metal wheels

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

i would like to know if replacing the plastic wheel sets on my rolling stock with metal wil be asking trouble

2

JRB,

First off: [#welcome] to the forum! Good to have you aboard! [:)]

Trouble? Only if you get the wrong size. For the majority of your rolling stock, you’ll use 33" wheel sets. Proto 2000, Kadee, and Intermountain all make replacement metal ones. Each is slightly different and may work better in certain trucks than others but all are well made.

I’ve been using the Protos on my rolling stock and have been very happy with them.

Tom

3

I had the same question some years ago. I got my answer when I changed to metal wheels. They roll much easier, they don’t collect much dirt but they do create a bit of noise. I didn’t know if I would have shorts on the turnouts. So far there haven’t been any.

4

greetings tom

thanks for the welcome. something forgot to ask is if they need to be the insulated ones

5

All the metal wheels I’ve seen for HO are insulated on one axle.

6

greetings jeff

thanks for answer, tell space mouse he has my vote!

jim

7

[#welcome] Welcome abord, Jim,

I have some metal wheel sets that aren’t insulated from the axle. The axle is non-conductive.

Direct comparison between metal (most of my rolling stock) and plastic (Athearn BB kitbashes) indicates that metal wheels track better and roll more freely. The plastic wheels make excellent grunge collectors, so I have to clean them about once a month. Metal wheels seldom need cleaning, and my track only gets cleaned when foam particles and dust get exceptionally deep during adjacent construction.

That’s when I call out the wedge plow.

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

8

The only trouble you’ll have is with your wallet. If you have a sizeable number of cars it can get expensive.

9

Proto 33" metals wheels for me. I have hundreds of those wheels in service without any issues on DCC.

What I get is that klickety clack and no gummed up plastic wheel mess.

Pulling 50 freight cars generate a hiss that needs hearing to be believed.

10

[#welcome]

Metal wheels not only keep the rails cleaner, they actually appear to slightly burnish them. Thus the more trains you run, the cleaner your rails will stay.

As mentioned above there are several brands of good wheels. You can’t really go wrong except that you should stay away from Atlas “caboose wheels”. These have a short axle and don’t fit many trucks. Atlas 70 ton trucks however run very nicely.

As also mentioned already, metal wheels will generate more noise - some of us like it - and generate some friction with the paycheck. Well worth it in my book.

Karl

11

Get a wheel gauge.

100 metal wheels on the rail.

99 will be perfect, one in error.

98 metal wheels…

and so on…