I would say this question's been answered pretty well. I'll add that it's easy to tell which wheel is insulated on the IM axles. Just look at the backs of the wheels, and you'll see that the insulated wheel is mounted on a small piece of plack plastic.
P2K wheels will also work fine. In my experience, they're a bit rougher than IM wheels and roll with more noise because of it, but they do roll well.
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Guys, the original poster's problem and question has been answered long ago and several times.
He has _metal_ trucks on the car.
He is using metal wheels with metal axles. One of the wheels will be insulated from the axle.
He must make sure the insulated wheel is on the same side for every axle he installs or it _will_ cause a short through the metal _truck_.
If all the insulated wheels are one side, no problem.
It's not a production problem with uninsulated wheels, it doesn't matter if the wheels are nickel-silver, brass, steel, copper, gold, whatever. It also has nothing to do with the DCC system. A short is a short.
Everything else just detracts from the original question.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
We buy Intermoutnain wheelsets by the box of 100 at the club adn I don't think anyone's ever had a problem with any of them not being insulated. I use P2K, which the other guys at the club say I'm nots, but I've never had a problem with them, and the cars I run on the club layotu have racked up considerable mileage now (not that my home ones don't, I have trains running constantly even thought he layotu isn't near finished), and there have been no problems. The only time i dont use P2K wheels is when the axle length isn't correct, in which case Reboxx is the way to go since they have wheels with every known axle length for a proper fit.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
richhotrain bagal: I have found the occasional Intermountain wheelset that doesn't have an insulator on one side. Check all your wheelsets to make sure there is no continuity between the wheels. Is that a production flaw or does Intermountain make some noni-insulated wheelsets? Rich
bagal: I have found the occasional Intermountain wheelset that doesn't have an insulator on one side. Check all your wheelsets to make sure there is no continuity between the wheels.
Is that a production flaw or does Intermountain make some noni-insulated wheelsets?
Rich
Any wheelset used (2 rail anyway), has to be insulated either by using a plastic axle or insulator bushing. If not it would be like laying a screwdriver accross the rails.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Jay you say the wheels are NS and not steel do you know who did make them out of steel I have several boxes (maybe a thousand )of loose wheel sets and they are all steel with insulated axle on one end ribbed back on the wheels any ideas I've used them on a lot of cars and they work just fine
mike
Even if the IM wheelsets are properly aligned, do check any clearance @ the molded brake shoe detail on the truck. This probably isn't as crucial as w/ some brass equip, however if the Athearn used 33" plastic and you replaced w/ 36" there could possibly be an issue once the needle point of the axle seats in the truck once placed on the rails. I have run into this very problem w/ a few brass rolling stock.
bagalI have found the occasional Intermountain wheelset that doesn't have an insulator on one side. Check all your wheelsets to make sure there is no continuity between the wheels.
Alton Junction
At least 4 people have said it in this thread now. You can use metal axle wheelsets, you just have to make sure the insulated wheel is on the same side for each wheelset. It DOES make a difference.
Georgia Trains I am using Intermountain 33 & 36 wheels. The minute I set the car on the track the system shuts down. I suspect I must confirm I have to use some type of insulated axle - just got to find a source. Will checkout PROTO. Thanks Larry
I am using Intermountain 33 & 36 wheels. The minute I set the car on the track the system shuts down. I suspect I must confirm I have to use some type of insulated axle - just got to find a source. Will checkout PROTO.
Thanks
Larry
Proto 2000 wheelsets are one good quality wheelset with metal wheels and plastic axles; but before you go out and buy something new look for the insulators on the wheel as mentioned above. What is the manufacturer of the wheelstes you are using? I have found that Intermountain wheelsets have a very small insulator; look closely with good light and you will see it.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Larry, does it short out he DCC system as soon as you set the cars on the rails, or when you hit a turnout?
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Doesn;t matter if you have lighting or not, with a metal truck, if one wheelset has the insulated wheel on the left, and other has it on the right, it will short through the truck. Either use metal wheels with plastic axles, or check and make sure all the insulated wheels are on the same side.
I stand corrected - how about "metal wheels"?
Thanks to Massey & Beasley for the information on the plastic insulators - makes sense! Unfortunatly I don't have lighting in my passenger cars at this time.
I hate to be a stickler, but the wheels are not "steel". They are Nickelsilver (NS). They can be either solid NS or NSplated brass. Steel is not used mainly as it is magnetic and corrodes easily.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
I agree. Look at the wheelsets carefully. I'm guessing they have metal axles and wheels. One of the wheels on each axle has a plastic insulator at the axle, while the other does not. The plastic insulators have to be on the same side for both wheels of each truck.
Since you had plastic wheels, unless you've added lighting at the same time as the wheels, you didn't have it before. If you add lighting, though, you have to make sure that wheels and trucks are properly matched up to conduct power to the lights.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
You need to use wheels that have plastic axles if you dont already. Also if you do have wheels with one insulated wheel and metal axles you need to have them all on the same side of the truck. And if you have a light onboard you need to have one set all oriented one way and the other side going the other way.
Massey
A Veteran, whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve, is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."
I have happily been in the process of changing all of my plastic wheels to steel on my HO layout - Digitrax DCC System.
I changed out the wheels on an older, Athearn I think, passenger car with metal trucks and the car shorts out the system after installing the metal wheels. I know I can't be the first person this has happened to so can anyone tell me what's going on and how to fix it?
Many thanks