Hi there. I am making an N-scale version of the Disneyland rollercoaster Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I'm in the process of modifying N-scale track to allow it to handle 30 degree angled turns and steep drops. Magnetism and wheels with large flangs will help keep the train on the track. The question is ... for N guage, what wheels have the widest rims and deepest flanges?
well i know that the very old rivarrossi heavy passenger coaches (i found one on ebay at one point) have hugely flanged wheels, and i had problems with them and points (they were about twice the size of the rest of my stocks flanges). As for wheels with the widest rims, youd probably be able to extend the rims with either a peice of metal/plastic, or even with another wheel flipped around.
This sounds like it'll be an interesting project (im a big fan of novelty ideas like this, as i have recently built several micro layouts on things such as CD's and Mini-disk's (on my website (http://www.bobbobson.co.uk)).
I hope you post some pics or updates somewhere or another, and tell us where.
Hope this helps. Tom
Just so you don't have to re-invent the wheel...
For the most part he's been there and done that.
These are his trials and tribulations.
http://www.aglasshalffull.org/article-roller-coaster.html
Gravity is what it is.
The laws of Physics do not scale.
Hope it helps.
Good luck!
Thank you James and Tom for your replies. They were very helpful! Yes, I will post pictures of my Big Thunder Model once it's more underway. I've just completed the 5' by 5' table and initial benchwork. I also got the track specs of the ride off ebay.com, as well as 1,000 photos off flickr.com.
As far as the dynamics of the track. It's not going to rely on gravity. Powerful grade 50 neodymium small magnets will hold the train on the track. These magnets are so powerful they could suck the Tin Man through a key hole. Electricity will control the speed. Similiar concept to those rollercoaster-style race car track toys at Toy's R' Us, but on a much much smaller scale.
Thanks again for your ideas and web sites.
p.s. Tom, the CD train layout is great!!! Very impressive.
Regards,
- Scott
Sounds like a real fun build.
MT (Micro-Trains) makes what we call "pizza cutters" which have grossly oversized flanges.
The majority of modelers I know do not like or use them.
You should be able to get them very cheap, probably even free for the asking.
I'm sure I have some somewhere if you want them.
As far as the widest, I don't know.
I do like Tom's ideas on how to modify them.
You might try using a hole punch, of the closest diameter, and punch some discs from styrene and glue them to the outside of your wheels thereby effectively placing a flange on both sides of the wheels.
I'm thinking of the discs being about +/- .050 > the wheel diameter.
Just some out loud thinking.
Again, sounds like a great project, look forward to progress pics.
Please do keep us posted.
http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/S-4_2ScaleWheels.html