Been thinking about doing the new layout in code 55 rather than the 80 I’ve used so far.
Main reason for the switch is the switches: intrigued by fasttracks handlaid stuff.
And 55 looks a bit more real as well.
I’ve heard a bit about the wheel flange issue, and just tested some cars on a piece of 55: atlas does fine but the wheels look plastic and junkey, while the nice micro-trains wheels clunk along the ties.
Any suggestions for some good quality wheels that I can replace both with?
Track make: the fasttrack dudes use micro engineering track with their set, but I think my LHS only carries Atlas code 55 (maybe Peco). Will a combo of ME and Atlas work? (tie spacing issues?) or is it better just to order ME flextrack from a galaxy far, far away?
The ME code 55 flextrack also comes in “stained” something pre-painted or regular shiny. Is the factory-made weathering any good and/or worth the $? or better to paint myself?
Any other issues I should be aware of before I commit to 55? Derailings frequent? Need mad super-precision tracklaying skillz? I dig the 55 so far (in concept), just wondering about issues people had to get the full picture.
I began using Rail Craft Code 55 back in 1983 after a couple of false starts with Atlas Code 80. I used to use an emory board to turn down the flanges on my plastic freight/passenger car wheels. The metal wheels from my diesel locomotives needed a file. I used to buy my freight/passenger cars in five to ten car increments so that I didn’t have to keep chucking and unchucking my drill in a vise.
Things are sure a lot easier today. A while back I bought a couple of used N-Scale cars at a swap meet. Several of these had deep flanges and I just bought some low profile wheels to replace these older wheel sets with.
I wish that the manufacturers would bring their flange depth down to about 1/80th of an inch depth–a scale 2 inches–which would allow operation on Code 40.
Once you get used to using Code 55 whether it be Atlas or Micro Engineering which is my preference you will be absolutely amazed at the difference in appearance.
I can recommend the Atlas c55 system without reservation. You will have to get rid of the Micro Trains wheels, though, as they do not conform with the NMRA standard. You can get metal wheels from Fox Valley that are very nice looking, or metal wheelsets from Atlas that aren’t as realistic, but will do the trick. With the Atlas wheels, though you have to check the gauge before installing them, and the axles are steel, so they’re funky on magnetic uncoupling ramps.
Some people fuss about changing the MT wheels, but the way I look at it, if you’re concerned about the appearance of the track enough to change it, then the appearance of those giant pizza cutters won’t satisfy you either.
The Micro Engineering and Atlas tracks are compatible. There is a slight difference in tie length, but once everything is ballasted in it’s hard to notice.
Lee
The Atlas track is the most economical and widely available c55 system. Go for it!
Thanks for the info!
Fox Valley Models has 33" and 36" wheels, both available with .54, .553 & .563 axles. $8.95 for 12 pcs.
Atlas has 33" metal wheels, $5.75 for 12 at Discount Trains.
Any suggestions? (and how measure that small? or is the measurements on the microtrains box / website & I’m just not seeing it?)
I’m not going to use magnetic ramps (I’m a man-u-al man) so no worries about the metal (unless there are other issues.
Am I the only one with a flair for asking the obvious, but universally overlooked question? OK, you’ve got these lovely wheelsets with low profile flanges. However, there are 3 different axle lengths.
SO, which bloody axle lengths go with which manufacturer’s trucks?
The FoxValley site says that x axles go with SOME [insert brand] and y axles go with SOME [insert brand] axles (atlas is split 50/50), and microtrains isn’t mentioned at all.
The state of rail size has stood still if not regressed during the last half century except for the introduction of code 83 rail. Mark handlaid code 40 and 55 rail in HO scale in the mid-1960s. Mark would have thought code 40 would be standard by now for N scale and would frequently be seen in HO, but that’s not happened. Now it seems the smaller-sized rail isn’t even available.
The Fox Valley site is quite clear about which wheelsets fit MTL trucks. The site says:
Last 2 digits = Axle Length 01 = .540" Axle - Fits MT Trucks 02 = .553" Axle - Fits InterMountain Trucks, Some Atlas 03 = .563" Axle - Fits Some Atlas, Con Cor, Bachmann
So Micro-Trains trucks need the .540" axles.
Some of my recently-purchased MTL rolling stock comes with both regular MTL wheels (the “pizza cutters”) as well as a set of low-profile wheelsets.
I’ve read that the MTL low-profile wheels have flanges that are too small, or at least smaller than the NMRA spec. So MTL makes two types of wheels, those with flanges that are too large and those with flanges that are too small. Makes me wonder why they don’t simply follow the NMRA spec.
You’ve asked the eternal question. Usually it sparks an argument who think that would be a practical solution, vs. those who believe that Micro Trains can do no wrong.
I am certainly no expert on wheel flanges, but it seems as though following the NMRA standard would eliminate some problems. Maybe MTL has a good reason for not doing so.
I’m sorry for the noob question but what does code 55 mean? I’m new to all this and trying to learn as much as I can and i haven’t heard that term before. Is that like the gauge of the track?
Compared to actual prototype rail, our model rail is often much taller than it should be for best realism. For best realism, model railroads should use shorter rail (smaller code).
The code is the number of thousanths of inches the rail is tall. Code 55 means the height of the rail is 55 thousanths inches tall. Similarly, code 100 means the rail is one-tenth (100 thousanths) inches tall, code 83 is 83 thousanths inches tall, and so on. Which gets me to thinking. How does the rest of the world classify model rail? Could it be that the metric world uses our code system like they still fly aircraft measured in feet of elevation as well as for the pitch and diameter of ships propellers?
Soooo, I stopped by my LHS today and exchanged some 80 flextrack for some atlas 55 ($3.47 per 30").
Turns out they do carry ME 55 ($4.47 per 30"), so looks like I got some options.
Also picked up some InterMountain 33" metal wheels ($7.16 per 12), but just got home and they’re a wee bit long in the axle for the microtrains trucks. (Unless they’re sluggishness has something to do with a breaking-in processes I don’t know about yet, but they seemed to be pushing the truck sides out).
So I guess the Fox Valley short axles are for the job.
I like the microtrains couplers, but it seems to be a bit silly to get the mt truck-coupler combo, only to switch out the wheels for lower flange metal ones. Is my best option just getting the mt couplers only and attaching them to more standard trucks? or is there a good truck/wheel combo that I can just get all at once that has couplers as good as the microtrains? (I’m not planning on any magnetic uncoupler ramps, just manual uncoupling). Any suggestions?