Let the Rolling Stocks Roll

[andylvtrains]

I have rolling stocks from Bachmann Silver Series, Athearn, Atlas, Walthers, Intermountain, Accurail.  Of those, I think the Bachmann rollingstocks are the best rollers.  Only problem is they come a little short in details and variety.  Also their trucks are not compatible with the other brands of rolling stocks.  I am looking some good aftermarket brand of truck&wheels to replace the ones on my Walthers cars that do not seem to roll at all.  I even tried to use "truck tuner" from Micromark, but did not help much.

Any suggestion?

[Stephen D. Richards]

Truck tuner is always a good idea.  But get rid of all plastic wheelsets!  Put insulatied metal wheelsets on and you will be amazed.  Add weight.  Even to the Silver series.  Check NMRA website for standards and follow them fairly close.  Should take care of your problems with the other rolling stock brands.  Stephen

[Doneldon]

Andy-

Plastic trucks aren't necessarily a problem. Plastic wheels are another matter. You'll find that you can re-wheel your rolling stock for a whole lot less that it costs to replace trucks.

Buy only quality wheelsets. I use Intermountain and have been very happy with them. There are other excellent wheelsets, too. I can't recommend others as I have only used Intermountain. You'll find wheelsets with metal and plastic axles. Either will work fine. However, it's very important that all of the insulated wheels be on the same side of the car if either the car or the truck is metal.

Use your truck tuner to true the journals where the axles fit. See to it that the truck sits flat without the wheels installed. Check the gauge of even new wheelsets. Push or pull the wheels to gauge by gently turning a wheel back and forth while you assert pressure on the wheel in the direction necessary to put the wheelset in gauge. (Any given wheelset may need several trials to get it right, especially at first, so don't worry if you don't get it right the first time you twist and turn a wheelset.) Watch that you don't have the wheels closer to one end of the axle than the other. It's possible to do this, install the wheels in such a way that the truck sits crablike or off center on the track, and then have tons of derailments due to the twisting truck. This happens only rarely but it can be an issue. Look for this if you have a constant derail problem with a given car, or one next to it. The off-center wheels can exert force to either push itself off of the railhead, pick switchpoints or put pressure on an adjacent car so it derails.
                                                                                                                                                                              -- D

[jward]

i have used the metal wheelsets from bachmann, jaybee, nwsl, intermountain and proto2000. all are good wheels, and i really can't tell which cars have which.