Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Replacing HO wheels

1705 views
6 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    April 2002
  • From: Eastern Carolina
  • 59 posts
Replacing HO wheels
Posted by spjoe on Monday, July 28, 2003 12:37 PM
Can anyone help me? What size metal wheels do I place on my HO rolling stock. Box cars, tankers, flats, husky, caboose.

Thank you, Joe
  • Member since
    April 2002
  • From: Eastern Carolina
  • 59 posts
Replacing HO wheels
Posted by spjoe on Monday, July 28, 2003 12:37 PM
Can anyone help me? What size metal wheels do I place on my HO rolling stock. Box cars, tankers, flats, husky, caboose.

Thank you, Joe
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 28, 2003 1:13 PM
Most freight equipment ran on 33" and passanger ran on 36". Their are exceptions, but you would have to find a scale drawing for a specific car or the oem blueprints and hope the owner didn't modify it after delivery. Metal wheels are avaliable from several companies in HO scale. Be aware that all trucks may not accept all wheelset without mods due to axle length differences. Several companies sell complete truck assemblies for HO too. Look at a Walthers catalog to match up trucks are several styles of them were used over the years.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 28, 2003 1:13 PM
Most freight equipment ran on 33" and passanger ran on 36". Their are exceptions, but you would have to find a scale drawing for a specific car or the oem blueprints and hope the owner didn't modify it after delivery. Metal wheels are avaliable from several companies in HO scale. Be aware that all trucks may not accept all wheelset without mods due to axle length differences. Several companies sell complete truck assemblies for HO too. Look at a Walthers catalog to match up trucks are several styles of them were used over the years.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 28, 2003 2:25 PM
http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/002/197xvpbs.asp

http:www.nmra.org/beginner/wheelsets.html

http://discussion.atlasrr.com/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=&whichpage=1&TOPIC_ID=10705

Pk2& & Intermountains have a good reputation.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 28, 2003 2:25 PM
http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/002/197xvpbs.asp

http:www.nmra.org/beginner/wheelsets.html

http://discussion.atlasrr.com/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=&whichpage=1&TOPIC_ID=10705

Pk2& & Intermountains have a good reputation.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 28, 2003 2:28 PM
Oh, some intermodal equipment run on 29" wheels. And sorry, but its P2K which is short for LifeLike Proto 2000.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, July 28, 2003 2:28 PM
Oh, some intermodal equipment run on 29" wheels. And sorry, but its P2K which is short for LifeLike Proto 2000.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 12:27 AM
I like Athern HO wheels because they have steel axles. I can poli***he steel points on an Arkansas stone. I use "The Tool" on the truck frames. I lube with dry graphite. My cars roll on 1/2 degree slope. I made a lathe for the Dremel drill stand and I can check each wheel for center and alinement when I poli***he axle points. The gauge the wheels after you reinstall them. I ran a check in the axle lengths and they vary significantly. I noticed the problem when I could not make some trucks roll. I notice my plastic wheels gather dirt on the layout so It is hard for me to belive steel wheels are essential. If you change wheel diameters, check the coupler height! Lindsay
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 12:27 AM
I like Athern HO wheels because they have steel axles. I can poli***he steel points on an Arkansas stone. I use "The Tool" on the truck frames. I lube with dry graphite. My cars roll on 1/2 degree slope. I made a lathe for the Dremel drill stand and I can check each wheel for center and alinement when I poli***he axle points. The gauge the wheels after you reinstall them. I ran a check in the axle lengths and they vary significantly. I noticed the problem when I could not make some trucks roll. I notice my plastic wheels gather dirt on the layout so It is hard for me to belive steel wheels are essential. If you change wheel diameters, check the coupler height! Lindsay
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 3:02 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by wlindsays

The gauge the wheels after you reinstall them. I ran a check in the axle lengths and they vary significantly. I noticed the problem when I could not make some trucks roll.

They vary in length 0.950 up to 1.075 depending on the manufacturer.

In some cases you might improve performance by using the "The Tool" or the "Truck Tuner"
http://www.dxmarket.com/micromark/products/82838.html
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 3:02 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by wlindsays

The gauge the wheels after you reinstall them. I ran a check in the axle lengths and they vary significantly. I noticed the problem when I could not make some trucks roll.

They vary in length 0.950 up to 1.075 depending on the manufacturer.

In some cases you might improve performance by using the "The Tool" or the "Truck Tuner"
http://www.dxmarket.com/micromark/products/82838.html
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 3:04 PM
I had a problem with tight axels on new Walthers cars. Refer to my discussion last week "Wheels sets too tight". Locomotive3 put me on to a side frame reamer called the "exxact tool". I ordered one from the manufacturer, it arrived yesterday and I spent all last night reaming journals! It is a fantastixc tool. Cars that ran well now run superbly. The problem with tight axels is often the poorly formed journal or bearing "hole" into which the axel point fits. Cleaning out the plastic to a clean 60 degree cone made a huge improvement on cars that already ran well.
Thanks for the advice Locomotive3
See http://reboxx.u2.spwh.com
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 3:04 PM
I had a problem with tight axels on new Walthers cars. Refer to my discussion last week "Wheels sets too tight". Locomotive3 put me on to a side frame reamer called the "exxact tool". I ordered one from the manufacturer, it arrived yesterday and I spent all last night reaming journals! It is a fantastixc tool. Cars that ran well now run superbly. The problem with tight axels is often the poorly formed journal or bearing "hole" into which the axel point fits. Cleaning out the plastic to a clean 60 degree cone made a huge improvement on cars that already ran well.
Thanks for the advice Locomotive3
See http://reboxx.u2.spwh.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!