Anyone using LBF (or Reboxx) wheelsets out there?

[Morpar]

To anyone using LBF wheelsets;
I am wanting to conduct head-to-head trials against the various wheelset makers to equip my fleet. So far, the only trouble I am having is getting LBF wheelsets. Their website is not working, and I don't know how else to contact them. So first, does anyone have any of the information on their wheelsets? I am going to try 33" flatback metal wheelsets in HO scale. Price, availability, contact information, long-term use, and anything else would be useful to me. Second, what is your impression of their product? As good as, better than, or not as good as another manufacturer? And last, if anyone has a set of 4 they would be willing to sell or trade for a different brand, it would save me some hassles, so please e-mail with details. Thanks in advance for the assistance.

I have amended this to add in the Reboxx wheelsets also. Their website is working, but I would be more interested in a trade of 4 for some other brand until I can decide if they are as good as any others. If anyone can help me on these, I would really appreciate it!

[cacole]

I have over 300 LBF wheelsets on my rolling stock. Last year, I went through everything and replaced every wheelset except Atlas, Kato, InterMountain, or Proto2000 with LBF's wheelsets, both 33 and 36 inch; and I recently purchased another batch of 100 for future use.

Even Kadee trucks roll much better if you put LBF wheelsets into them. The brands mentioned above are the only ones comparable to LBF in rolling qualities.

[Anonymous]

I have used 33 and 36 inch LBF wheels. excellent results. they work very well in everything that I use. I can no longer locate them either. As always, when something is good it disappears. good luck

[SP4449]

LBF = what? Not familiar with the abreviation. [:I]

[Anonymous]

LBF is the name of the company. Don't know what it means. They're based in Oregon. Manufacture of rolling stock and wheelsets.

[ericsp]

Did E&C Car Shops change its name or was it bought out? I noticed LBF's website (http://www.lbfcompany.com/) has been down all weekend. I wonder if it is maintenance.

[jrbarney]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

Did E&C Car Shops change its name or was it bought out? I noticed LBF's website (http://www.lbfcompany.com/) has been down all weekend. I wonder if it is maintenance.

Eric,
And the site is still down today. Entering what I thought was E & C Car Shop's URL:
http://www.ecshops.com/
gets diverted into a train set search site. What's up ?
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[jrbernier]

E & C Shops went belly up, and the owner(Fred Becker) started a new company(LBF). I think LBF stands for 'Loads By Fred'. This guy has had his fingers in McKean & Front Range as well, and we all know where they are now......

Jim Bernier

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jrbarney

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

Did E&C Car Shops change its name or was it bought out? I noticed LBF's website (http://www.lbfcompany.com/) has been down all weekend. I wonder if it is maintenance.

Eric,
And the site is still down today. Entering what I thought was E & C Car Shop's URL:
http://www.ecshops.com/
gets diverted into a train set search site. What's up ?
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

According to the "What's Related" feature on Netscape's brower, http://www.ecshops.com/ is owned by Lenox International based out of Seekonk, MA.

[Anonymous]

Sorry for the misinformation in my post of the other day. All information stated by me for LBF wheels should have been for the "Jay-Bee" wheel sets. Sorry if my error caused any confusion.

[jwar]

I bought a lot of thier rolling stock at my LHS for $5.00 each who stated they were (LBJ) was going out of bussiness.

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jwar

I bought a lot of thier rolling stock at my LHS for $5.00 each who stated they were (LBJ) was going out of bussiness.

LBJ "went out of business" a long time ago.[:D]

[Morpar]

My LHS has Jay-Bee, NWSL, and P2K wheelsets all in stock. He ordered me the Intermountain and Branchline sets, which should be in this afternoon. When I go in to pick them up, I will see if he can also order me the Walther's wheelsets. That still leaves me needing LBF and Reboxx for the trial. I tried calling the phone number listed for LBF yesterday 6 or 7 times, but all I got was a machine. I guess if they are out of business, there is no use testing them out.

[Anonymous]

Hmmmm, web site still down.

If LBF is going out of business, I hope somebody picks up their tooling...they had some unique HO car bodies nobody else offers.

Now, that would be a good company for the Borg (Horizon) to buy up, especially if they made some improvements to the line like they did with the old Details West shells.

[Morpar]

I like the Borg reference, but.......
Does that make Athearn now Locutus of Borg?
And most importantly, who is Seven of Nine?!?!?!?!?
Just wondering.

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by GrayLoess

Hmmmm, web site still down.

If LBF is going out of business, I hope somebody picks up their tooling...they had some unique HO car bodies nobody else offers.

Now, that would be a good company for the Borg (Horizon) to buy up, especially if they made some improvements to the line like they did with the old Details West shells.

It is starting to look like it is down for the count. I am not an IT type, however I would say that it is not actually down, they are just not allow the public to access it.

[simon1966]

Not 3 weeks ago, I was on the LBF web site deciding on which wheelsets to try out. I ended up purchasing some from cchobies.com. I got them about 10 days ago and installed the first ones in my rolling stock last weekend. So far so good. Lousy timng if they are now out of business. I hope not, as the wheels seem to be a good product.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Morpar

I like the Borg reference, but.......
Does that make Athearn now Locutus of Borg?
And most importantly, who is Seven of Nine?!?!?!?!?
Just wondering.

And who is "Hugh"?[;)]

[Anonymous]

LBF website seems to be back up as of Friday morning PST...hopefully the rumours of their demise have been greatly exaggerated.

[bnonut]

When I purchased my Reboxx tool, I also purchased wheelsets. They are nice and are the 088 narrow tread. They look great and track just as well.
I visited LBF's website. Seems to be operating.

[mondotrains]

I did a posting about 2 years ago about metal replacement wheelsets. I got hundreds of responses and finally did a comparison myself on the wheelsets that were most recommended, Intermountains, Kadees, Proto 2000's and Reboxx.

Bottom-Line: I am now using Kadee wheelsets which I can buy for $5.04 per set of 12 online. I know that Intermountains and Reboxx are slick and roll better because of their metal axles with the very sharp point but they are tooooooo slick for me. My layout, even though I spent hours leveling it, has areas at sidings and in my yard where the track is not PERFECTLY level and cars with tooooo slick wheels will roll away when I don't want them to.

I only run 7 car trains and have no grades on my layout. I might want the more expensive and very slick wheels if I had grades and wanted to run 50 car trains. But for us guys running shorter trains and without grades, Kadee's are the way to go. They stay where you spot them but are slick enough and sound great just like all metal wheelsets (that good old clickety clack).

I should tell you that the Intermountains that I tried actually had the plating where off the wheel treads on some (they are brass plated with a silver metal).
The Proto 2000's, while also inexpensive, have a shorter axle than the Kadees and don't fit as well. Also, they are again way too slick and the plating came off some of them like what happened to the Intermountains. What's nice about the Kadees is that they are cast of solid zinc alloy and therefore there is no plating to wear off.

My two cents.
Mondo