I purchased a few packs of the IM and am not happy with them. They seem to fit too loose in the MT trucks. Surely, this isn't right!? I was hoping these would be the first IM products that I purchased that I wouldn't have to return...I guess I'll continue my self-imposed boycott of IM!
You may have gotten the 33 or 36" wheelsets, I have the MT sets, they fit perfect, I also added the retaining springs to create a little drag for the slink and incline issues. The 33-36" sets are for Atlas and Athearn trucks. You need the IM sets made for MT trucks. I am currently replacing all my 350+ cars with the IM sets, I bought some Atlas wheelsets and was very disappointed in them, out of guage, wobbled and not as smotth looking.
David: On the other hand, I didn't have any trouble with the Atlas wheelsets on over 500+ cars. It's interesting to hear the different points of view on metal wheel sets. Stay cool and run steam.....
Just curious, but being so new I have never seen plastic wheels. I've purchased a few cars (10 total in the last month) and they have all come will metal wheels. I assumed metal wheels were a standard. Are they not?
Bob I may have gotten a bad package from Atlas, I was really hoping they would work out, though to be honest they were only about a dollar less then the IM's, and I just worked out a discount deal from the store since I am buying so many, so the price diff between IM and Atlas was only about 50ยข after the negotiation for new wheels. My CFO was pleased
FiveFlat: Atals and MicroTrains use plastic wheelsets on all their recently produced cars. Metal wheelsets are not common in recently produced freight cars. Stay cool and run steam....
I would like to present something: This is in regard to dirty wheels and how it just may be happening... Someone came into the shop the other day talking about metal wheelsets and the axles some companies use, he is an HO'er but still his angle was very interesting. He said that maybe the reason the plastic wheels attract more dirt isn't so much the plastic wheel, but the plastic axle rubbing on a plastic truck, there by creating a static charge, which would make the plastic wheel attract the dirt. He said that Kadee wheels in HO have metal wheels but a plastic axle, and he noticed that the Kadee wheels got as much dirt as the plastic wheels? I thought that made good sense.
David: That's an interesting observation. I know with metal wheelsets, I have no grime or debris on the Unitrack. But then again, over the years before the metal wheelsets , the Unitrack remained virtually free of grime. That's a finding most folks who use Unitrack on permanent layouts discover. Stay cool and run steam....
I apologize for my completely biased view, especially in lieu of the fact that I have never compared Atlas to IM metal wheelsets or have even bought metal wheelsets seperate.
