I recently bought some Proto 2000 33 inch wheels that I want to put into 3 Athearn freight cars (40 foot boxcar, single dome tank car and a 50 foot mill gondola). When I put them in the truck, they don’t spin as good as the plastic wheels that were already in the trucks. How do I fix this?
Get yourself a Micro-Mark ‘Truck Tuner’ - the best ‘tool’ investment you will make in this hobby. The tool will clear all the flash out of the journal. BTW, the P2k metal wheels have ‘plastic’ axle ends. Myself, I use the I-M metal wheels - all metal axles/ends. They also are much more inexpensive when bought in ‘bulk packs’ Those 10 or 12 count ‘blister’ packs get expensive real fast!
Jim
Another issue is the relative axle lengths. I’ve found many freight cars where the IM 33" wheelsets perform (roll) better, sometimes much better, perhaps not just because of the issues Jim notes but also that they are a tad shorter than the 33" P2Ks. I have both on hand, and use the P2Ks when they fit and perform well (especially on older cars where I want to use the ribbed back ones, but on many the IMs are a better fit. I use a digital caliper to guide my decisions (comparing axle lengths).
I,ve used P2K wheels in nearly all my Athearn, Accurail, Walthers and Atlas cars with no problem. As Jim says, you have to ream out the truck frames to get the extra plastic, flash and ‘junk’ out first.
I’ve always been able to buy ‘blister packs’ of P2K cheaper (by $.10 to $.20 including shipping) than IM wheels from MB Kline, but the last time I looked, they were out of stock, so I got IM in the 100 pack.
Len S
Has anyone tried the wheels manufactured by ExactRail? They look really good, but are they worth the price?
Bruce LA
Are you referring to the newly advertised wheels with the more accurate wheel and axle contours, or the older ExactRail wheels that are similar to Intermountain? I’ve used both. Both types perform flawlessly. If you’re looking at the newer wheels, I’d suggest getting the pre-blackened ones over raw brass even if the cost is a bit more. Whether they are worth the price to you depends on your prioroties.
Agree with Rob. Those new ExactRail blackened wheelsets look great. IMR’s roll very well and are good quality, but they don’t have that “dished” controur - and have a sort of “stepped” profile which doesn’t look as realistic.
I have now refitted over 100 Athearn BB cars with IM 33" wheels, both kits and used already-built cars bought at swap meets. That I have never ever had one single instance of poor fit or rolling quality says a lot about this issue. 100 cars means 400 wheels. I have not used my tuner on any of them, either. When converted, the cars roll on and on. They sound great on the track (that clickety- clack sound) and are easy to paint and weather. Empirical evidence is the best recommendation for the IM wheels, in my opinion. Cedarwoodron
Intermountain wheelsets are also my “go-to” wheels for replacing plastic wheels on older car kits.
I just received a bulk pack of IM wheel sets, and I can’t wait to start refurbishing some cars. Summer time has me busy outside and dealing with my garden tractor hobby, but if this rain doesn’t shut off soon, I might be back in basement with the trains !.
Micro Mark has their truck tuner on back order…way back order. I’ve been waiting for about 3 months now. They keep sending me cards asking if I want to cancel the order. I bought a Rebox (I think it’s Rebox) tuner and I’m not happy with it, as it is way to short, and you have to really distort the side frames to get it to cut.
Mike.
Guys,If I may…I did a roll ability test between 50’ (1 Athearn and 1 MDC) boxcars equipped with IM,P2K and a 50’ ER boxcar on a slight incline-a N Scale Atlas car box lid was used.
My results showed the IM equipped Athearn and ER cars tied.This was done by best out of three tries.
Not wanting to stop short I tried another test and added a RTR Athearn and Atlas(Trainman) boxcar…
Again the best two out of three was applied.
The clear cut winner in this test was the Trainman boxcar by 3 3/16th inches.
Here’s the rub.
Atlas freight car trucks will not fit other brands of freight car trucks…
What to do?
Atlas sells their caboose wheels in the bulk…These wheels work in other brands of freight car trucks.
I’ve been replacing plastic wheels with metal lately. For some old cars that once had Tyco Talgo trucks, I’ve had to replace the trucks because it’s impossible to remove the wheels. For the rest, I’ve been able to just replace the wheels with Intermountains.
Since I only want to do this once, I’ve also been painting and weathering the trucks as I go. I use rattle-can brown or rust primer, and mask off the top of the truck where it attaches to the bolster. For trucks that have plastic wheels, I leave them in while painting. For new trucks that already have metal wheels, I remove the wheels and also mask the axle bearings with blue painters’ tape. Once painted, I use black and rust weathering powders and then spray with Dull Coat to fix the powder. Once that’s done, I remove the tape and the plastic wheels, clean out the bearings with my Micro-Mark Tuner, and put the new wheels in. It’s more work than just popping in wheels, but the results are worth it to me.
Most of today’s trucks are plastic. But, if you are replacing wheels on older metal trucks, be aware that the Intermountain wheelsets have a “hot axle.” That is, the axle is metal, and it’s only insulated from one wheel. You can tell which one by looking for the small black insulator where the axle meets that wheel. If you’re using metal trucks, both wheels must have the insulator on the same side of the truck or you’ll have a dead short. Even further, if you’ve got metal trucks and a metal-framed car, then all 4 wheels must have the insulators on the same side.
I may be confused but I don’t understand the comment about the insulated wheel having to be on the same side or it will short. It seems to me that is only true if the truck frames are metal also. Since most newer cars have plastic truck frames the wheels should not short unless they derail and cross both tracks or on a switch.
Am I missing something?
Marty C
Mister Beasley,
Duh. I should read the entire comment . Sorry I missed your comment about metal trucks on older cars. Please disregard my previous comment.
Marty C
As Mike stated, they are on back order. A quick phone call to MicroMark revealed that they have no idea as to when they’ll have them in stock. I was told to “check back in about 2 weeks to 30 days.” I DID check at Caboose Industries and they list them in stock. Caboose Hobbies truck tuner Their phone number is:
Phone: (303)777-6766 - Fax: (303)777-0028
Toll-Free(Orders Only): (800)886-1813