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N scale Fine trucks and wheels

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  • Member since
    January 2020
  • 1 posts
N scale Fine trucks and wheels
Posted by MuddleMaker on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 5:10 PM

I have been looking at swapping all my trucks for microtrains, and finding low profile wheels for the microtrains trucks I already have.

The plan is to get eveything to run well on code 40-55 handbuilt track.

I am lost as to microtrains wheels being low profile or not.  Are the older wheels coarser?

Is there a more fine scale approach from another brand?

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 4:52 PM

MuddleMaker

I have been looking at swapping all my trucks for microtrains, and finding low profile wheels for the microtrains trucks I already have.

The plan is to get eveything to run well on code 40-55 handbuilt track.

I am lost as to microtrains wheels being low profile or not.  Are the older wheels coarser?

Is there a more fine scale approach from another brand?

Welcome to the forum.  Your initial posts are moderated so there is a delay in their appearance and they appear as if they were approved at the time you posted, so they tend to get lost.  I'm giving it a bump, though I don't have much to say.

I'm and HO scale guy and the "prototypical" wheels which I gather are thinner can cause problems in turnouts and frogs.  Pizza cutter wheels on Rivarossi HO locos were the norm 30 years ago.  Can't help with N scale, but there are a lot of N scale modelers here who might know.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    October 2011
  • 276 posts
Posted by MARTIN STATION on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 6:19 PM

Welcome!

  Older Micro-trains cars do have the "pizza cutter" or larger flange wheels but all the newer Micro-trains freight and passenger cars have the newer "low profile" wheels as do most if not all other of todays n scale manufactures. What I call "mid range" Micro- trains cars will include both the larger flange, or pizza cutters, and low profile wheel set in the box that the car comes in.

  You can also check with other manufactures such as Fox Valley for metal wheel sets made to fit Micro-trains cars although some as of right now can be hard to find so check with your local hobby shop or favorite online retailer.

Hope this helps,

Ralph 

  • Member since
    October 2001
  • From: OH
  • 17,574 posts
Posted by BRAKIE on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 10:49 PM

MuddleMaker

I have been looking at swapping all my trucks for microtrains, and finding low profile wheels for the microtrains trucks I already have.

The plan is to get eveything to run well on code 40-55 handbuilt track.

I am lost as to microtrains wheels being low profile or not.  Are the older wheels coarser?

Is there a more fine scale approach from another brand?

 

 

 

When I was in  N I favored MT trucks and couplers until I noticed the slinky effect of the MT coupler at slow switching speeds..I changed my MTs to Atlas low profile wheels,trucks and couplers to improve switching realism.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

  • Member since
    February 2001
  • From: US
  • 377 posts
Posted by jsanchez on Friday, January 10, 2020 10:26 PM

MuddleMaker

I have been looking at swapping all my trucks for microtrains, and finding low profile wheels for the microtrains trucks I already have.

The plan is to get eveything to run well on code 40-55 handbuilt track.

I am lost as to microtrains wheels being low profile or not.  Are the older wheels coarser?

Is there a more fine scale approach from another brand?

 

 

 

Micro-trains switched to producing low profile wheels around 2004 and Atlas around that time. You might like the new Micro-trains metal wheels, they are low profile and look really nice, Fox Valley, Intermountain and Exactrail all make very good quality low profile metal wheels in N scale.

Good Luck,

Jim

James Sanchez

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