METAL WHEEL'S

[Anonymous]

I have rolling stock with metal wheels some aristo,usat,after market san-val,aristo. i like usat wheels was wondering about are they hard or easy to install. i was thinking of buying some any ya's or na's ?

[Anonymous]

I have intsalled LGB metal wheels with ball bearings and electrical pick ups on most of my LGB carriages. I bought a whole bunch of them off ebay and they are very simple and easy to install. The electrics are a bit harder, invoves drilling; and rewiring the internal lightiing. but eminently affective


rgds ian

Rgds ian

[John Busby]

Hi train me
I have a deliberate policy of plastic wheel replacement.
metal wheels don't melt outside and on an indoor set up the result is less down time
too track cleaning.
You cannot avoid track cleaning but metal wheels help minimise it
most of the gunck comes from the plastic wheels.
You also get the side benefit of the clickety clack at rail joints whch seems to add something to the expierience.
They can be very easy to install or a right royal pain depending on how the manufacturer has constructed things.
regards John

[Anonymous]

i guess i asked the wrong question which are the best wheels? for the money and i know the best price is bachmann no thanks i woundn't use bachmann wheels bachmann is not my friend of choice. any others?

[John Busby]

Hi train me
Not knowing how the cost structure goes in your neck of the woods.
Makes it a bit hard.
But like you I don't trust bachman wheels iether.
For American outline or where solid wheels will do I have been using Arristocraft blackend wheels for metal spoked wheels have used LGB.
regards John

[Anonymous]

how do you guys feel about San-val wheels i have some i bought about 10 yrs ago i just didn't care for sillver wheels i have painted them black. and they seem to work good.
anybuddy elese comments on them>

[ragnar]

Gary Raymond metal wheels are probably the best large scale wheels out there,but must admit they ain't cheap.

[Anonymous]

ragnar
yea there out of my price range but thanks.

[powlee]

QUOTE: Originally posted by train-me

how do you guys feel about San-val wheels i have some i bought about 10 yrs ago i just didn't care for sillver wheels i have painted them black. and they seem to work good.
anybuddy elese comments on them>

I have bought San-val`s metal wheels on their Ebay site. Good value(for us Brits). I also painted the silver wheels black as suggested in their advert. I recently took some of the black ones, seem okay. Certainly do not need cleaning as much as the plastic and do not deposit so much crud on the tracks.

All the best
Ian P

[cacole]

Bachmann replacement metal wheelsets seem to be a good product for the price, but be aware that they come in three different diameters. I have used these on Delton to replace plastic wheels. I also put ball bearing races into the journals as I replaced the plastic wheels, and this made a drastic difference in rolling qualities.

[Anonymous]

bachmann
messed me over in my ho days they will never see a dime of my money.

[Anonymous]

You know i believe I live in a hotter place than just about any one on this forum and I have never had any hint of plastic wheels melting at all.

Is this because I only have LGB?

Rgds Ian

[ragnar]

QUOTE: Originally posted by iandor

You know i believe I live in a hotter place than just about any one on this forum and I have never had any hint of plastic wheels melting at all.

Is this because I only have LGB?

Rgds Ian

When it comes to summer temperturesThink us folks here in Phoenix Arizona can give you a run for your money. LGB wheels? maybe but know body in his/her right mind leaves plastic equipment out on the rails sans shade in this part of the country!!

[Anonymous]

ian
how hot does it down under?
with the indoor R R it gets hot hear in florida summer 130 in the shade. but then i turn the ac on i have never had the black crud on my tracks ther talking about either. but when in yuma ariz i got up to first thing in am 148 im glad i don't R R there. when i was there in phoenix we went to morning church service my former wife for got here bible in the back window a real leather bible it was a butter fly after the service ruined it..

[Anonymous]

If you could find out the name of anyone involved with the layout at The Living Desert, they might give a good answer about wheels. Based in Palm Springs, CA they have serious heat issues to deal with. Similar to Phoenix tempratures, but they also run full time.

[Anonymous]

I have no problem with Bachmann rolling stock or their wheels, in another topic I have just said that their gear is definately better lately. My stuff stays on the track ok and nothing has fallen off because of the wheels. I just bought 4 freight today at my local shop and paid £25-99 each, an absolute steal for the quality of the item. I agree that I wouldn't leave them in the sun though, I have a nice shady spot for that.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

kim
thats great that you can be pleased with your bachmann rolling stock!
but for me they dont make what i like and in my ho days they made junk .
they didn't install any trust in me with there junk ho.

