Wheel set / flange options

Rich, I'd like to add "currently in production" as a criteria too.  A lot of folks recommend Athearn but I'm not sure if they're still in production, if not the supply is bound to run out after a while (when were they last made?).

Rich,

Prototype auto racks & inter model equipment tend to use 28" diameter wheels. Older freight cars, i.e. 70 ton trucks or lighter, use 33" diameter wheels. Modern 100 ton or heavier capacity trucks use 36" diameter wheels.

The hard part will be trying to get model wheels in O-Scale that have what you refer to as "in-between" flanges, i.e not pizza cutters, but not the standard NMRA RP25 O Scale 2-Rail wheels. I sure would like some "in-between" wheels also.

you could get a group together and order some from NWSL custom made , the old brass imports have larger flanges on the wheels.

True, the VERY old 2-Rail O Scale wheels used to have pretty fair size flanges, but no where near as large as the 3-Rail pizza cutters. I was purchasing some of those old (1950s 1960s) 2-Rail wheels, but I find that, after modifying my Atlas turnouts, todays 2-Rail SCALE wheels seem to work OK.

...modifying my Atlas turnouts,

What exactly did you do?

Per SOONUT's instructions, I added sufficient styrene strips to the top of every guardrail opposite the frog, on the diverging route. That brought the guardrail height up to the level of the running rail. Simple, but sure seems to be effective.

Hot is correct - flanges from prewar O Scale were larger.  I use them on my 2- rail stuff - seems to keep derailments on my crummy track to a dull roar.

If you do not mind plastic, the ubiquitous 1970s Atlas and AHM models had even bigger flanges, but not giant like 3- rail.  I suspect they were intended for tubular and T track.  There are a lot of them out there - most replaced them with Athearn.  

I did try scale flanges and Proto- 48, but my trackwork is not up to the task.