Intermountain Wheelsets...

These axles are a little short for some of these, especially Atlas.   I have used them in MTH and Lionel trucks.    They fit in the MTH a little better than Lionel, not so loose.     If you have Lionel trucks with the stamped bolster, you can bend the sides in slightly to tighten up the fit.    In both MTH and Lionel, they have worked fine on my 2 rail track.

A word of caution, I just went through about 1/2 dozen sets that were out of gauge too wide.    It is best to check the gauge and adjust them before putting them in the trucks.    the wheel on the insulated side will usually slide the easiest.    For I tightening them, I just put a piece of tubing on the solid end to protect the axle, and I have a thick nut that fits over the other end and protects the axle while sitting on the wheel, not the insulator.    I then put it in my vise and give it a 1/4 turn maybe and then gauge it right there in the vice.   Tighten some more if needed.

Thanks; good information. I appreciate it. When I can finally get around to it, I'll try these on a K-Line car; got some hoppers I'd like to put them on...

Mark in Oregon

Northwest Shortline (NWSL) makes wheel sets to fit into just about any truck.  Just measure the length of the axle you have and look it up on NWSL, order accordingly. Not as economical, but they do fit properly in certain trucks, as well as the availability of 36" wheels.

Good point.

In spite of the fact that I've used a lot of their products over the years, I tend to space them out, ever since the move to Montana...🤔

Mark in Oregon

@Strummer posted:

I'm completely prepared for someone to remind me that "3 Rail Scale" overlooks the center rail and oversized couplers and wheel...🙂. I'm just curious.

Mark in Oregon

Mark,

And that person would be wrong, at least about couplers. The whole point of “three rail scale” when this sub forum was started back about 2008 was to move three rail modeling as close to scale accuracy as possible within the three rail track environment. Wheels? Debatable because of the realities of three rail turnouts. Couplers? No. More scale like couplers were thought essential to three rail scale. Ditto floppy-floppy pilots and the like. Those aren’t “Three Rail Scale.”  The idea of “Three Rail Scale” was to move beyond simply equipment with overall 1/48 scale body dimensions to equipmentas close to prototypical accuracy as possible. A “Three Rail Scale” locomotive or car should be indistinguishable from its two-rail counterpart except for wheels and track.

At any rate I’ve thought about trying precisely what your doing with Intermountain wheels in Weaver trucks. So how is it working out, especially with three rail turnouts?

RM

Hi Rich: thanks for your response.

About "couplers": that's what I thought, but Norm Charbonneau's videos show he seems to be using the original large couplers, and I don't think there's any layouts in any scale that are "better" than that one! 😊

About these wheels...at this time my setup is strictly large ovals for testing, without turnouts, so I'm not sure how they would do. Sorry.

Mark in Oregon

EDIT: I just watched one of his newer videos and it appears that he is moving to Kadee couplers. 

I run 2 rail cars on my 3 rail Carbondale. Few problems except for very light weight cars through turnouts, such as, light weight short plastic hoppers with no added weight. I try to fill them with some heavy ballast.

@Ron H posted:

I run 2 rail cars on my 3 rail Carbondale. Few problems except for very light weight cars through turnouts, such as, light weight short plastic hoppers with no added weight. I try to fill them with some heavy ballast.

Got it.

My 2 rail cars are mostly older metal, brass, wood  or a combination of these materials. My 3 rail cars are mostly die cast (hoppers) and a handful of plastic, like reefers and cabooses. Typically additional weight is not usually needed. Plus, these wheel sets do help. 👍

Mark in Oregon

@Strummer - For O Scale, I try to recycle the truck mounted couplers as often as possible.  I generally 3D filament print a Kadee like box for them.  For whatever reason, I dislike Kadee couplers.  I find them visually to "small" and would rather have the larger couplers.

Anthony

@A. Wells posted:

@Strummer - For O Scale, I try to recycle the truck mounted couplers as often as possible.  I generally 3D filament print a Kadee like box for them.  For whatever reason, I dislike Kadee couplers.  I find them visually to "small" and would rather have the larger couplers.

Anthony

Except,,,,,,,,,Kadee couplers work sooooooooo well, that there is never any need to bash cars together in order to get the knuckles to close and latch. Plus, Kadee couplers can be VERY reliable when handling very long trains of 50 to 100 cars, i.e. the do NOT just "come apart".

@Hot Water posted:

Except,,,,,,,,,Kadee couplers work sooooooooo well, that there is never any need to bash cars together in order to get the knuckles to close and latch. Plus, Kadee couplers can be VERY reliable when handling very long trains of 50 to 100 cars, i.e. the do NOT just "come apart".

You do realize I never can tell when you're trying to relay a serious comment or just being totally facetious. A

@A. Wells posted:

You do realize I never can tell when you're trying to relay a serious comment or just being totally facetious. A

Anthony

I get your point about Kadees looking "small"; I kinda feel that way about them too. BUT... 🙂

Dunno if he's kidding or not, but "Hot Water" is spot on regarding Kadees as far as operating is concerned.

In spite of the fact they've been around so long, I feel nothing has come close to matching them. Sure, there are more realistic looking types, but as far as striking a balance between form and function, they are still the best option.

