...probably explains why I need over an hour to find a short circuit caused by using my coupler height gauge to check cars on the layout.
Lose your shorts and your memory: http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page206a.htm
thanks for all the replies, and I even got one from Andy Sperandeo (star-struck...) haha.
well tonight i spent some time weathering an oxide red 2-bay SF hopper. I finally made a color chart of the paints I have at the moment (flat black, ocean gray, SP Lark dark and light gray, rust, zinc chromate primer *still unopened...*, rust, and mud) and I decided to go with the SP Lark Dary Gray for trucks and wheels. I painted the springs with rust, and then dry brushed some rust over the whole truck to blend the colors together a little. I put a base coat of the SP L DG on the wheels and then dry brushed some rust across the whole face, doing my best to keep paint off that sharp Kadee point. I need to go back and clean the paint off the wheel treads tho. I'll probably add some powders to the trucks also, i'm not sure yet. I need to definitely add some powders to the hopper itself, as my dry-brushing didn't come out all that well... i couldn't get a good coverage application with the microbrushes i was using; it was either too much, going on as a whole coat, or nothing. i guess they aren't good for large surfaces. i will have pictures for you all tho
that brings up another question, though: I've seen plenty of models where the ENTIRE wheel assembly was painted. Isn't having paint on the tread bad? I would imagine that it would collect on the tracks and yeah, not a good thing.
Shilshole wrote: Ribbed-back wheels were never banned. Cast iron wheels, with or without ribs, were prohibited on new cars or new rebuilds effective 1 Jan 1958 and prohibited from interchanged cars effective 1 Jan 1970. Some steel wheels were made with ribs.
Ribbed-back wheels were never banned. Cast iron wheels, with or without ribs, were prohibited on new cars or new rebuilds effective 1 Jan 1958 and prohibited from interchanged cars effective 1 Jan 1970. Some steel wheels were made with ribs.
Appreciate the correct info. I did not think there were any ribbed steel wheels made. Obviously my memory is worse than I thought . Which probably explains why I need over an hour to find a short circuit caused by using my coupler height gauge to check cars on the layout.
Fred W
The wheel color depends on the bearing type.
Plain bearings (the so called "friction" bearings) have oil in a reservoir. If the seal on the axle at the back of the reservoir leaks the oil will slosh onto the wheel giving it a brownish black coat of gunk made of oil, rust and dirt. If the seal were really worn the wheels would be black and oily.
Roller bearings are sealed bearings and don't leak (until moments before they fail). The wheels don't get oily so they are more likely to be rusty or dusty.
A new wheel isn't very noticeable on a modern roller bearing car, new wheels stuck out like a sore thumb on older plain bearing cars.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
The color the wheels are (and the truck sideframes and the underbody) sepend on the local in which the cars spend most of their time. If you can, go out and look, or better, take a bunch of pictures of every freight car you can (yes, at least one truck of every car in a train), if you've got a digital camera this is pretty easy. Then see what color looks good to you. what looks good to me might not look good to you, so use your artistic abilities, no matter how developed they are. I've noticed hopper cars have real greasy looking wheels while cement hoppers have a light grey, dusty color and boxcars have a more muddy look to them. I'm not suggesting drastic color differences on every car type, use a muted earth/rusty tone as a base color and drybrush the slight color variations onto them. If you look close, even things that are the same color aren't the same color, but they all blend into one nice greasy, rusty, dusty, muddy hue. If you look at the train as a whole, it should appear to be the same, but if you look closely, there should be subtle variations so it doesn't all look the same. Also, railroads replaced wheels regularly so maybe 1% (?) of the wheels should be more rusty than weathered (but still blend in).
I realize this might be a bit too much info, but remember, it's your layout, do what you think looks right. If you plan on photographing your layout, take test shots and remember layout lighting might change the colors a bit too. Have fun!
http://delray1967.shutterfly.com/pictures/5
SEMI Free-Mo@groups.io
Andy Sperandeo MODEL RAILROADER Magazine
fwright wrote:Ribbed back (cast) wheels were outlawed - I'm thinking the 1930s if my memory isn't too far off.
