular flange. They have since joined other wheel manufacturers with a .022" flange. I had trouble with the .018" flange but the .022" flange is okay. By the way, that .018" flange is about three times the scale size of a prototype flange. Some things just don't scale down.
Thanks!! That's good information. I just pulled out my calipers and it looks like these are the old .026" flange. I remember when the low profiles were the alternative, but had since lost the bubble on what MT was putting on cars. It sounds like these might have some value to somebody whose trackwork is having problems with the .022" flanges. Are those the only thing MT sells now?
This is what I'm talking about: Wheels by NorsemanJack posted Apr 15, 2022 at 5:03 PM I'm sure we have a few trained eyes here who can zoom in and confirm.
Thanks Guys! And here I was talking landfill.... Upon further review I counted 191 axles in the jewel box on the right in the photo (no, I'm not going to count them all). I guess I'm not sitting on gold, but I'm also not sitting on junk. Just "stuff," which is what I'm trying to purge. Maybe I'll post them in the swap meet for ten or twenty bucks. Who knows?
You do realize that we're talking about probably 900 of those things, right? That's a whole lot more than one flatcar.
Thanks friend. I actually don't "do" metal wheels, being totally satisfied with the MT OEM wheels. I'm sure that you'll find folks wanting those metal wheels. They seem to be in short supply, and there are a lot of enthusiasts out there. Like yourself, I now only use UniTrack and it's fine with whatever variety of MT wheel sets I have on the freight cars. Since I've downsized, it looks like I have about four cars worth of wheelsets for every remaining MT car that I own. I guess you can't have too many wheels... With UniTrack, why do you use pizza cutters? Not that it matters, but I've found UniTrack to be friendly with any/all of the MT flanges. Am I missing something?
I use them to cut flangeways into industrial trackage I've buried in the dirt or gravel. Before the glue sets up, I run the truck with the Pizza cutter flanges over the track to cut the flangeways. I also keep a few for spares just in case, otherwise in the recycle bin they go
Hi Norseman Jack, Just my personal opinion, but it seems like the metal wheels roll more freely on my layout. This is how I actually found my layout was not level. It looked level but was off just enough that when I replaced the Micro-Trains plastic low profile wheels with their metal wheels, the cars would not sit in one of my industry tracks. They would roll out toward the center of the layout. Others have said this is not true, So again just a personal opinion taken from what I've observed on my layout. At the end of the day it's your layout and if you're happy with Micro-Trains and other manufactures plastic wheels, don't switch because I think metal wheels are better, stay with what makes you happy and always remember Rule #1
What size/part number are those? Most Intermountain wheel sets are wider axle-wise than MTL and therefore tend to not roll as freely in MTL trucks although they still work fine.
Thanks Rich. Unfortunately, since a major downsize, I no longer have a permanent layout. Just Unitrack from time to time on a very large dining table. The MT OEMs roll fine for that application. I've actually seen theorized that the slight extra rolling resistance from plastic wheels helps to dampen the "slinky" of MT cars. I never had an issue with that on any of my layouts, likely in part due to the fact that I never incorporated any grades.
That gets into the definition of “better.” If reduced rolling resistance allows for longer trains, that can be a good thing, thus “better”. If the same reduction in rolling resistance keeps cars from staying put on a siding, that aspect isn’t “better”.
i use alot of pizza cutters because i m recovering from a broken neck and anything that helps me even the smallist of things helps /im able to get my cars on track easier with them