I've used them in every scale from Z through to O  and my opinion applies to all those scales: plus, they're still make in Oregon! 😁

Mark (also) in Oregon... but "made" in Connecticut. 🙂

@Strummer posted:

Anthony

I get your point about Kadees looking "small"; I kinda feel that way about them too. BUT... 🙂

Dunno if he's kidding or not,

I was NOT kidding!  I NEVER had any issues switching or handling long trains, with body mounted Kadee couplers.

but "Hot Water" is spot on regarding Kadees as far as operating is concerned.

Back when I was a member of the modular layout group, The Independent Hi-Railers, Midwest Division, I regular handled 50 to 100 car freight trains, with all cars equipped with body mounted Kadee #805 metal couplers, and and no issues with undesired un-couplings.

In spite of the fact they've been around so long, I feel nothing has come close to matching them. Sure, there are more realistic looking types, but as far as striking a balance between form and function, they are still the best option.

I've used them in every scale from Z through to O  and my opinion applies to all those scales: plus, they're still make in Oregon! 😁

Mark (also) in Oregon... but "made" in Connecticut. 🙂

I fitted Intermountain wheels into a Lionel milk car with great success!  Click on my picture below to take you to the thread.  The only issue I had was paint sticking to the wheels.  Perhaps a chem etch or etching primer would help.

I ran it at the club layout for a long time without issue.  Mostly to wear the paint off the tread.

Thanks!

- Mario

Thank you Mario...👍

Mark in Oregon

@Strummer posted:

Thank you Mario...👍

Mark in Oregon

Anytime!

I have heard, and want to try, Intermountain wheels in Lionel PS-1 boxcars, as well.  I have a few Rutland boxcars that I want to 2R for the Rutland RRHS's magazine; The Newsliner.

We use Gargraves 3R track on the club layout, and these wheels, as well as Atlas 2R cars work perfectly fine on their track.

The Canandaigua Southern car in this train is Atlas 2R and the cars are all equipped with Kadees.

Thanks and good luck!

- Mario

This is good information, thanks!

I have a bunch of the nice, heavy K Line die cast hoppers; I'm hoping these wheel sets will fit those trucks as well...

Mark in Oregon

@Strummer posted:

This is good information, thanks!

I have a bunch of the nice, heavy K Line diecast hoppers; I'm hoping these wheel sets will fit those trucks as well...

Mark in Oregon

2-bay?  I love them!  I have all 4 NYC road numbers.

The Lionel ones are nice, and used the same tooling I believe, only without the Kadee mounts.

Thanks!

- Mario

@CentralFan1976 posted:

2-bay?  I love them!  I have all 4 NYC road numbers.

The Lionel ones are nice, and used the same tooling I believe, only without the Kadee mounts.

Thanks!

- Mario

Yes, 2-bay. 🙂

Have you tried to install the Intermountain wheelsets on any of them? I see the car in your photo looks to have the original large wheels...

Mark in Oregon

@Strummer posted:

Yes, 2-bay. 🙂

Have you tried to install the Intermountain wheelsets on any of them? I see the car in your photo looks to have the original large wheels...

Mark in Oregon

I have not...  Post here how it goes.

Thanks!

- Mario

@CentralFan1976 posted:

I fitted Intermountain wheels into a Lionel milk car with great success!  Click on my picture below to take you to the thread.  The only issue I had was paint sticking to the wheels.  Perhaps a chem etch or etching primer would help.

I ran it at the club layout for a long time without issue.  Mostly to wear the paint off the tread.

Thanks!

- Mario

Get a pack of garden hose washers at home depot.  Put the washers on the wheels to mask the wheel treads then paint.  

I've run Intermountain wheels and Kadee couplers for years with few problems. Even with high speed passenger cars.

@prrjim posted:

A word of caution, I just went through about 1/2 dozen sets that were out of gauge too wide.    It is best to check the gauge and adjust them before putting them in the trucks.   

Jim

Just got a couple packages, checked them and sure enough,all (8) sets are slightly wide. Will try your technique.

Thanks for the heads up. 👍

Mark in Oregon

An update of sorts... 🙂

I've got a bunch of the K Line die cast 2 bay hoppers and hoped to install some of these wheel sets into the stock trucks, which are pretty nice. They do fit:

but unfortunately...

The coupler "carrier" piece is an integral part of the entire assembly, so short of cutting the coupler off completely, this ain't gonna happen.

I guess that's why the instructions for using Kadee couplers say "install scale truck"... 😐

Mark in Oregon

I like the look of scale wheels and Kadee couplers.

@harley rider posted:

I like the look of scale wheels and Kadee couplers.

Of course you do... and so do I. But until I can figure out something (sort of cutting off the big couplers), this will have to do. At least I'm halfway there! 😁

Mark in Oregon

@Strummer posted:

Of course you do... and so do I. But until I can figure out something (sort of cutting off the big couplers), this will have to do. At least I'm halfway there! 😁

Mark in Oregon

At first I had a hard time deciding to cut off the lobster claw couplers, knowing that it would not be reversible.  But once you do the first one and see the improved appearance of a scale sized coupler and a scale separation between cars, you will forget all about ever wanting to convert back.   A Dremel cut-off disc makes fast work of that coupler.

Bob