Thieu....I didnt say they where all being built to NEM standards. Read up ^^^ Tony said they where ;-) Maybe you are really running U.S. NEM gauged locomotives on U.S. NMRA gauged track ;-) OR...U.S. NMRA gauged engines on NEM gauged track. Gauge everything to one standard or the other....the two standards DONT mix !! http://www.modelbaneteknik.dk/n-scale/stnd/stnd1-e.htm 7. Conclusion You can use 0.5 mm flange height without any problems. From USA there are quite a number of wheel sets with low flanges to be had, while on European equipment you will normally have to turn down the flanges yourself. When you choose system standards you ought to choose either NEM or NMRA for both track and wheels alike as NEM and NMRA are not fully compatible. You should be aware that some of the equipment that can be bought ready-to-run does not comply to the NEM or NMRA standards. You will have to check yourself if you want to avoid derailments. .
With 'you' I meant a bunch of people who say that those engines are built to NEM standards. :tb-biggrin: But maybe Atlas just makes poor track? So, another good reason to buy Peco: that track accepts all standards. :tb-cool:
Yea...I am already designing my next layout. I am seriously considering Unitrack. BUT...I am going to buy me one (1) piece of Unitrack and check the gauge before investing my kids inheritance on track!!!! Since ALL my locomotives will now be set to NMRA Standards...I need to make sure the track I use will also be NMRA Standards gauged. .
Relax guys. I really didn't say they were all made to NEM standards, but that they were being made by a company that makes the majority of their product to NEM standards. Much of the current modern equipment is made with NMRA wheel profiles (which messes with the NEM track) but wheel backspacing that is somewhere between NMRA and NEM specs. It's really seems to be a hybrid of the two standards which makes things even worse. If you are running C55, most everything you buy will end up being a little narrow on wheel gauging and need to be adjusted, even the Atlas stuff out of the box. I think they do this so it will run "OK" on C80 and run "OK" on C55 but not perfect on either.
Some of this is also the reason Fox Valley releasd "wide tread" wheel sets. Their narrow tread wheels had problems with C80 track. Because of the slop in the gaurd rails on C80 turnouts, it would allow the wheels to walk sideways far enough that they fall into the gap in the frogs. Narrower backspacing solves this on C80 but will bump through C55 turnout frogs.
Soooooooooo...on a related topic: When adjusting wheel gauge...I read guys are just using a small screwdriver between the wheel and the chassis. One side then the other. It seems this would 'warp' the wheel...possibly cracking it. At the least maybe make it wobble. I was just wondering if anyone makes a super small 'pickle fork'...like you use when working on a cars suspension? Push it down between the wheel and chassis..on both sides of the axle at the same time !! Sure seems like it would work great for wheel gauge adjust in n scale ...JMO If someone already makes one...can someone post a url please...TIA .
** S N A P ** Just remembered. When I was working with a friend in his upholstery business...we used 'tack removers' http://www.diyupholsterysupply.com/402-5/upholstery-tack-remover.html for stripping upholstery off wood. I bet that will work !!! I am gonna have to go out and search through my toolbox and see if I still have one left :tb-smile::tb-cool: ** Kewl...found the tack remover and even my 5 inch pry bar :tb-cool: http://www.diyupholsterysupply.com/17516/Prybar.html .
What are we going to dream up next? Let's see: I send a NMRA gauge to... Now does he know how to use it? I send him an old beat up 4-8-4 and he sends it in and gets an alleged new one back that is...out of gauge. Then I learn, that there are NEM standards so trains can run on code 80 track or some such. Ok, seeing as we have some self proclaimed experts on line and they seem to have all the answers. Does that make them know it all's? Then why was I coughing and it really sounded like BS. Ahh, not BFS that has nothing to do with this discussion....I hope. Now, my curiousity is up as is my ire and I go out to the train shed to check out my perfectly running, metaphorically speaking, 4-8-4 and find the wheels correctly gauged as per NMRA standards. I then look through my tools to find a NEM gauge and guess what...there isn't such a thing. I call up an old friend who has been in model railroading as long as I and ask him if he has ever heard of NEM standards. I mean, he is old. He answers "What the Hell". Ok, I take that as a NO. So, if I may be allowed to... I want to echo his sentiment, the grumby old man that I... am. George, "What the hell"? Grin!
well, ya know I do live in Germany now, I can look around for this fabeled NEM Gauge...... Oh and another note, I just checked all of my european rolling stock with the NMRA, and...........HOLY MOTHER OF GOD! THEY ALL ARE WITHIN THE STANDARD!!! looking at the NEM standards, I would challenge anyone to really notice a diffrence, in some cases, the diffrence is less than minimal. Now as for the narrow gauged locomotives, I had heard years ago that alot of the stuff that is narrow gauged is that way to allow a little more room for play when running long wheel based and long trucked locomotives to run on 9.75" corners. Another observation I made, the Kato GS4 was in gauge when I got it, and the replacement wheels were also. Along with my IM F units, my Kato F units, and most of my other "High end" stuff. I personally see this as the manufactures are trying to avoid getting returns from little johnny's dad who built him a layout using the track that came with his starter set (9.75") where the more high end stuff is usually more aimed towards the modeler rather than the "Toys" people. Just my 2 cents.
NEM standards are here. http://www.morop.org/en/normes/index.html I hadn't heard much about them until this thread, but I know that just because I haven't heard of something it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Probably the best thing to do is adopt the standard of most of your equipment and just follow it. North American modular modelers planning on taking equipment to meets probably ought to stick to the NMRA gauge. Out-of-gauge is out-of-gauge. I don't know that many of our manufacturers lose a lot of sleep over the prospect that a certain percentage of their offerings might be slightly out-of-gauge.
Leave it to our euro friends to want their own standards. I'll bet they are metric to boot. Ok, that's it. The pond between isn't big enough for both of us. Hummm, best be careful here. I might start a national incident with a model railroad world war, OOO gauge. I'm getting to old for this BS.
Rick, don't tell me you convert N scale track in N gauge (i.e., Nine millimeter gauge) to 0.354330709 inches.
Rick....I yield to the grumpier of the grumpy old men...LOL. Just sayin. If everyone wants to scream "NMRA Standards" on all these train forums about this and that and the other...then everyone (including manufactures) should start obeying all the "Laws of the Model Railroad Gods" ! If I buy it new...it best be NMRA Standards on the wheel gauge out of the box !!! How many discussions have we all had about wheel flanges (pizza cutters) NOT being 'within standards' ?! Then when I mention something like wheel gauge and NMRA Standards....I get flack for discussing that they should be within MNRA Standards. woo woo woo? GGGGgeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz !!! :tb-mad: Think I will go dust off my NotMyRailroadAssocitation sign and plant it in the front yard again !!!!!!:tb-tongue: *Pstttt Rick>>>> The NEM stuff was brought up by Tony way back in reply #5 ! I never knew there was such a thing either. LOL .
I propose GRA standards as in Grump Railroad Association. Charter members will be Rick and George, and some guy that Rick called. Get back to us with the wheel gauge measurement we should be using, in your chosen units. I will convert it from whatever measurement system you want to use (cubit-hundredths?) to something more universal, and we'll move ahead like that.
Adam... I was AGREEING things should be to NMRA Standards ! :tb-ooh: Doesnt that count for sumthin ? LOL :tb-tongue: BTW...to clarify: They are NOT NEM Standards...they are errrrrrr NEM Norms ! *I though Norm was a guy who hung around at the "Cheers Bar"...lmao .
Not me! If it can't be done with fractions...screw it...COL. George, Just order me out extra crispy...ahh...I meant "Extra Grumpy". What are we thinking?
