I see these on sale in the a Walthers’ sale flyer.
When, and where, would insulated brass wheelsets, vs other metal wheelsets, be important?
Thanks
HO, IM’s have an excellent reputation are are all metal(heavier)including the axle. Generally insulated 36" sets are used for , in some cases, lighted passenger cars. I see that the ad is for 33"($55.00) which generally are for freight cars. Don’t know that application.(Insulated)
But wheel sets come in various axle lengths and the after market distributor,"Reboxx makes 40 different sizes that come in 0.088 tread widths.
The IM’s measure 1.013 in axle length, P2K 1,008 and KD 1.018 so correct replacing is not just a drop in conversion.
The P2K’s are a favorite among modelers but be knowledgeable what your specific trucks require for a good fit.
http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/002/197xvpbs.asp
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/wheelsets.html
All metal wheelsets have at least one of the wheels insulated from the axle; if they weren’t, they would cause a dead short in your track and nothing would run.
IM wheelsets, like nearly every other, are now made in China. It’s hard to tell any difference between Atlas, IM, and Proto2000 wheelsets as far as appearance and rolling qualities are concerned.
brass wheelsets are preferred when using magnetic uncouplers. The magnets attract steel axles and cause false uncoupling especially with free rolling wheels near the end of a train
brass wheels should be avoided as one would avoid a typhoid carrier for any application involving current collection. The reason is the oxide that inevitably forms is an electrical insulator and will lead to jerky operation or flickering lights until cleaned
I saw those advertised, but think i’m going to stick with the Atlas and Kato trucks…they run great so why would i want to create a problem by using something else that’s supposed to be “new and improved?”…just can’t improve on something that works great!..Chuck
It should be noted that the IM wheel sets Walther’s is advertising won’t be available until April 28th!
Bob Hayes
All 40 different axle lengths sold by REBOXX are brass and blackened to provide a prototypical appearence I suspect some of the materials in the IM’s are also brass
with a nickel s finished coating.
According to master Modeler Nigel of this forum the composition of Nickel Silver,
"Copper 65%, Nickel 10%, and Zinc 25%.
My older Mantua 4-6-2 has brass tender wheels for pick ups
I had the same Mantua model, plus a 2-8-2, which eventually was converted to an USRA with a Cary boiler and castings. The brass wheels were a pain in the rump when it came to pickup, but I solved the problem by making a pair of pickup shoes from the little phosphor-bronze “T” which came with Atlas turnouts at one time.
No more pickup problems!
As for other uses of brass or bronze insulated wheels: Coat the insulated one on the inside with resistance paint; the wheels now will operate signal systems using Twin-T or similar detectors.