I will soon be replacing the plastic wheels on my fleet with metal wheelsets.
I have primarily Micro trains cookie cutter type but would consider low profile.
Is it worth it to go with the low profile, or should I stick with the large flanges?
Is there an operating problem with the low profile? I have good trackwork but I don’t want to invest in something that may cause me to have to correct something that would otherwise not be a problem.
The conversion of high to low pro wheels depends on the code of the track you are using. If you have the older Code70 or 80 rail, don’t bother to switch. It’s not worth the expense. You could give the wheelsets a rust color to make them look better. Also, paint the wheel face a silver color to give them a prototype look. All you may need to do is look in the Sharpie dept of your office store. They also sell different colors in the calligraphy dept.
You need the lowpro wheels for Code55 or smaller rail. The larger flanges will hit the ties & tend to derail on turnouts. Especially troublesome are any legacy locos you may have.
MTL cars recently put a set of lowpro wheels in the box. You should have a set of 4wheels for each car. You may need to mark the axle to tell the difference.
I use Atlas metal wheels on Atlas Code 55 track. These metal wheels stay cleaner, add weight and work great with MT trucks.
Atlas makes both 33" and 36" metal wheelsets.
pp
I have just replaced some of ‘cookie cutter’ plastic wheels with the IM metal wheelsets for MT trucks. They are low profile, blackened and run very, very well. The IM wheelsets are very much better than the ones from Atlas.
Cheers,
Cliff
http://cliffordconceicao3310.fotopic.net/c328807.html
I too prefer the IM metal wheels. They add a little weight where it counts and roll smoothly.
If you decide to use the MT lo-pros paint the face of the wheel a rusty colour but be sure to not get any paint on the wheel tread (it can transfer to the rail) and also be sure to keep the axle points free of paint.