I decided to place an order last night but I don’t know which one. I see that there are some for MT trucks, but there are 28”, 33” and 36” wheels. Which one do I want?
Most all freight car wheels are 33 inch. Passenger car wheels are 36 inch. Double stack wheels are 28 inch. As always there are exceptions. Wheel diameter is primarily based on car weight, but not always. Please check this How To Forum thread.
Thanks Flash, well according to the list I need 33” but after seeing Johns (WPZephyrFan) observation of the wheels hitting the underbody I was afraid it might be too big.
JohnnyB: I think the flanges are too big, not the wheels. You probably have a 33 inch wheel in there right now. If you have any low profile axle set, just use it for a test if they will fit in the MT truck/coupler combination. Try an Accumate axle. Heck, try an Accumate truck. Try everything to be sure you have eliminated all possibilities. Any low profile 33 inch wheel set should eliminate the problem. I do think the S curve is an issue.
Well, I already tested it with an 11 car Bachmann train and it goes through without any problem. My Atlas tank cars go through it ok. I also have a 10 car Kato passenger train that I could test. I didn’t bring it out yet because I converted it to DCC and I don’t have that working yet, but I’ll replace the engines with a DC loco and give it a try asw well. I do have some new MT cars with the optional low profile wheels, but I don’t think I have enough. So for now, I’m going to pullout the Kato train and give that a try. None the less I still need new wheels for my future Code 55 layout that I’ve been working on forever, but can’t seem to get together.
Hello. There are some reason for derailments: Usage of FoxWalley or other thin finescale wheels are incompartible with Code 80 crossings like Peco or UniTrack, as i believe. (i had it and test. I discard it after testing) Decision in this case - You must change wheels into wide PIZZA-CUTTERS. Another reason, - is prominent ends. This topic i disscuss there with large photos and details: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=119190 ------- Thanks, Vadim
Well I just ran my 10 car Kato passenger train through and it works like dream. I’m going ahead and order a 100 of Fox Valley wheels. I have a few more MT cars that I haven’t even brought out yet that that will need to be changed. If I remember correctly the MT low profile wheels are plastic and I prefer steel.
Hello Sleeper! I also love metallic wheels, because i need to make conductive resistor wheels in cars in aim to get occupancy status. Foxwalley wheels can work well only on finescale track. It can be compartible with Atlas, but You ll have "Accordeone" effects in trains, because foxwalley is too thin and ll fall into Atlas electrofrogs. InterMountain and Atlas metallic wheels - the best for Atlas C55 track! I use it as well! ------ Thanks, Vadim
Vadim, I have studied your posts and you do a lot of very interesting work. I see that Atlas has 33" Metal Wheels for Microtrains and I think I will order some and see how they work. Are the Atlas N 22133 low profile?
Yes! I think that these 33' metall wheels are low profile ones http://www.some train store.com/v/vspfiles/photos/ATL-22133-2.jpg As to me, i prefere to change 33' into 36' in all cars. Almost all cars allow 36'. -36' wheels has more stably run due to larger diametr. -Another reason : we havent 33' wheels in Russia. I did as follows: I take axles from Foxwalley short axle wheels(#540), remove foxwalley thin wheels from axle and add both wheels from 36' Intermountin wheelsets. They are compartible. (dont forget to check NMRA distance between flanges after preparation) Therefore i have short axle for microtrain cars with large 36' wide wheels. Wheels from 36' Atlas wheelsets has another internal diametr, and wheels are incompartible with foxwalley and Intermountin axles. May be You can try to get Atlas 33' wheelsets for Microtrains and try to change 33' onto 36' Atlas wheels. This is all for Your own opinion! May be this information will useful! -------- Thanks, Vadim.
Thanks Vadim for you input. I decided to hold off on the FoxValley wheels for now and I ordered the Atlas wheels. Anyway getting a little off track from the wheels, I was watching my Atlas 33,000 Gallon Tank cars to see just how the wheels go through the turnouts and they really run great. I was enjoying them so much that I want to buy more. So I went on line to my favorite vender to see how much they’re going for and they are sold out. I hope there are new shipments coming out. I was also looking at the ExactRail 50200-3 BNSF 3-Bay Covered Hopper 3-packs to maybe replace the Model Power hoppers. I haven’t seen the ExactRail before and was wondering how they run on Unitrack. The one thing that I have to keep in mind is that I have Code 80 track on order for an 8x3 portable yard that I’m going to build soon. I will be tying the two layouts together with a removable curved bridge, so whatever I end up with the wheels need to be able run through both 3x8 layouts. Oh I’m using Atlas Custom turnouts for the yard. I’m not worried too much about the Code 55 layout right now and even though I bought the entire track and foam for it except I still need the custom handmade curved turnouts, Its going to be awhile before that happens. I’m just not 100% confident about code 55 working properly and I don't want to waste my time.
