Rolling Stock What Wheel Size 36" or 33"

[dghanson]

Wondering what wheel size is the common size on silver series rolling stock 36" or 33"? I want to upgrade some of my regular series rolling stock to metal wheels.

[ryeguyisme]

33 for freight, 36 for most passenger cars

[Tom M.]

Depending on how exacting you want to get, most 50 to 70 ton capacity freight cars used 33" wheels.  Freight cars with tonnage capacities above this used 36" wheels.  Most modern tank cars use 36" wheels.  Most piggyback flats use 28" wheels to provide a few extra inches of height clearance (note, this does not apply to modern double stack cars).  I believe some modern cars with tonnage ratings of 125 tons use 38" wheels.  These are, of course, simply general guidelines.  You will need to do more exact research on each specific car type if you want to get it correct for each car on your layout.

Good luck,

Tom

[Doneldon]

Wondering what wheel size is the common size on silver series rolling stock 36" or 33"? I want to upgrade some of my regular series rolling stock to metal wheels.

dgh-

It's not enough to ask what size wheels or even the brand name of your models; you really have to specify which car you need to put wheels on. There is a lot of variance over time and weight.
                                                                                                                      -- D