metal wheels

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Hi All,

I was just wondering if any of the cheap off brand G Scale trains have metal wheels?
Do you have any experience with metal G Scale wheels off the cheap off brands of G scale items?

While Bachamnn is a leader in G Scale for putting metal wheels on all it's products, the older cars pre 2000 have plastic wheels.  I have some I want to keep, but would put cheap metal wheels on them if it would work.   Will the off brand metal wheels fit the older 1:22.5 Bachmann Rolling stock? Are they any good?

Thanks,

Bill

[Chuck N]

Bill:

I'm not sure what brands you are talking about, but I have found that Bachmann metal wheels are the least expensive I've found and I haven't had any problems with them on my cars.  I have used them on Aristo and LGB.  I think that all of my Bachmann cars came with metal.

Chuck

[glennk28]

One problem with the older Bachmann metal wheels--the standard size, not the small ones)--is that there are a couple of holes on the back side of the wheels at just the right distance o to catch lighting contacts if you have added LGB-type pickup buttons on the J&S Passenger cars.  Just swap out with newer ones, or fill with JB Weld.   

[smcgill]

It seams strange having Bill ask the question??
Usually he has the answers!

[Loco Bill Canelos]

I wish I had all the answers !!!   I am asking because I was asked by another person, and had no answer, so being my usual self I jumped in over my head and asked.  As a guy who tries to promote the Large Scale side of the hobby, I find I often hear complaints concerning the high cost of the hobby, so I try to show folks low cost ways of enjoying the hobby without spending a lot of money.  This question is related to that effort.   My personal belief is that Bachmann provides the lowest cost high quality way of getting into the hobby especially for steam lovers.  I would love to see Bachmann get into the 1/29th side of the Large Scale market with a few Diesels and maybe a modern steamer and some more modern rolling stock as well.  I like to use The Bachmann Big Hauler 3 bay hopper as an example of value.  They have metal wheels and a load included at a price $30 to $50 cheaper than other popular brands.  The other popular brands usually have plastic wheels and a load costs extra.  Adding metal wheels and a load runs the cost up to over double the cost of the Bachmann car.

I personally have never seen the cheapos with metal wheels.  The only ones I have seen have plastic wheels except on loco's which are track powered. 

The early Bachmann metal wheels, including the ones with plastic centers did have the holes on the back and Glenn's solution is perfect if the wheels are true.  All the cars in sets and the red boxes have the good newer metal wheels produced from 2000 on to present.  Most if not all rolling stock in the maroon boxes have plastic wheels.  There are some exceptions during the changeover period. 

At present I totally agree with Chuck that the Bachmann metal wheels are the best value.  My recommendation is to first buy a car with metal wheels already on them preferably in the red boxes.  Second consider buying a car on Ebay which has metal wheels looking for the lowest cost Buy it now or bidding low and keep the older car for parts.   The used Standard Line Big Hauler cars are selling cheap on Ebay right now.  Or buy new, I have seen packages of four wheel sets go for $12 to $ 20 on Ebay and on Amazon. 

Time to shut up!

Bill

[jsmvmd]

Your batteries running low, Bill?   

[tac]

Reading another well-known site, that some here frequent, it would appear that the latest red-box stuff indeed has metal wheels.

IMO, the best deal remains the sets of Bachmann metal wheels, at around £14 a set here in yUK.  I bought ten sets at a recent show for all my home-built log cars.

Nothing goes clickety-clack like a metal wheel...

tac
Ottawa Valley GRS