METAL WHEEL'S

[Anonymous]

I wonder if the upcoming San Val wheelsets will fit Aristo and Bachmann cars? I guess we will see, but could be the shot in the arm that these cars need.

One thing for sure, any extra weight helps, my Bachmanns and Aristos just don;t track like the USA trains rolling stock.

Now, my trackwork is not perfect, right now lying on mostly landscape bark. My track is better suited to a shay!

Greg

[Gavin Sowry]

I don't have any problem with Bachmann metal wheels. In fact, just yesterday I replaced a set of plastic wheels on my Bachmann Tank Car with metal ones.
I found that this car tracks much better, and having a lower centre of gravity now, is less prone to be blown off the track in high wind. It is not unknown in this part of New Zealand for real trains to get blown off the track. ( less likely now with heavier steel rolling stock)

[Anonymous]

I belong to so many forums, typing a bunch of stuff about myself in so many places is tedious. I wish I had put my real name in instead of a "handle", but that's what was suggested in signing up.

There are over 2,000 hits on my name on the web, so, instead of what I want to say about myself, the real deal is out there.

I wrote a little bit about myself on my web site, www.elmassian.com so if I want to change something, it's in one place.

So, I'm not sure if you were criticising me for nothing in my profile or not, and I CERTAINLY was not criticising you. My statement was about myself.

There is a big increase in spam mail and weirdos giving you a bad time if you put your real name on everything. That said, if you have a web site, you're likely to get hit anyways, I get about 350 spam mails a day.

Anyway good to see you over here. I don't even like mentioning Aristo problems on their site, no matter how legitimate, like the problems with the switch frogs, and how the jumper wires come loose/corrode all the time. So this is a nice place to unwind.

Regards, Greg

[Anonymous]

gregusa is a real name? I'm Greg Elmassian... I kind of like real names.

"very little hidden from you i have a lot in my profile including my photo.
you have what in your profile?
nothing hidden if you look. i kind of like profiles" thats more then real names" i guess its just a opinion
happy RR

[Anonymous]

Yep, all current USA are steel wheels. I can't say this on the Aristo forum, but the weight of the wheels alone makes a big difference in derailments. I don't have perfect track, and run a USA trains lighted caboose, which has a lot of drag. If I put 6 USA cars on with the caboose, no problem. Swap out one USA car for an Aristo box or reefer with plastic wheels, bam, derailment.

Since replacement wheels are 20-30 dollars a set of 2, then adding 40-60 dollars to an aristo freight car is absurd.

If I pay $100 off the shelf in a local hobby shop for a USA box, with superior detailing, I'm still ahead of buying an Aristo.

It's too bad, since Aristo is very agressive with new products. Seems that they are focused on the high profit items, like locos.

No problem, I just vote with my pocket book.

Aside: "train-me" aren't you Steve Q from the Aristo forum? I'm Greg Elmassian... I kind of like real names.

Greg

[Anonymous]

Bachmann certainly has 2 wheelsizes, if not 3. Yesterday I ran a home built water tank car that I built years ago with Aristo bogies & plastic wheels, today I had to clean all of the track, black crap every inch of the way. That tank is staying on the spur from now on. I agree with Ian about LGB plastic wheels, they use a very durable plastic that doesn't leave crud everywhere. Any other make you have to fit metal if it's supplied with plastic. Is it right that USA are now fitting metal wheels as standard? About time!
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SoundGK

All my MDC Hoppers are fitted with USA trains wheel sets. I fitted some BAchmann wheels to a couple of the USA trains reefers I purchased that had plastic wheels on them and to be honest, they are OK but they dont have the weight that the USA wheels have. Plus the USA wheels roll easier. Just my humble opinion.

are the BAchmann wheels 1/20 or 1/29 size ?

[Anonymous]

All my MDC Hoppers are fitted with USA trains wheel sets. I fitted some BAchmann wheels to a couple of the USA trains reefers I purchased that had plastic wheels on them and to be honest, they are OK but they dont have the weight that the USA wheels have. Plus the USA wheels roll easier. Just my humble opinion.

[Anonymous]

greg
pairs is just like you said 4 wheels 2 axles. 2 pairs per 8 axle cars. does this help.

[Anonymous]

sheesh... I want metal wheels... that's for keeping the rails and loco wheels free of gunk....

I want the metal wheels to have ball bearings between the axle and the wheels, that's for better rolling resistance, especially on curved track.

So, no plastic lgb wheels, no ball bearings in the journals.

So far, the San-Val wheelsets look interesting, $10 for 2 wheelsets, or one truck's worth. Half the price of the Aristo, and much cheaper than Gary Raymond.

Anyone else find any other sources of metal wheels with bearings (as described above in this post)

A wheelset is usually a set of 2 wheels and an axle... like the piece you get on a real railroad.

I have never had anyone use the description "truck set", but many sites say "xxx, enough for one truck", since the definition seems to vary, you have to get it explicitly stated just what "set" means.

Greg

[Anonymous]

One of the problems with buying wheel sets, is that different people have dofferent ideas as to what is a wheel set. I think four wheels on two axles is a set; what do thers think?

Rgds Ian

[Anonymous]

gregeusa
hope this helps.
LGB number, 67403. It is the ball bearings that do it not the metal wheels.

[Anonymous]

I'm looking for ball bearing wheels, not just ordinary metal wheel sets.

Ball bearings between the wheel and axle, not a model of a roller bearing wheel.

Greg

[Anonymous]

greg

most all the new usa cars are with metal wheels.

[Anonymous]

Mark, at ridge road station, aristo ball bearing wheel sets are $23 for 2 axles, and LGB is $25. I guess you are not talking about ball bearing wheel sets.
so $45 to $50 additional for each car is pretty steep, considering the cars, bought "right" are about $70 to $100. (I'm pricing used and ebay USA trains cars, Aristo Bachmann, etc. can be had for much less)

Again, does anyone have a less expensive way to get ball bearing wheels (not journals).

Greg


Greg

[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[:)]

[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

[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]

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

[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]

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

[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]

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

[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]

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

[Chompers]

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

also who makes metalwheels for an aristo hershy bobber caboose?

[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.

[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]

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.