Hi JohnnyB, I agree that it looks like the wheels are rubbing on the body of the car, and I really do not want to throw in any more worms into this mess, but I would like to suggest the following. You may want to try adding a shim (spacer) on the bolster pin between the truck and the car body. Micro-trains supplies two with every truck pair. If you try this and the cars in question now do not derail, then you have some choices Order replacement wheels in the smaller size. Order replacement wheels with smaller flanges. Order replacement wheels in the smaller size with smaller flanges. Leave the shim in place on the offending cars (Yes that will make the car body ride higher) and run the current wheel sets. Furthermore you may have eliminated at least one variable as to why the cars in question are derailing. Good luck, Gary
Fox Valley wheels are very, very nice. I used them in a project to convert some Rivarossi heavyweight passengers cars to low pros and MTL couplers using the existing Rivarossi trucks. I know, I know, I probably should have just swapped out the trucks with MTL's, but it was a fun bit of a modeling challenge, and they run great on Unitrack. However, I have had no problems with the MTL low pros, and they are a lot cheaper. Todd
Thanks Gary that thought did come to mind and I was going to ask but got sidetracked with all the suggestions.
There is an awful lot of discussion here about wheels, deep flanges (pizza cutters, although they won't cut a pizza...I've tried), sharp edged composites and so on. It would be easy to get caught up in it. From the for what it's worth department: I have the most collectique (spelling maybe off but I can't find it in the dictionary) array of wheels and wheelsets made. The same goes for track and switches. I do use Code 80 track and I think that is what you are using. Here's some standards I have for my railroad. The train cars must be properly weighted, wheels properly gauged, track properly gauged and maintained. As a result, I have little to no problems with any of the manufactured wheelsets. Isn't that a revelation? Grin! The thing with the wheels and wheel sets is no wobblies, plenty of clearance and proper gauge. When they make up the sum total of a freight truck...they must be free wheeling or roll freely -- NO DRAG! For example, the Micro trains wheels with the deep flanges may be touching and/or dragging on the body of the car. This can cause a derailment all by itself. A wheelset (and it doesn't matter who manufactured it...got that? I said with a big grin!) ANY that has a low profile and clears the body of the train car will do the job nicely. Track work is usually our biggest problem with derailments. One of my objections to any sectional track is the variety and number of joints or rail joiners needed to bring the track together. Reduce that number and you reduce the opportunities for derailments. The problem is they tend to widen at the juncture and result in being out of gauge. A heat and cold, expansion and contraction thing. The other objection I have, as I get older so does my vision. It is much easier now for me to put together sectional track and think I have the rail joiner in place. Only to discover that the rail joiner slid under the rail instead of on it. Huurumph! Kato track is virtually bullet proof...IF...it has been put together properly. Or should I of said ALMOST bullet proof. And it works best if the rail joiner is in place. I've managed to screw that up a time or two. Before you get to excited here about rebuilding the train car from the ground up go back and take a look at the track work. Look for that slider of a rail joiner, that may be out of alignment or kinked joint's. NEXT! Check to see if the flanges on the wheels clear the body of the car. LASTLY! Buy some TNT...well...that's only if you can't figure it out. You'd be better off if I or some other model rail near you could stop in and take a look-see. More eyes and brains eyeballing the situation is better then guessing. AND, despite our best verbal efforts here we can easily miss the obvious. After thoughts: Did I mention that the body of the truck can end up riding on the rail and other rails as it goes through a switch. It appears others have suggested such. This can cause derailments. If so you need a taller wheel. I prefer the 36" wheels over the 33" wheels...in most cases. I think I already mentioned the flanges could be rubbing on the plastic body of the car. If that be so it too will cause derailments. Replacing the wheelsets with low profile will clear this issue up. Some have suggested using a washer to lift the car up. In some cases that will work but it makes the car top heavy and that can lead to derailments. Metal wheels, (although not necessary...in my opinion)...does add weight to the train car right where it's needed. And, yes I have metal wheels mixed in with older plastic wheels and the new Delrin plastic. Incidently, they all collect dirt and require routine cleaning and maintenance. The Delrin plastic doesn't (Does Not) get as dirty as the metal wheels...seriously. Who said, I ran with the pack? Grin! Lot's of luck.
One reason that I wanted the metal wheels was for occupancy detection. When I first bought MT cars I didn’t know they were plastic. I was useing optical sensors at the time for detection, which worked ok, but I had to always adjust it for night and daytime operation. I don't want to do that anymore.
I agree with everything you have said and if it weren’t for the few wheels completely being different from one side to the other I might just raise up the body with shims instead of replacing the wheel sets. I didn’t even now that the wheels could come off the axel to be replaced with another completely different wheel. I guess I could go through each wheel set and replace only the mismatched ones. I also know about missing the joiner when putting the track together, I had to take my track a part 3 or 4 times because of that. I do have some rails that are raised up a little even though they are in the joiner. My little Spectrum 2-8-0 finds every one of those. In fact it stops cold every time on one joint. I’ve tried hammering it down without much luck so I only run the 2-8-0 in the opposite direction. I would not call Unitrack bullet proof if I can still screw it up. laugh:
Some of my stuff with the old Farish (Made in England) wheels had this problem of flanges binding on the bottom of the car. A change to the new style (Bach , , , , made in China) means the flanges are smaller and, hey presto! no binding! A combinbation of that and tweaking the #4 turnouts as in Tudor's tutorial works a treat! I have had no trouble at all (say he, putting hands on his wooden head!) with Peco wheels. Partly this is because they are moulded so can't go out of gauge, and partly it's because they have smaller flanges. Regards, Pete