Ribbed back (cast) wheels were outlawed - I'm thinking the 1930s if my memory isn't too far off.
Don't forget 28" wheels on pig flats and auto racks.
DeadheadGreg wrote:Okay, so I've read everywhere that 33" wheels are for freight and 36" wheels are for passenger cars. I recently purchased a set of Kadee 33" ribbed-back wheels (they're metal, right?) to install as upgrades on my plastic wheels. I start with an Athearn hopper, and once I get the stock wheels off and the Kadee's popped in, the coupler pin is practically touching the ground!!! Lo-and-behold, it was originally equipped with 36" wheels, I'm assuming (since they're bigger than the 33" wheels I bought). What gives? I thought this was an industry standard format? I had to go back later and buy some Kadee washers that I'm going to put between the trucks and the body to raise the height back up to a proper level. Does anybody know why this is? I can't return my Kadee wheels for bigger ones, as the package is already opened. Is there going to be any problem with the trucks being lower, and using wheels that are smaller than what they were originally equipped with? <snip>thanks
Okay, so I've read everywhere that 33" wheels are for freight and 36" wheels are for passenger cars. I recently purchased a set of Kadee 33" ribbed-back wheels (they're metal, right?) to install as upgrades on my plastic wheels. I start with an Athearn hopper, and once I get the stock wheels off and the Kadee's popped in, the coupler pin is practically touching the ground!!! Lo-and-behold, it was originally equipped with 36" wheels, I'm assuming (since they're bigger than the 33" wheels I bought).
What gives? I thought this was an industry standard format? I had to go back later and buy some Kadee washers that I'm going to put between the trucks and the body to raise the height back up to a proper level.
Does anybody know why this is? I can't return my Kadee wheels for bigger ones, as the package is already opened. Is there going to be any problem with the trucks being lower, and using wheels that are smaller than what they were originally equipped with?
thanks
Greg
In addition to the wheel size issue, axle length may be causing some of your problems. If the axles of the new wheel sets aren't long enough, they will not center correctly in the truck side frame. The weight of the car will push it down, with the axle point riding near the top of the conical depression instead of in the center. This would also give the "low coupler" effect you describe. Replacement wheel sets have to be both the right diameter and the right axle length.
Ribbed back (cast) wheels were outlawed - I'm thinking the 1930s if my memory isn't too far off. And most modern rolling stock uses 36" wheels for the larger weight capacity. But if you want to ship your Kadee 33" ribbed back wheelsets to me, I'll be sure to put them to good use in your memory.
yours in having fun
In the common transition era (40's through 60's), which a lot of folks model, the 33 inch freight and 36 inch passenger car wheel size was true. In the more modern era, it seems that freight cars are now using 36 inch wheels with roller bearing trucks. I'm not sure what passenger equipment is using.
As to color of wheels and trucks, I am using weathered black and highlighting with a dry brush of dark gray. Unless of course the car I am modeling had its trucks painted a specific color by the RR that owns it.
I have been thinking about putting a train together and running it past an airbrush spraying a light mist of mud down even with the wheels and trucks. I've got to figure out some way not to spray the tops of the rails in the process or the wheel treads and track will get loaded up with paint.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
Also, on a side note, what do you all paint your wheels? I liked the look of Pelle's wheels in his book about his layout, and i bought Mud paint because the color sticker on the rack looked like the same color (he says he used Model Flex Dark Skin Tone, but that wasn't there, only a color called Skin Tone Dark Shade or something like that), but they came out an ugly mustard-ish color that definitely doesn't look good. I was flipping through an old MR and found an article on weathering a green BN covered hopper while you build it, and the guy used Tarnished Black (which I ALMOST bought yesterday.... gahhh. I went with SP Lark dark and light gray instead) and I think that that looks really nice.
But yeah, what the hell do you all paint your wheels and trucks? (picture examples would be very nice, heh)