Hi,
What size wheels do well cars use?
Chris
I do believe 28 inch
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
crisco1 Hi, What size wheels do well cars use? Chris
I believe most well cars have 33" wheels on the ends and 36" or 38" under the articulated joints. Well cars do not need undersized wheels because the wells are between the trucks rather than over them, allowing the cars to carry much heavier loads.
Articulated cars, the interior wells have 38" wheels.
If in HO scale, 36" wheels are just barely smaller, but Intermountain does offer 38" metal wheelsets for those who want correct size.
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
NVSRR I do believe 28 inch
Nope. Articulated well cars have two car bodies sharing the common trucks, so the "inside" trucks are heavy duty 125 ton trucks with 38" wheels.
"Outside" trucks will be standard 100 ton trucks with 36" wheels.
Since most modern freight cars are 100+ ton capacity, 33" wheels aren't the "standard" anymore.
You were probably thinking of autoracks, which carry relatively light and bulky loads, and some older trilevels had smaller diameter wheels to allow a low profile deck and since the weight capacity requirements weren't that great to require heavier truck/wheel/axle sets.
Drop-deck flat cars and well cars place the loading area between the trucks instead of over them in order to get the maximum loading height and the height profile over the trucks doesn't matter since it doesn't carry the load.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
This one has 33 inch wheels on the model.
-Photograph by Kevin Parson
I do not know for sure about the prototype.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
SeeYou190 This one has 33 inch wheels on the model. -Photograph by Kevin Parson I do not know for sure about the prototype. -Kevin
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Are you asking in general or is it your intention to change wheel sets on existing models?
If an existing model, probably best to replace the wheel sets with existing size rather than change. If the model was designed to use one size (right or wrong), increasing the size may result in the new wheel sets rubbing on something on the bottom of the car.