I´ve just learned that the AccuRail kits come with plastic wheels - should I replace them with metal wheels for better running or can I keep them?
The only wheels I can get over here are Atlas metal wheels - if I have to replace the plastic ones, should I buy 33" or 36" diameter wheels for my 50´ boxcars?
Maybe stupid questions, but there is no other way for me to find out, so please bear with me… [swg]
Absolutely replace them with metal wheels…as per 33 or 36, it depends on the boxcar.
David B
If you have modern boxcars they probably have 36 inch wheels. I use ONLY Kadee trucks on my freight cars. Kadee 522 is the wheel set to use or Intermountain 40051. Substitute 2-56 X 1/4 inch screws for the pins that hold the trukcs on too.
Older cars and intermodal cars have 33 inch wheels. Some intermodal cars have 28 inch wheels.
The boxcars I have ordered are 50 ft. steel boxcars, like in the picture below:
That´ll be 36" diameter wheels?
Those need 33" wheels. Depending on the vintage of the kit, you may not need to replace the king pins. Most new run Accurail kits have screws for the trucks rather then friction pins.
Nick
Ulrich,
33" wheels are correct for that bpox car. Cars with a load capacity up to 77 tons use 33" wheels.
Jim
Are the plastic wheels causing some problem? If so (or if not, but you’ve got money to burn [swg] ), replace them. Most of my rolling stock is still equipped with plastic wheels, and I haven’t seen a need to replace them.
Wayne
Before you go out and buy a bunch of Atlas wheels, you might want to check if the overall axle length of the new Atlas wheelsets are the appropriate length for the Accurail truck sideframes. Take a look at http://www.reboxx.com/Documents/Wheelsets/33%20Application%20Chart.pdf. It appears to me that the Atlas wheelsets could possibly be either too short or too long, depending upon which flavor of product you have.
Get the Atlas caboose wheelsets if Intermountain is not available. According to the Reboxx list, they should be the same 1.015 inches long. Regular Atlas wheels have shorter axles. Most Accurail cars use 33" wheels. Some need 36" to get the coupler to the right height, but these are rare.
Thanks for this advice - I check the length of the axles of the Atlas 33" wheels and they are too short! You saved me from wasting some $$$! [:D]
Ulrich:
I’ve replaced the Accurail plastic wheelsets with either 33" Proto2000 or Intermountain–either one fits right in and rolls very freely. The Intermountain have a little more ‘heft’ to them, being solid metal, but the cars themselves are very well weighted in case all you can find are the 'lighter 'Protos.
But either one has worked very well for me.
Tom