I want to upgrade my NScale rolling stock (Mostly Atlas & Athearn) from plastic to metal wheelsets, but I'm confused. How do I know if I need 33" or 36" Wheels? 70 ton or 100 ton? any easy way to swap plastic for metal?
I haven't actually gone to see for myself, but I have read that Kadee's site has a reference table to help their clients to choose the correct metal wheel sets for various commercially available rolling stock.
I just checked Kadee's website. They have a tab that takes you to their trucks and wheelsets, but no conversion charts and no N scale. Just Ho, Hon3, On30 and G scale. Since Micro Trains covers the N gauge, perhaps their website will have some kind of converstion chart. IIRC, Kadee sold their Micro Trains division years ago, but I could be wrong (at least my wife claims I'm never right!)
Micro Trains is the way to go. Was originally part of Kadee (or vice versa). Wheelsets, trucks, and couplers and an online conversion guide.
Here is the Micro-Trains site:
https://www.micro-trains.com/
They show a conversion chart for couplers but I couldn't find one for wheels.
https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?_route_=parts/n-scale-wheels
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I'm not sure Kadee or microtrains even have metal wheels for N gauge. All of the Microscale cars that I've seen come with plastic wheels. Their HOn3 cars have metal wheels. Can't figure why they don't have them fot N gauge. Probably North West Short Lines would have them.
2jerryl2I'm not sure Kadee or microtrains even have metal wheels for N gauge
The ones I saw on the Micro Train website did not say what they were made of. Intermountain, Exact Rail and Fox Valley make metal wheel sets. I'm not an N-scale guy so i can't comment further.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I just took a look at model train stuff and they carry metal wheel sets. You might want to e-mail them and ask. Here is the link to the page;
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/N-Scale-Trucks-Wheelsets-s/1474.htm
deadeye43 I want to upgrade my NScale rolling stock (Mostly Atlas & Athearn) from plastic to metal wheelsets, but I'm confused. How do I know if I need 33" or 36" Wheels? 70 ton or 100 ton? any easy way to swap plastic for metal?
If you have many cars, the most practical way is to buy 100-axle bulk packs of wheelsets (good for 25 cars).
Great information - thanks for the help
70 ton 33 inches and 100 ton 36 inches is close enough for me. Or, boxcars 33 inches and everything else 36 also is a good ballpark.
- Douglas
BigDaddyThe ones I saw on the Micro Train website did not say what they were made of.
They still don't. However I am seeing ads for MT metal wheels
12 Axles RP25 profile wheels Part # MT00312020
$9.59
60 Axles RP25 profile wheels Part # MT00312021 $42.39
You may find a better price shopping around, I just pulled up a site to give you part no's
i am not an N scaler (HO) but you could use a digital caliper to measure the ones you are removing to determine the size to replace them with
if I am not mistake 33=.206" 36=.225
BigDaddyMT00312020
Website says coming soon: https://www.micro-trains.com/index.php?route=product/search&search=00312020&description=true
I only use Intermountain wheelsets for my HO layout.
Intermountain also makes N scale wheesets.
http://www.intermountain-railway.com/n/nacc.htm
Rich
Alton Junction
Metal wheels are a new product for Micro-Trains. I saw them at the National Train Show a few weeks ago.
.
I was in N scale for a couple of decades. Everything I ran was on Micro-Trains trucks and wheels. I would recommend the same today. Don't just replace the wheels, change the entire truck.
-Kevin
Living the dream.