Should I replace plastic wheels

While we are chatting about plastic wheels . . . . . . . . . . . if I fit the LGB pickup wheels to a wagon can I feed the power to the motor through the socket on the back of the loco cab? Or does it vary from model to model? Or Are the sockets for lighting and 'out' only?

dragon


While we are chatting about plastic wheels . . . . . . . . . . . if I fit the LGB pickup wheels to a wagon can I feed the power to the motor through the socket on the back of the loco cab? Or does it vary from model to model? Or Are the sockets for lighting and 'out' only?

I'm sure I remember seeing that someone has done this Fred - maybe back in the GSM days? Might be worth starting a new thread, might jog someone's memory?

Ooopppps! So it does!
 
Well I've been asleep since then........
 
in fact I'm not sure that I'm not still asleep!
 

I have to agree metal wheels are the way to go.  Plastic do dirty the track up especially in wrmer climates.  Plus the sound and look of metals wheels cant be beat.  I use bachmann wheel large size because they are much more affordable.  Never understand how Bachmann can cost less then everyone else and use metal wheels. 

MR SPOCK

I use Accucraft  AZ6  30mm for my freight sock

£4 per two axles from Trackshack IOMan

I glue steel washers on to make them look better.

 

I le the steel rust naturally look well run well

he axles are long a they are designed for narrowguage, so will fit aristo and can be cut down for lgb

pete

So, these accucraft wheels, are they finer flanges than the Bachman ones?

Granitechops

So, these accucraft wheels, are they finer flanges than the Bachman ones?

Yes Don. I've got quite a few Accucraft wagons (and a few kit-built ones) that run on them. Obviously, this means your track has to be laid pretty accurately, but they run really well and make an exceptionally good clickety click when passing over joints.
 

 
The finer flanges does also mean that they sometimes have a slight tendency to "drop" into the frogs when passing over LGB etc. points.

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dragon


While we are chatting about plastic wheels . . . . . . . . . . . if I fit the LGB pickup wheels to a wagon can I feed the power to the motor through the socket on the back of the loco cab? Or does it vary from model to model? Or Are the sockets for lighting and 'out' only?

Yes, you certainly can.   
Yet another advantage of metal wheels is that you can get any locos which run badly due to lack of pickup running more smoothly by having power fed from the rolling stock.   Obviously, be careful of polarity!
 
By the way, if our doubting friend would like to BUY some plastic wheels, I have umpteen available.  All are covered in crud, picked up from the track before I saw the light and went to metal wheels throughout.   Saves buying a track cleaning loco! 

whatlep

dragon


While we are chatting about plastic wheels . . . . . . . . . . . if I fit the LGB pickup wheels to a wagon can I feed the power to the motor through the socket on the back of the loco cab? Or does it vary from model to model? Or Are the sockets for lighting and 'out' only?

Yes, you certainly can.   
Yet another advantage of metal wheels is that you can get any locos which run badly due to lack of pickup running more smoothly by having power fed from the rolling stock.   Obviously, be careful of polarity!
 

You can't beat the metal wheels - on my trailer layout the plastic wheeled stock invariably derails at some point during the day because og the tight curves (need to get my finger out and pit metal wheels in) - plus the weight og the metal gives added momentum to the stock (acting like flywheels).

On the subject of pick-ups and feeding the loco from a wagon, I built a little loco-tytpe tram engine, fitted a socket and feed it from a wagon (battery feed) or plug in a van which picks up from the track via Bachmann wheels and some brass wire pressing against the back of the wheels.

Mick

On the subject of the electrical connections - I was suffering with a Stainz chassis I have, that stalled on some points and had all sorts of issues with track that was no problem to anything else.  I plugged it into an LGB van that had metal wheels and pick ups, and bingo, no more problems.  So, what I propose is to fit up all my brake vans with pick ups, plus build a sort of GWR shunters truck with pick ups, then have some dummy heat and vac pipes on the short wheelbase locos that can plug-in as required.

In the back of my mind, I can see having these pipes with small magnets on the end, so they can be connected like real vac and steam heat pipes, throughout the train.

...or is that just a pipe dream.


Hat, coat........

These have a finer profile flange but the diameter is also larger,
they are made for our narrow gauge cousins and I think they are fited to the accucraft coaches, not sure which ones, they are insulated both sides, and are the best I have ever used , they seem to run on any track happily and dont change gauge like some of the split axle or plastic sleeve types, they also do I think a 25mm diameter set for narrow gauge freight stock,they dont seem to pick up crudd of the track like the brass ones do no idea why
pete

Dave
 
Metal  wheels   do   a  couple  of  important  things:
 
They  add weight   to   rolling  stock  which  increases their  rollability!  and  the  fact  that  the  wheels  are  low  down greatly  improves  stability.
 
They  remove  the  problem  of  electrostatic  attraction  created  by  plastic  wheels  ( Friction of  plastic on metal  causes  static  electricity  to  attract  dust  and  dirt  to  the  track & wheels)
 
I would  recommend  that LGB  Metal  wheels  are  NOT  your  first  choice  as  they  are  approx  only half the  weight  of  some other  brands  such as  USA  trains wheels ( not  only  that  LGB  are  more  expensive!)
The  heavier  the wheel the  better  the results.
 
OH  Should  have added  they  sound  rather  nice  as  well!!

If it gets anywhere near warm to hot in your area, you can count on plastic wheels leaving a black tar like residue on your track, its bad enough at room temps but add some heat and the wheels can quite literally melt if left on a hot track on a hot day. When I have my outdoor layout it could easily be 90F degrees during the summer. I had to switch to all metal wheels, they roll better give the cars a better center of gravity which means you can pull more cars, and they look and sound better outdoors.

I'm a metal wheel fan.  Amongst other things I just love the sound as the train rolls quietly past.  I'm gradually changing to battery power but still believe the benfits of metal wheels are worth it.  On my scratch built stock I've been using Tenmille spoked wheels and they are giving me great results too.

I'm with the vast majority here - metal wheels every time. They make a vast difference.

dragon


While we are chatting about plastic wheels . . . . . . . . . . . if I fit the LGB pickup wheels to a wagon can I feed the power to the motor through the socket on the back of the loco cab? Or does it vary from model to model? Or Are the sockets for lighting and 'out' only?

Yes Fred - My tram runs brilliantly with the extra pick ups.

stockers

dragon


While we are chatting about plastic wheels . . . . . . . . . . . if I fit the LGB pickup wheels to a wagon can I feed the power to the motor through the socket on the back of the loco cab? Or does it vary from model to model? Or Are the sockets for lighting and 'out' only?

Yes Fred - My tram runs brilliantly with the extra pick ups.

I will have a go if I can work out the polarity. Thank you.

dragon


While we are chatting about plastic wheels . . . . . . . . . . . if I fit the LGB pickup wheels to a wagon can I feed the power to the motor through the socket on the back of the loco cab? Or does it vary from model to model? Or Are the sockets for lighting and 'out' only?

I will have a go if I can work out the polarity. Thank you.

Do you have a voltmeter/multimeter Fred?
 

Martino,

   Brandbright sell vac pipes that interconnect....

Aha!   wonder if they're conductive?  I will go and look - thank you.

davecar
 

should I start replacing my plastic wheels with metal wheels? Is it worth the cost? 
  

Dave

 
Yes & Yes
 

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