I am replacing my plastic wheels sets with metal wheels sets ,the one question i have is when do you use 33’’ wheels and when would use 36’'wheels?
Any car 100 ton or more will use 36" wheels, anything 70 ton or less will use 33" wheels.
There is an exception concerning intermodal cars and that will depend on the type of intermodal car you use. Single unit well cars will use 33" wheels. 3-unit well cars will also use 33" wheels. Maxi 3 or 5-units will use 33" wheels only on the end units nearest the coupler, the rest of the wheels will be 36" or some of the newer models are 38".
John
I’m not trying to be smart with this answer, but you should replace the wheel sets with the same size that came on the car originally. If you put a different size wheel set on, the coupler heights may change and cause problems. If you don’t know what is on the car, you should measure them. A digital caliper is best, and theye have gotten very cheap lately. I don’t know what I would do without mine.
SIMPLE: 36" = Passenger; 33" = freight in 95% or more of our models.
Prototypes used some different sizes, but our model makers haven’t cought up. What IS impotant is replacing wheels with same size so couplers are at same height .
Prototypes use different sizes on Container freight to offset weight, but container car model makers use all the same sized wheels (cheaper) - at least in my models.
IHC & Rivarossi have used 32" wheels in both passenger and freight , but since Rivarossi was sold that could change. IHC is a ‘bargain basement’ seller,and wants to stay there if they can. Their Passenger cars have 32" wheels, Talgo trucks and ‘horn-hook’ couplers, paint jobs that never existed, and @ $8-$10 require $30+ more to bring up to NMRA specs - but it still sells.
DRGW never had yellow passenger cars, but the privately held ‘Ski Train’ does, - so now I’m Kosher with new wheels, couplers, body mounts, and weights added.
Reboxx has a good selection. I have bought them before. I cannot post the URL because someone will think it is a commercial ad being posted. It very recently happened to me.
Caboose Hobbies has good prices on the Reboxx wheelsets
Rich
I replaced the wheels on my Athearn single and 5 unit Maxis. Both needed 36" to be like for like. I tried out 33" initially but this led to clearance difficulties.
This brings us to…
…What are we doing with all those old wheel sets? I’ve got two gondolas filled with them destined for the off layout car shops. Maybe I should paint them a nice rusty color and file off the pointy ends of the axles.
Don:
You’re also Kosher if you’re modeling the Rio Grande ROYAL GORGE in the late 'forties, early 'fifties. They had the Grande Gold and Silver cars. I know, I just put one together as per some color photos I have of it being hauled by one of the big 1800 series 4-8-4’s. Combination of ex-Chessie streamline and re-painted Pullman Standard. I had a DEVIL of a time trying to find the ex-Chessie lower-profile dome observation car for it. Still have to figure out how to kit-bash an ‘observation’ end with the diaphragm and door to run it in the middle of the train like Rio Grande did. WHEW!
Tom
I thought of using them for that too, then I saw a load that had the true roller bearing ends on the axles and decided the old plastic pointy axle wheel sets were best thrown in the garbage.
The non working roller bearing axle sets were very cheap.
Unless you own Rebox, you can post the URL. The only time you can’t post a vendors URL/website is if you own it. Can’t sell your own stuff, but you can point us to a good product or bargain if you want to. My [2c]
That is sorta the inverse of what I meant. Rather than tossing them, find a use for them. I originally kept some of the “perfect” ones to swap out for damaged ones until more metal sets could be purchased. Buying sets as needed was a way to visit the LHS(Railworks, Danbury CT) on a weekly basis. The imaginary car shops were the excuse for loading the cars with wheelsets.
Did I ever tell you guys of the (evil vile freight hauling over the road) trucks I used to see frequently on I-78? Their flatbeds were carrying RR wheelsets! Railroads using trucks to haul parts! Sacriledge!!!
My passenger cars use 36" wheels but one car’s second truck’s center axle kept derailing on the old layout in the exact same spot every other time it went by. This continued after swapping to metal wheels. I tinkered with the track, replaced the track, adjusted the grades, made certian there was no dip, kink or bump either vertical or horizontal and still, the same wheels derailed in the same place over and over again. So I found the deepest flanged 36" wheels that I could, and before installing them, tore down the Playwood Atlantic and moved to PA! Mystery over, left unsolved.
Didn’t some RRs use special trucks for cabooses? Freight trucks with larger wheels and springs like passenger cars but n