Wheels and Couplers

[BestSnowman]

Yesterday I made it up to a hobby store with the intent of getting some metal wheels to upgrade some of my plastic wheeled stock, I had intened on getting one of the bachmann 12-packs of wheels (like this: http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=2209 or this http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?act=viewProd&productId=2210). My problem was i didn't know which size to get 33" or 36". Which size do they use on Silver series rolling stock (like the boxcars, flatcars, etc). I'm intending to to replace the wheels on some older pre-metal Bachmann,  Athearn kits, some older Walther's RTR, and Accurail kits. Would those be 33" or 36"?

I couldn't tell which was right  so I ended up getting an Athearn Truck with metal wheels 2-pack (because I knew that it would at least work with my athearn kits) and two Accurail kits which brings me to couplers, the accurail couplers you have to assemble are quite possibly the most frustrating thing to put together but unfortunately I didn't have any extra Kadees laying around. Which brings me to my next question, what is the number of the #5 equipvilant in the metal whisker type? Kadee's conversion chart doesn't seem to make it clear, to me at least, what the wisker equivilant would be.

Thanks, Matt

[jonathan]

Matt,

The whisker equiv. of the #5 is the #148.  I've tried them in some of my more difficult conversions.  They work great!

In general the 33" wheelset are the ones you want.  That's for standard freight cars.  Some of the high capacity freight uses 36" (you'd know if you had one).  Some of the intermodal use 28" for loooooow riding.

Not all companies' wheelsets fit the same way.  Some are a little wider or narrower.  I try to keep a few of everything around (Intermountain, Kadee, Atlas, Bachmann, etc.).  The truck tuner would be the answer... if you could get one.  I've been trying for over a year now.  Apparently the company has changed hands and restocking has become a real issue.  Even the train show vendors can't get one.

Hope that helps,

Regards,

Jonathan

[BestSnowman]

Yeah, I don't anticipate that all wheelsets are the same but since most of my stock is bachmann anyway having extra wheelsets wouldn't be a bad thing to have extras. I know for the athearns there is the option of buying the truck/wheel set (that incidentally also works well on Accurail kits) but the for the price of 12 Bachmann wheel sets I can only get 8 Athearn wheelsets (but with trucks).

The Accurail kits I have wouldn't be hard to put #5's in but I have in the past accidentally bent the #5 springs during install so whiskers would just save me money on replacement springs.

Thanks for the help!

[Nigel]

Hi Matt;

Jonathan answered your questions, I'd like to suggest that you purchase a caliper like these: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47257 so that you can measure your wheel diameter and axle length.  I have had one of the Harbor Freight units for more than a decade, and bought them for work also.  The batteries need to be replaced every year or so, depending on use.

[BestSnowman]

Hi Matt;

Jonathan answered your questions, I'd like to suggest that you purchase a caliper like these: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47257 so that you can measure your wheel diameter and axle length.  I have had one of the Harbor Freight units for more than a decade, and bought them for work also.  The batteries need to be replaced every year or so, depending on use.

Thanks, for the link Nigel. I could really use one of those, I'll have to add that to my list of tools I need. Now I just need to think of a reason that I "need" it to pass the wife acceptance test

[pdlethbridge]

Is this the tool you need?http://www.greenwayproducts.com/buy_tool_journal_socket.htm

[Nigel]

Hi Matt;

Jonathan answered your questions, I'd like to suggest that you purchase a caliper like these: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47257 so that you can measure your wheel diameter and axle length.  I have had one of the Harbor Freight units for more than a decade, and bought them for work also.  The batteries need to be replaced every year or so, depending on use.

Thanks, for the link Nigel. I could really use one of those, I'll have to add that to my list of tools I need. Now I just need to think of a reason that I "need" it to pass the wife acceptance test

It will pay for itself in less than a year due to the fuel saved on fewer trips to the hobby shop to get the right sized ____   

[BestSnowman]

I was able to get some stock updated to metal wheels and thought it'd be fun to make the old wheelsets a load in my 50 foot gondola (which incidentally just got new metal wheels). I'm hoping to make a trip up to the hobby store this weekend and after that I might have two full rows

[jonathan]

What a coincidence!  I wonder how many of us have a gondola with a load of wheels?

Regards,

Jonathan

[Chris350]

What a coincidence!  I wonder how many of us have a gondola with a load of wheels?

Regards,

Jonathan

Mine get stuck to a flatcar, but yeah lots of extra plastic wheelsets.