Profile wheelset replacements...... Plastic or metal

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It depends on the scale. HO and larger, the preference is metal. N and smaller, generally a form of plastic, as long as the plastic is high quality, and slippery, like Delrin.
 


MT wheelsets have a shorter axle length than other makes like Atlas. They will fall out of an Atlas truck. You can only use them in MT trucks.
 
Metal wheels only. Intermountain are my go to wheels. I have many axle lengths that are separated by size to fit any wheelset regardless of the manufacturer.
 


Twinboystrains said:
Metal wheels only. Intermountain are my go to wheels. I have many axle lengths that are separated by size to fit any wheelset regardless of the manufacturer.
Click to expand...
I stay with the Delrin wheels for two main reasons and a couple of others. First, Delrin, like all plastics is nonconductive. That means a lot in any derailments at switches due a misaligned switch or a wheel that "picks" a switch point. I have seen a cars truck melted due to a derailment at a switch due to a short. Second, the allegation that metal wheels mimic the clickety-clack sound made by prototype wheels made over jointed track is false. Rather it is more of a whirring sound and not very prototypical. Besides with welded rail that clickety-clack sound isn't heard as much anymore. Other reasons include cost, the necessary three-piece construction of each wheelset which could lead to wheelsets becoming out of gauge. Plus, there is the possibility of inducing a dead short with a lighted car or one equipped with electrical pickups, either axle or wheel wipers, just by inserting one wheelset in a truck the wrong way.
 
The noise from N scale metal wheels is high-pitched enough it bothers my tinnitus. If everything is crawling along, it doesn't bother, but when a train is moving at road speed, all those wheels set up something that sounds to me like Saturday night at the roller rink.
A car or two doesn't bother me, but 15 or more cars rolling along at a scale 40 mph...
Therefore, plastic wheels are on all my freight cars, and I have one business car, and no other passenger cars.
 
Ah okay got it, thanks.
I’ve got both IM metal and MT plastic wheels on my N stuff, the clickety clack is much more subdued than HO and yes they do whirr when they hit long sections of flex. I guess you’d need more weight in the cars maybe.
Terry I get roller rink effect thing, my ears sing as well.
 
OP was last seen end of July, but I digress.

On the old HO layout had both types of wheels. I did not notice which was louder or quieter. The clickety clack was louder when running slower going over the flex joints and turnouts though.

Prototype noise is that whirr now days. You can stand pretty much next to the tracks when a unit train of wheat or coal comes by. Actually able to talk to somebody and hear them. Well, unless there are axle problems - then bang bang bang. The worst I have heard came from two places. West Ripley and the UP/BNSF diamond in Sandpoint just East of the Boyer siding. At Ripley, you could feel the bang standing ~20Ft away from the CP. In the Sandpoint case, it was *loud*. They did have a new diamond ( in parts ) laying near by. Though I had taken a pix of that, but no... Well you know me and pix:
IMGP1128.JPG


L8r
 
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