Should I replace plastic wheels

I have just started with g scale and I have bought rolling stock from various sources.
 
The new Bachmann trucks/coaches all have metal wheels. The new Pico have not. Also I bought several LGB on Ebay and they dont' have metal wheels.
 
I read on a forum that plastic wheels make the track harder to clean. should I start replacing my plastic wheels with metal wheels? Is it worth the cost?
 
Thanks,
 
Dave

I never used to bother, but since I re-built my railway I've banned the use of plastic wheels. Believe me (as someone who was sceptical for many years) it makes a MASSIVE difference.
 
Got yet another 8 axles worth of Bachmanns from Telford yesterday.

Mel, CMO and chief sausage knotter, the Wetton Gooey Light Railway.
The advantages of simplifying origami are two-fold


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wetton-Gooey-Light-Railway/246392918762922

yb281


I never used to bother, but since I re-built my railway I've banned the use of plastic wheels. Believe me (as someone who was sceptical for many years) it makes a MASSIVE difference.
 
Got yet another 8 axles worth of Bachmanns from Telford yesterday.

Grateful if you could tell me the name of this supplier.
 
Kind regards,
 
Dave

Hi Dave
 
YES! they are much much better - Bachmann wheels are £11.00 for 4 Steve at Back2bay6 has some they are a standard price. Don't forget there are 2 sizes.  Youcan get spoked versions but they are mich more expensive - have a look at the Brandbright site for instance.

Use the old ones for a flatcar load  - heres a photo
 

 
 

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definatly worth doing, best to try and do every bit off rolling stock as u buy it, i tend to buy a coach, buy the wheels then the lights then the figures, ecvt beefore i move on to the next item on me wish list..save buying 40 sets off wheels in one go!!

RULE *8*

The most important rule...........
ITS MY RAILWAY, I WILL RUN WHAT I WANT, WHEN I WANT, HOW I WANT, AND IF YOU DONT LIKE IT..........
BUGGER OFF!

davecar

yb281


I never used to bother, but since I re-built my railway I've banned the use of plastic wheels. Believe me (as someone who was sceptical for many years) it makes a MASSIVE difference.
 
Got yet another 8 axles worth of Bachmanns from Telford yesterday.

Grateful if you could tell me the name of this supplier.
 
Kind regards,
 
Dave

As Peter says, Steve at Back2Bay6 sells the Bachmann wheels at a very competitive price (that's who I got mine off yesterday). Same goes for Jeremy at Dragon G Scale too (guess where I got the previous 8 axles from?) .

Mel, CMO and chief sausage knotter, the Wetton Gooey Light Railway.
The advantages of simplifying origami are two-fold


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wetton-Gooey-Light-Railway/246392918762922

I was amazed at the difference it makes to everything.  Clean track, better movement through points, better weight on the actual wagons/coaches - but mostly - CLEAN TRACK ;-)

An Englishman in the Florida Panhandle trying to model the English narrow gauge despite turtles, snakes and hurricanes.

I totally agree with the other posters.

My initial experience with plastic wheels was to cause some grief.  So all plastic wheels were replaced with metal ones -from various suppliers and differing makes.  I t depended on what was available and an advantageous price at the time.

Discarded plastic wheels are suitable as yard junk and also flat car loads (as per Peters pic).  My inital purchases of rolling stock was the Bachmann Big Hauler range and whilst I have sold a couple of their freight cars some are slowly being made into line side features, sheds etc.,  as this is far cheaper than buying some ready made items.   Big Hauler stock does not command high second hand prices (well, it shouldn't as it is cheap enough in the first instance) so you can have a  cheap structure and spare sets of wheels quite easily. 

And use the new wheels as a delivery load to stores
 
 

 
 
Before using them as replacements

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Don.
Stoneycombe & The Penrose Valley Railway in sunny Devon, England
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqXftHeRMUU
"Modelling is not so much an obsession but more of an Observation"

They also produce a satisfying noise effect !!

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

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Metal wheel help to keep the track clean and lower the centre of cravity of wagons which helps prevent delrailments. I find it depressing that LGB and Aristo-Craft still fit plastic whels as standard to most of their rolling stock, when it would not cost them much more to use metal.

Totally agree and with everyone else. I don't know why manufacturers think plastic wheels are good enough. Just to add insult to injury I'm not sure that the wheels on the Aristo 53 foot box cars can be replaced with standard metal wheels, it looks like you have to use Aristo ones. My experience with two Aristo 53 footers and their plastic wheels compard to the metal wheeled USAT 50 footers means that I wil not be in a hurry to buy any more plastic wheeled stock at all, especially if it can't easily be convertedl.

Best Regards 
Chris M

http://uqr.vacau.com

davecar


I have just started with g scale and I have bought rolling stock from various sources. 
 
I read on a forum that plastic wheels make the track harder to clean. should I start replacing my plastic wheels with metal wheels? Is it worth the cost?  
Thanks,
 
Dave

Absolutely NOT worth the money in my book.
 
Save your money and spend it on track or trains. If you're just starting out it's more important to have trains running than feeling good because you have metal wheels.
I only have plastic. Never noticed dirty track when I ran track power (but now it's all battery)
 
All the 'benefits' mentioned by all other respondents really are marginal or cosmetic. The main thing is to run trains. You say you have some metal wheels, so do your own experiments as time goes on.
 
If you do decide to convert, send me all your plastic ones please

Greg from Downunder
See the Sandstone & Termite GR at:  http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/satr/satr.htm

Sorry Greg, couldn't disagree with you more! ;-)

I didn't think metal wheels could make such a difference over plastic ones, but I proved it to myself.

