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!

Minor wheel mystery

1718 views
11 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, March 25, 2018 9:01 PM

OK, my first HO set was a Penn Line.  In the early 60's.  I have nothing left of it, and I don't remember what the wheels were.

It all makes sense, though.  The hi-tech plastic didn't come until later, so metal would have been the go-to.

And I do have some cars with the metal trucks and springs.

Thanks guys.

Mike.

  • Member since
    March 2002
  • From: Milwaukee WI (Fox Point)
  • 11,439 posts
Posted by dknelson on Sunday, March 25, 2018 8:44 PM

Yes it is not RP25 or even similar to the better pre-RP25 wheels.  It reminds me of the wheel profile on my old Penn Line train set cars: the wheel tread is essentially flat.  

Dave Nelson

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Sunday, March 25, 2018 8:36 PM

doctorwayne

 

 
mbinsewi
I have some cars from the 60's? that have metal wheels, before metal wheels were cool....

 



Mike, it was probably before your time, but metal wheels (in metal trucks) were all that was available when I got into this hobby in the mid-'50s.  The Delrin ones from Athearn were a big improvement, in my opinion, and I'm still not all that fond of metal ones, although I do have some.

 

Wayne

 

I still have lots of them floating around, old Athearn, Varney, Central Valley, etc.

Metal srung trucks with metal wheels, much like my Kadee trucks with Intermountain wheels I prefer now......

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Sunday, March 25, 2018 1:20 PM

mbinsewi
I have some cars from the 60's? that have metal wheels, before metal wheels were cool....



Mike, it was probably before your time, but metal wheels (in metal trucks) were all that was available when I got into this hobby in the mid-'50s.  The Delrin ones from Athearn were a big improvement, in my opinion, and I'm still not all that fond of metal ones, although I do have some.

Wayne

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, March 25, 2018 12:09 PM

OK, I never noticed that one wheel was plastic, Laugh.

Mike.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Sunday, March 25, 2018 11:49 AM

Sure looks like an Athearn passenger car wheel to me, how many would you like.

Not 50 years old by any shot. They stayed like that until kits stopped being made and RTR production went to China.

Metal axle, one metal wheel for electrical pickup for lights, one plastic wheel for insulation.

I have over 100 Athearn heavy weights, wheels now all replaced with newer Athearn metal wheelsets. 100 cars x 6 wheelsets - how many would you like?

And yes the axle length is long, and unique.......

And they were used on some other Athearn items if I recall, rotary snow plow has a passenger truck........

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, March 25, 2018 11:35 AM

The flange look likes it hits the thread at a right angle with no transition. I'll bet that wheel is over 50 years old!

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, March 25, 2018 10:14 AM

I have some cars from the 60's? that have metal wheels, before metal wheels were cool.  I think they are Revell, I'll have to dig'em out and see.  I also have a couple cabeese? (cabooses) that had lights in them, and they have metal wheels.  Not sure of the manufacturer.

I also have some of the Tempo tank cars, from Yugoslavia, that have metal wheels, but they have black axles.

Not that any of this helps, just trying to think of what older, out of service cars I have around that may have been a source for metal wheels.

Mike.

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Sunday, March 25, 2018 9:17 AM

Never had Athearn passenger   1.025

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, March 25, 2018 9:07 AM

I can't tell from your picture Henry, what do the ends look like?

Mike.

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
  • 6,526 posts
Posted by RR_Mel on Sunday, March 25, 2018 9:03 AM

It looks like an Athearn BB Passenger wheel.  Measure the axle length, Athearn axles are 1.024”
 
 
 
Mel
 
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
  
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Minor wheel mystery
Posted by BigDaddy on Sunday, March 25, 2018 8:52 AM

A variation of never throw anything away, is where did this come from?  I put a bunch of Kadee wheels in a big medicine bottle.  Funny how the older you get, the more of these bottle you collect.

I took some out to weather them and I notice I had 36" wheels mixed in.  Even more curious, one wheel was gray (magnetic) and one was blackened (non magnetic)

Two of the blackened wheels had number,  2 on one and 8 on the other.  I only ever had one big covered hopper that might have had 36" wheels.  I did have old Penn Line passenger cars, but they had brass wheels.

I don't remember taking apart any locos, but the fact that one is metal makes me think it was for power pick up.  The mystery wheels sets (left and right) are the left and center, the one on the right is a Kadee 33" wheel.  Do these look familiar to anyone?

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

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

There are no community member 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!