I’m looking for some opinions on which wheelsets are best fo N scale rolling stock. I’m using micro-trains trucks with body mounted couplers on atlas code 55 track, and currently have plastic low profile wheels on most. I have expiremented with some atlas metal low profile wheels and I like the way the cars handle with them (lower center of gravity, smoother in the turnouts, etc.), but they do not like being used with the uncoupler magnets on my layout. I have one set of weathered brass wheels from NWSL that I am trying on one car, but I have heard that the coatings can wear off and dirty the rail. Any suggestions before I purchase hundreds of tiny wheels would be greatly appreciated!
I’ve got mostly Atlas plastic wheels on all of my stuff. A lot of people don’t like plastic wheels and say that they keep your tracks dirty, but I’ve never really had a lot of problem with that. My best advice would be that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it…
Tracklayer
That’s three things you’re doing differently than me: Using Atlas code 55, using body mounted couplers, and using uncoupler magnets. You’re ambitious!
I assume the brass wheels you are trying are from Intermountain, and the current plastic low-pro’s you’re running are MT and/or Atlas. There is another Intermountain metal wheel type that is non-magnetic (part number 60052). Red Caboose makes a low-pro wheelset too (product RNP-51135). Those are the only other options I can find. Maybe someone else knows of other options?
If you think thats ambitious, I’m also in the middle of installing digitrax decoders in all of my N scale steam, including a bachman 0-6-0 switcher. There is barely enough room for 30 gauge wire, let alone the decoder itself! (I may have to tape the decoder to the roof of the loco…)