I don't have a huge stable of stock, so the investment i made in changing to metal was relatively small.  But, if you're running track power, I'd really recommend metal wheels.

If you're on battery power it may be a different matter, but metal will still add weight, and make the stock roll better - sounds better too.  That I agree is subjective, but on track power, there really is a HUGE difference.

An Englishman in the Florida Panhandle trying to model the English narrow gauge despite turtles, snakes and hurricanes.

gregh

davecar


I have just started with g scale and I have bought rolling stock from various sources. 
 
I read on a forum that plastic wheels make the track harder to clean. should I start replacing my plastic wheels with metal wheels? Is it worth the cost?  
Thanks,
 
Dave

Absolutely NOT worth the money in my book.
 
Save your money and spend it on track or trains. If you're just starting out it's more important to have trains running than feeling good because you have metal wheels.
I only have plastic. Never noticed dirty track when I ran track power (but now it's all battery)
 
All the 'benefits' mentioned by all other respondents really are marginal or cosmetic. The main thing is to run trains. You say you have some metal wheels, so do your own experiments as time goes on.
 
If you do decide to convert, send me all your plastic ones please

Well Gregg thats a bold statment!! and if you run only battery and no track power then it makes absolute sense! heck you could run wooden wheels if you wanted too but for us poor souls who need lecktrickery running through the rails then with the same absolutness? we need to run metal wheels for all the reasons stated prevously, for me it 'aint coz it looks cool or makes me "feel good".............................Paul...............
 
Beat me to it Martin........................

"Most garden railwaymen are ordinary folk - Albeit as nutty as fruitcakes"...D. Rowlands

gregh

All the 'benefits' mentioned by all other respondents really are marginal or cosmetic.

Sorry Greg, but for someone running with track power the benefits are certainly not marginal - as far as keeping the track clean is concerned (as I've proved to myself) and niether are they cosmetic - they are emminantley practical.
 
Of course, as pointed out by Martin and Paul, it don't matter a jot if you're running with battery power.

Mel, CMO and chief sausage knotter, the Wetton Gooey Light Railway.
The advantages of simplifying origami are two-fold


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wetton-Gooey-Light-Railway/246392918762922

Please Sir, please Sir! Or steam only, Sir!
 

You don't have to be mad to play trains on the TVBL....but it helps if you're a little loco!



Being long retired, I've discovered that now I work a lot harder than before, it's just that nobody pays!

One minor point that seems to have been overlooked is that metal wheels also give better rail joint sounds. Plastic sound quite dull in comparison.
 

You don't have to be mad to play trains on the TVBL....but it helps if you're a little loco!



Being long retired, I've discovered that now I work a lot harder than before, it's just that nobody pays!

peterbunce


Hi Dave
 
YES! they are much much better - Bachmann wheels are £11.00 for 4 Steve at Back2bay6 has some they are a standard price. Don't forget there are 2 sizes.  Youcan get spoked versions but they are mich more expensive - have a look at the Brandbright site for instance.

Use the old ones for a flatcar load  - heres a photo
 

 
 

hi mate..i was gobsmacked about yr flatload tht i got the same..lol,....do u want see my photo of scatchbuilt mate?.......it good idea to use plastic wheels to been paint up in rusty colour and put on the flat car load or put in layout with junkyard....clever way

 

bobg


One minor point that seems to have been overlooked is that metal wheels also give better rail joint sounds. Plastic sound quite dull in comparison.
 

Except in post #11 Bob .

Mel, CMO and chief sausage knotter, the Wetton Gooey Light Railway.
The advantages of simplifying origami are two-fold


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wetton-Gooey-Light-Railway/246392918762922

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?

Mel, CMO and chief sausage knotter, the Wetton Gooey Light Railway.
The advantages of simplifying origami are two-fold


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wetton-Gooey-Light-Railway/246392918762922

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

You don't have to be mad to play trains on the TVBL....but it helps if you're a little loco!



Being long retired, I've discovered that now I work a lot harder than before, it's just that nobody pays!

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. 

Kittatinny Mountain RR
http://kittatinnymountain.blogspot.com/

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?

Don.
Stoneycombe & The Penrose Valley Railway in sunny Devon, England
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqXftHeRMUU
"Modelling is not so much an obsession but more of an Observation"

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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Mel, CMO and chief sausage knotter, the Wetton Gooey Light Railway.
The advantages of simplifying origami are two-fold


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wetton-Gooey-Light-Railway/246392918762922

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! 

Chef Des Trains: Ruritanische Staatsbahn/ Uritán állami Vasutak/ Ruritanian Railways
Off the beaten track in Middle England (but worryingly close to Bromyard)

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

Mick - always learning something new (then forgetting it).

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........

An Englishman in the Florida Panhandle trying to model the English narrow gauge despite turtles, snakes and hurricanes.

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!!

Steve

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.

 Have fun with your trains

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.

John
Principal Operator of the H&M Garden Railway & organiser Wellington Garden Railway Group
I don't take myself seriously, so I apologize if you do.

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

John -

Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday

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.

Alan.

The Oxney Island Line in the heart of Kent.

http://www.pendleburymodels.com/

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?
 

Gizzy, CME of the Logs, Gravel and Bricks Railway...

Cab Ride http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSrHIVmq8KY

Weybourne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uY24RZzumM&feature=related

Shunting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGSD45IraEU

LGB MTS with PC Control

Martino,

   Brandbright sell vac pipes that interconnect....

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

An Englishman in the Florida Panhandle trying to model the English narrow gauge despite turtles, snakes and hurricanes.

davecar
 

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

Dave

 
Yes & Yes
 

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The Wild West Sussex Railroad lurches on