How do I determine what size Bachman wheel sets to by? 33" or 36". I have mostly Bachmann silver series rolling stock, but have misc. others.
Measure the diameter of the wheels. Multiply by 87. Real easy. S.O.P.
I use a dial caliper. Easier than using a ruler and can be purchased for a few dollars, at least the plastic ones.
A ruler can get fairly close. I use to to do that many years ago.
Rich
Bill-
Your 40' stock cars, and virtually all other 40' cars, use 33" wheels. I strongly
urge you to buy metal wheels for all of your rolling stock. Double-check that the
wheels are in gauge before you install them. An NMRA HO standards gauge
will do he job.
-- D
In most cases, cars that had a capacity of 70 tons or less would have 33" wheels, larger cars, such as 100 ton cars, used 36" wheels in the real world. There are some exceptions out there, but that's usually the case. In model railroading, its not always the case depending on the manufacturer or what particular product line, but the most common you will see is 33" wheels on model train cars.
Bill-
What NDO wrote is true. Use 36" wheels for heavier cars. Keep in mind that wheel diameter affects coupler
height and you might have to make adjustments if you change wheel size. Also, be aware that passenger
cars generally have 36" wheels.
-- D