[cacole]

train-me --

I think Bachmann products have improved drastically since you bought your HO stuff. I agree, the original cheap Bachmann HO engines and rolling stock were junk, and still are, but Bachmann has three different levels of quality -- the cheap Bachmann Plus junk; Bachmann Silver Series, a mid-level product, and their highest quality, Spectrum. Spectrum locomotives are, in my experience, equal in running qualities to Atlas, Kato, and Proto2000. I model in both HO and G, and have close to 20 Bachmann Spectrum steam engines. I wouldn't touch one of their diesels, though, because other members of the club I belong to have had to send 3 of them back for replacement.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

train-me --

I think Bachmann products have improved drastically since you bought your HO stuff. I agree, the original cheap Bachmann HO engines and rolling stock were junk, and still are, but Bachmann has three different levels of quality -- the cheap Bachmann Plus junk; Bachmann Silver Series, a mid-level product, and their highest quality, Spectrum. Spectrum locomotives are, in my experience, equal in running qualities to Atlas, Kato, and Proto2000. I model in both HO and G, and have close to 20 Bachmann Spectrum steam engines. I wouldn't touch one of their diesels, though, because other members of the club I belong to have had to send 3 of them back for replacement.

cacole thanks for the input.
i own 1 steamer its a kalamazoo 440 & tender. Lake Tahoe set new in box.
i am into diesels now.

[Chompers]

What should i expect to pay for 4 bachman metal wheels?

also who makes metalwheels for an aristo hershy bobber caboose?

[Anonymous]

Don't forget Australia is as big as mainland USA and it is the 6 th biggest country in the world, so it goes from 2000 ks across open ocean to Antarctica and up equatrorial up near Papua New Guinea.

At Kuber Pedy (I'm sure I spelt it wrong) it gets up to 52 Celsius degrees every day for about 3 months of the year, so much so that the town is almost entirely underground, it is the world capital of Opal mining.

However here on the Sunshine Coast with nearly the best climate in the world, we only get up to about 35 to 40 deg C but we get it every day for 5 months of the year and it never gets below 20 degrees C. We are only 26 degrees from the equator and the only part of the USA in that league is Hawaii.

Getting back to metal wheels i am amazed at just how freely rolling stock run with LGB ball bearing metal wheels, they roll so much and so easily they can be a nuisance.


Rgds Ian

[Anonymous]

ian
Getting back to metal wheels i am amazed at just how freely rolling stock run with LGB ball bearing metal wheels, they roll so much and so easily .
what does it cost for this conversion? are these for mostly 4 wheel cars or 8 wheel cars?

[Anonymous]

Hard to say mate, I got a good deal on ebay, just watch it I will give you the LGB number, 67403. It is the ball bearings that do it not the metal wheels.

I have a postal van LGB 32190 and i accidentally let it go one day and it yo yo'd back and forth for some minutes. The slightest gradient and it will just run off by itself then up the next up gradient to a stop and back down again etc. Annoying yes but very wothwhile.


Rgds ian

[DannyS]

I would certainly not bad mouth Bachmann wheelsets, I have replaced all the plastic from under, my Aristo Delton, USA Trains, Hartland & LGB with Bachmann Wheelsets run perfectly and no meltdowns, on a summer day here in Southern Queensland (no sea breezes, like Ian) brass rail gets extremely hot. Metal is the only way to go.

[Anonymous]

danny
i hope your happy with your bachmann wheels. HAPPY R R!

[tmcc man]

I went to ECLSTS with my club, and i went and bought USA axles, and I put them on my LGB starter set cars, and also the short sided DR gondolas, and they run very well, and they were cheap, only about $50 for 20 axles.

[Anonymous]

Pardon the ignorance, but are the ball bearings in the aforementioned LGB sets between the wheel and the axle, and are they on both sides? Anyone have the part number?

Thanks, Greg

[Anonymous]

The idea of plastic wheels on "model trains" or hobby grade garden trains seems absurd. Companies actually make non-toy trains with plastic wheels still? Probably made in China too!

I would highly recommend getting metal wheels put on ASAP. Especially if your track spends anytime in the afternoon sun.

Admittedly I'm in Phoenix where the temps get into the 100's for 3-4 months straight! But nevertheless.

[Anonymous]

No no thats not so, I am happy with LGB plastic wheels, absolutely no problems at all. However metal wheels with ball bearings are superior in my opinion. If they were no good LGB wouldn't use them.

Have a look at my last posting on this subject, the LGB part number is covered there.


Rgds Ian

[mgilger]

I pay about $12-13 for a set of 4 wheels through Ridge Road Station. They seem to be very good quality. http://www.ridgeroadstation.com/trains.shtml
Regards,
Mark[:)]