metal wheels. which is better?


I use Jay-Bee wheel sets. Heavy, metal axles, pre blackened. 33" for freight, some Kaydee 36" for my passenger fleet.
 
My "philosophy" regarding wheels is this. Plastic axle wheel sets, (proto, Kadee) goes into plastic trucks. Metal axle wheelsets, (Intermountain, Jaybee) goes into metal trucks. Metal axles will wear down a plastic truck quickly, if used heavily.

Our club puts on a major show from November through January every year, with trains running 7 days a week, 8-12 hours a day. The metal axles wore through the plastic trucks quickly during several shows, and about 25 sets of trucks had to be replaced during those shows.
 
Cjcrescent said:
My "philosophy" regarding wheels is this. Plastic axle wheel sets, (proto, Kadee) goes into plastic trucks. Metal axle wheelsets, (Intermountain, Jaybee) goes into metal trucks. Metal axles will wear down a plastic truck quickly, if used heavily.

Our club puts on a major show from November through January every year, with trains running 7 days a week, 8-12 hours a day. The metal axles wore through the plastic trucks quickly during several shows, and about 25 sets of trucks had to be replaced during those shows.
Click to expand...

Hmmmmm. I've got 48 MDC hoppers that are 20 years old and thus far no problems. My A-Line cars are getting close and thus far not a problem. I've found that with the use of "the tool" that cars with metal wheels roll better than those with plastic. And as mentioned earlier gather and deposit less gunk on the rails vs. plastic. Phil
 
I run my trains very often and I've never had the problem with the wheels wearing through the truck except for this one car where it was severely overweight. I removed some of the weight, replaced the trucks, and it hasn't had a problem since.

Metal on metal can cause problems if not lubricated. The metal truck journals can be imperfect.
 
diburning said:
I run my trains very often and I've never had the problem with the wheels wearing through the truck except for this one car where it was severely overweight. I removed some of the weight, replaced the trucks, and it hasn't had a problem since.

Metal on metal can cause problems if not lubricated. The metal truck journals can be imperfect.
Click to expand...

Yeah but I sincerely doubt that running them the way we do at these shows can compare to a home situation. Yeah, our running is way out of the normal running league, because home running is nowhere near it. I bet we will put in during a week, what the majority of modelers will run in a 6 month or longer period.

But worn out plastic journals with metal axles does occur, and I'm just pointing it out, and what I personally do to not have the problem.

As to the metal truck journals being imperfect, metal trucks can be easily disassembled and the imperfections corrected with a drill bit. Very similar to the relatively new truck tuners. Before they came out, we'd tune both metal and plastic trucks with a drill bit. I also have many metal trucks, (old CV's) that I've never lubed at all, and they roll better than any plastic truck, tuned or not, on the market.
 
diburning said:
I run my cars at the club pretty often. Are your cars are a bit on the heavy side?
Click to expand...

They are within NMRA specs. Some are heavier than others but none of the cars on the club layout is lighter.

As I said earlier unless you're running 8-12hrs a day everyday for almost 3 months straight, you're not even close.
 
Thanks for the tips!!!
A lot of opinions - which is better? ))) I have a goal - to compare all of this and take a picture!
There were some days when I get the metal! )))
 
beginning of the experiment

So the past few days my expectations. I received the parcel!
Starting to experiment ...

____________________________________

incidentally bought some useful stuff ;)
 
I can not understand and find information!
Tell me what year to use the wheel with ribbed side?

Or should simply trust the manufacturer models. What is included just swap head on the metal?
 
The 2 Boxcars use 33" Wheels and the Hopper 36". As for ribbed or flat back I guess it depends when the cars were built but I would say that none of the cars you have used ribbed wheels as they were banned by that time.
 
Thank you guys!!!
Very interesting information about the different standards in the ownership of railroads.

I continue to build models ... wheel should spin;-)
I'll do a photo - replacement wheel sets.
 
rim size

I put this hopper wheel InterMountain. That's only if I should choose the right size?
what size set - 33 or 36?
 
Very likely that modern hopper would have 36" wheels but could have 33".
Measure the diameter of the wheels that came with the hopper. For HO
0.378" = 33"
0.413" = 36"
 
The real car has 36" wheels so thats what I would put on the car but Iwould also check the coupler height after that to make sure its not to high.
 
in real life

And so, I decided to try it myself in real life)))
For standard height hitch I took Hopper Kadee.
What happened - seen in the photo. Yes, you can choose the hopper accurail '36 wheels.

p.s. I want to note that the 33-wheel (intermountain) itself is very beautiful! What a graceful rim! ;-)
 
in the subject

Then decided to collect team model gondolas from the Proto 2000. I want to see a good model. Here and packing details, and cast plastic and metal '33 wheels included! I love it!
But when building a gondola noticed immediately that coupling somehow lower than in other cars.

What is it I do not understand? like to be here?

And yet - it seems to me that the wheels complete with a gondola that better quality than wheels are sold separately. The photo shows the difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top