Would some of the experts here like to wax eloquent on the plusses and minusses of various metal wheel sets?
Rumor has it that NWSL and Proto 2K are very good. What do YOU think? Anyone run other types…tried several brands and now have a favorite?
Thanks for the help.
I use P2k because they are cheap compared to some of the others. My LHS sells enough to do 3 cars for $8. I also like the plastic axles, since I use DCC, having a plastic axle reduces the risk of shorts.
pushnshove,
For starts, the metal wheels not only roll better, they keep you tracks cleaner over the long haul. The plastic wheels tend to degrade and leave a debris on the tracks. Consequently, this will cause the locomotive wheels to get dirtier faster and result in poor performance. I use Proto 2000 33" wheels on all my rolling stock.
Okay…not exactly “waxing eloquent” but to the point. [:)]
Tom
I have used the Kadee 36" and the Proto of whatever-size-they-were. I have found that my troublesome cars track better and roll better, all things being equal. I can’t vouch for their ability to keep the rails clean…I haven’t cleaned my rails yet!!
Be very-very careful when up grading to metal.
First off , http://www.nmra.org/beginner/wheelsets.html
www.micromark.com and type in 82838 in the "by item number and click on truck tuner for an exploded picture.
http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/002/197xvpbs.asp
Now this is where it gets somewhat confusing. P2K is the favorite replacement. Not all model car manufacturers use the same truck thus the journal bore span varies in demensions.
P2K sets measures 1.008, Intermountain measures 1.013 and KD measures 1.018 and the list goes on.
I suggest to go to the www.reboxx.com site a leader(click on products) in after market wheel sets and review their charts. Also note their roll test improvement #s over stock.
I just replace the trucks on my rolling stock with Kadee sprung trucks with metal wheels when I assemble the kit. They work great.
Does anyone put out a big “bucket-o-wheel-sets?” I’ve got a fleet of 50 or 60 cars that I’d like to convert. I’ve done a few, but the majority are still plastic. Some will need new trucks, too, but for most of them just the wheels will suffice, I hope.
Kadee makes big packs of couplers, which I also need for these cars, but how about wheels? Am I stuck buying blister-packs of 3 at a time?
I know of at least two manufacturers who package wheel sets in bulk packs of 100 axles – InterMountain and LBF.
Walthers had a sale a few months ago on InterMountain bulk packs. Check their web site.
LBF wheel sets have to be ordered directly from them. They have a web site from which you can order at http://www.lbfcompany.com
The main difference between these two brands, both of which are made in China, is the coloring. InterMountains are blackened and LFB are a dull brass color. Both roll equally well.
I have used metal wheel sets from Kadee and a company called jabee, use who ever you can get they are always wort the investment.
I run Intermountain wheelsets, because I can buy them in 4 car sets at my LHS. They are NS plated brass. I had a P2K car with P2K metal wheelsets, and my particular set must have been a defective alloy. I thought they were just dirty, but they continued to make black flakes on my rag no matter how long I cleaned them, or what I used on them. So I removed them and put IM’s on it. All of my rolling stock (except the locos) have IM wheelsets now, and I’m very pleased with them. But no one else I have heard have ever said anything bad about the P2K, so I must have just got one bad set or something.
Metal wheels do make all the difference in smooth rolling, and they definitely keep your track clean longer (as long as they aren’t flaking apart). I think it is worth the cost to convert, but use all the same brand, just to standardize, and make it easier to replace them later.
Greg
I have had metal wheels on my layout for well over a year and have yet to clean my track, except maybe in spots.
Tom
I have used P2K, IM, Kadee and Branchline so far. They are all good, but I prefer P2K, IM and Branchline.
You need a “tool” see: http://www.reboxx.com/Tools.htm or similar (MicroMark, etc), and calipers to measure the axle length of the wheel set you remove, to get the closest match.
Also, note that that “ribbed” wheels dissappeared in the '40’s.
I’m sure NWSL would sell you bulk wheelsets. I use their 88 series wheelsets which are closer to scale width but still operate on regular HO track. I have been very pleased with them.
I’m standardizing on IM Semi-scale wheels. But I convert any plastic wheels immediately to whatever metal sets I have handy (As I convert stock to IM, I save any P2K, Branchline or Kadee metal wheels for immediate conversions of plastic-wheeled stock)
The P2K’s plastic axles have issues with poorly molded axle tips, which cause rolling problems. The Branchline ones occasionally have this issue as well, but are more likely to be out of gauge. The Kadees just roll poorly.
I use the proto 2000 they work great. Its also best to get the right size of wheel so you can stay proto typical.
Metal good. Plastic taste bad. Ugh, ugh.
Agree with all of the above.
Like the Intermountain wheels I bought several years ago. Need some more.
Tried Kaydees. The plastic axles not so good. Bad experience if you use a Dremel to clean them. Like the Kaydee metal trucks though, wi***hey were cheaper.
Mark in Utah
I like Intermountain, personally. Atlas are good as well.
I only use Proto 33" metal wheels, I find they are an inexpensive upgrade (8 Bucks Canadian) to some of my cheaper plastic wheeled cars. I don’t even put a car on my layout until it has the Kadee’s and metal wheels installed on them. Almost everything now days is coming with metal wheels so I haven’t been swapping many sets lately.
Hi Guys,
I posted this same question about 18 months ago and based on all the feedback I got, I tried Intermountain, Proto and Kadee wheelsets. Here’s what I found:
The Intermountains are soooooo slick that my cars rolled when I didn’t want them to. Now please understand that I built very sturdy benchwork, used refrigerator “leveling” feet on all the legs and leveled the whole layout as best I could, using a very long level. However, with even the very slightest unlevel area, the cars with Intermountain wheels would NOT stay put. In other words, they rolled…either out of a siding or down the mainline. The other problem I found with some of the Intermountain wheelsets is that the plating wore off after a few hours of run time and I could see the brass underneath. Actually, on some of the wheels, the plating was “bubbling” off. Other guys have said this has never happened to them so maybe I got a bad batch of wheelsets from Intermountain.
With the Proto wheelsets, the axle is just a little too short for many of my cars. A guy above stated the axle lengths for Proto, Intermountain and Kadee wheelsets and the Protos are the shortest. The Proto wheelsets are also very slick and caused the same problem mentioned above for the Intermountains…they rolled uncontrollably. The Protos were even worse when it came to the plating wearing off.
Now for the Kadees…they run beautifully, yet are not as slick as the others. No matter where I spot a car, it stays put with the Kadees. I guess there is just enough friction between the kadee plastic axle point and the trucks, that they won’t roll, even on a slightly unlevel section of track. Now, I know some guys don’t like the fact that the kadees have that brown coating on them and I don’t like it either. So, I put on my safety glasses, put a brass wire brush in my Dremmel rotary tool and clean the flange and wheel tread so they look shiny, like the protype. I know this is extra work but I can clean enough wheelsets f
Lots out choices out there and once again Mondo thanks for your expert analysis.
I used the tool on my 72’ Athearn short passenger cars and found that the Journals on these cars(surprised) were in good shape. My next move was to install the reboxx(first time I followed my own advise) and versus the stock, these passenger cars have a nice
roll.
I remember your original post and saved a printed copy.