I know most people say change plastic wheels out for metal and that clubs require this, yadda, yadda, yadda…I’ve got about half of my cars converted to P2K’s and the more I run them, the more annoyed I’m getting with the noise. I’m really torn between finishing the swap, or going back to a quality plastic wheels. I think someone said the Athearn plastic wheels worked really good. I’ll never run any of my stuff on a club layout.
Just wondering if anyone ever went back to plastic because of the noise?
I happen to like the noise.
That said, one of the owners of a layout I operate on likes the plastic because they don’t roll.
The co-efficient of friction is too high.
My layout is dead flat except one corner. You can’t see the rise, but it is a hair higher than the rest of the layout. But the cars with metal wheels know it and park themselves in the street once you release them, The plastic wheeled cars stay put.
I’ve heard that about the rolling too. Somebody on the Atlas forum was complaining about them not staying in place during switching moves. I’m only going to run short trains (15-20 cars max) so I don’t need any super rollers. I was doing some painting the other night and every time the train went down the grade it was really loud and distracting.
Not only the rolling alone, but plastic wheels will collect dirt much quicker than metal ones. I use metal wheels exclusively and know the P2k wheels. I sold them quickly as well as KADEE wheels. The noise comes from the uneven tire surface of these wheels. Try a NWSL or INTERMOUNTAIN wheel, these are turned, and are much more quietly than P2k. At least this is my personal experience.
I will never go back to plastic wheels.
I’ll have to give the IM’s a shot. I’ve only got P2K’s and KD’s right now. I never thought that there might be a sound difference between brands. Unfortunately my grades have that WS foam road bed which makes everything louder. I REALLY hate that stuff, but I’m not going to rip up 40’ of track and replace it.[xx(]
Loathar–
I’ve changed mine out to metal wheels because I have a California Basement layout (garage) and the metal wheels don’t seem to leave as much ‘debris’ on the railheads. I don’t mind the noise, in fact I kind of like the clickety-clack–reminds me of the old days when rail sections were only about 40 feet instead of 40 miles, LOL. And since I’m modeling that era, doesn’t bother me at all.
One thing I do agree with–metal wheelsets are much more sensitive to grades than plastic, which I’ve found a couple of times when one of my trains break in half (due to a car I forgot to retrofit with Kadee’s) and they start whizzing back down the grade at breakneck pace. And yes, they can be a lot more ‘interesting’ to spot on yard tracks if your trackage isn’t almost perfectly level. But I’d rather put up with that than having to clean the track continually every time I want to have an operating session in the garage.
If my MR were in an insulated attic or a basement, I might have second thoughts about metal vs. plastic, but I’ve found that in my particular circumstance, metal is better.
BTW, I use WS foam roadbed, myself. What’s the base you have UNDER the foam? That could make a really BIG difference, if it’s on raw plywood. I’ve been using 2" extruded foam as an underbase and it seems to quiet the wheels considerbly.
Tom [:)]
Besides their excellent running charateristics, I like the noise and clickity clack of metal wheels as they roll over the joints. You get some loud clickety clacks in Large Scale.
I’ve got concrete floor and metal roof, so the room is an echo chamber chamber chamber…
Even a light rain shower is enough to drive me out of there.
I can’t relate to the noise problem , being totally deaf in the left ear and not very good in the right ( service injury 1965-69) But the dirt that collects on plastic just kills me , that’s why I use metal only. Like mentioned above spotting good metal wheeled rolling stock can be interesting at the least. Had many a car find non-flat track real quick. And away they go .
Sounds like it might be time for flooring and a ceiling, or at least insulation. Must be a tough spot to be in in Feb.
Just a thought. If the dirt isn’t collected on the plastic wheels - where is it?
I went back to plactic…when the noise of the whole train is more than the loco, something has to change.
And why is it that clubs only want metal?..wouldn’t it stand to reason that metal will attract crud faster and retain it longer?
Sounds like it’s time for more $$$[:-^]
I wonder if the dirt IS the plastic wheels wearing down because of the difference in hardness factors.
That actually is one of the theories.
I use IM, Kaydee and Atlas metal wheels and come to think of it, there is a slight difference in sound between cars. Have to look further into that …
With WS roadbed over 1" to 2" pink extruded over 3/8" plywood (I got a stack of CDX really cheap [:)]) the sound is actually kind of pleasant to me. Not too loud, more “real” than the plastic and definitely less crud on the rails. Perhaps you can attach sound deadener (car audio) strips to the underside of the layout to lessen the vibration? Even just some more mass should help. Glue bricks to it [(-D] … not!
It is also MY theory that metal wheels help to burnish the rails (aka “gleem”) and further cut down on dirt deposits. Can’t prove it though. [2c]
Karl
It would stand to reason that friction and movement of the plastic will build a static charge much greater than that of a metal. I believe that with turned brass and a coating of nickle silver the charge would be nill.
Gotta love the sound of the metal wheels hitting the turnout frogs. Sounds like you are trackside. I agree that it is loud when using the pink foam but its a tradeoff im willing to make.
Rain on a metal roof would put me to sleep in a New York minute!!
Dick
Texas Chief
Most of my rolling stock has plastic wheels, but I won’t change them out unless there’s something actually wrong with them, such as out-of-round, or not perpendicular to the axle. I don’t notice any difference between plastic or metal as far as dirt goes, and I’ve never had to clean track in over 15 years.
Wayne
I run on modules, which have no grades. It’s interesting trying to couple “hands free” to a car with very free-wheeling trucks (the Tool is used religiously). Unless it’s up against a bumper or a string of cars, you could chase it all the way around the layout!
John
Loather, maybe try putting some sound deadener under the layout. The main part of my layout has a 1/2" plywood top but I do have one section that is foam. The noise level is at least 10 times higher when a train travels over the foam section. It became very annoying to me it was so loud. I added some insulation under the foam and it that really made a difference. On my expansion I plan on using sound deadener that comes in sheets that you can buy at car stereo shops. Its used on floors of cars to keep down road noise.