Metal Wheel Options

[peteski]

Actually, Kadee/MT has used a few different designs:

1. cast metal wheel on plastic axle (both early Kadee and some recent Micro-Trains)
2. plastic wheel on metal axle (e.g. ribbed-back Kadee wheelsets)
3. one piece plastic casting (several iterations of Micro-Trains with at least 3 different flange depths).

True. I was focusing on the 1-piece plastic ones MTL used for the last 20+ (or even 30+) years.

As for the early Kadee Micro-Trains wheels, they were made in such a way that they pretty much stayed in gauge.

Well, #2 I suppose, by design could go wide in gauge, but not narrow.  But then they would also be too tight in the truck frame.

I don't have #1 handy, but IIRC, they were also made in a way that they could only go wide in gauge, but not narrow, but either going out of gauge would be something very rare.

[robert3985]

is the ME higher i suppose than Atlas, when it comes to code 55?
I run Atlas 55 and i have to change wheels or I get the clicking of the wheels hitting the spikes.

"Code 55" refers to the height of the rail in thousandths of an inch...Code 55 being .055" tall.  Code 80 means the rail is .080" tall.  Code 40 means the rails SHOULD be .040" tall, but it's actually around .044" tall.

Then, there's Peco55.  Peco55 has a visible rail that stands above the ties that's .055" tall, but has .030" buried in the ties, for a total rail height of .085".  Since the visible rail is what counts as far as appearance and operational characteristics are concerned, Peco55 is considered to be Code 55 track.

Both Atlas and Micro Engineering rail is .055" tall, but Atlas, carrying on the tradition of their Code 80 track, made what should have been spike heads and tie plates into grossly oversized blobs that interfere with wheels that have flanges deeper than what the NMRA recommends...which are called "pizza cutters flanges".

Micro Engineering, which started life for N-scale as Rail Craft, molded individual spike heads and tie plates on each tie, and was the finest, best-looking N-scale track made.  After the injection tool (mold) wore out after they had changed their name to Micro Engineering, they made a new injection tool with noticeably higher, bigger spike heads, but still small enough so that pizza cutter flanges will run on it without interference.

Micro Engineering also manufactures their flex-track in Code 70 and in Code 40.  While their Code 70 has no problems with running any type of flange, their code 40 will only run actual low-profile wheelsets, especially since ME decided to make their spikeheads larger on the last injection tool.

Peco55 decided for some unknown reason, to make their ties near the same toy-like proportions as what toy N-gauge track looked like back in the 1960's when N-gauge trains were first introduced.  However, they did make the little squares which are supposed to represent spike heads and tie plates, very low since they are purely cosmetic and have no mechanical purpose.

Hand-laid PC Board Code 55 and Code 40 track has no spike heads nor tie plates (although they can be added using Code 40 rail) so Pizza Cutters run without interference, yes...even on Code 40 (actually .044" tall) hand-laid PCB track.

Photo (1) - Comparison between Atlas Code 55 flex track (original run) on the left, and Micro Engineering Code 55 flex track (present run) on the right:



Photo (2) - Just for giggles, here's a Comparison between Atlas Code 55 flex track (original run) and Rail Craft Code 55 flex track which also was Micro Engineering for several years after the name change:


Photo (3) - Peco55 Unifrog Turnout.  Note the cosmetic square/cube-shaped thingies that represent spike heads & tie plates.  Also notice they are much shorter on the inside of the rail for flange clearance:


I am going to resist a rant as to what Peco COULD have done when engineering their Code 55 track product, but chose to make it toy-like.

Although many of us know the differences between the three brands of N-scale Code 55 track, it's good to actually see the differences, and also inform those who may not have been aware.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Simon D.]

Peco track has chairs, not spikes/plates, European practice. Very different.

[CRR Chase]

Thanks Bob.. good examples.. I figured code 55 was the same across the board.. and the only difference was tie spacing.. appreciate the information.

[peteski]

Peco track has chairs, not spikes/plates, European practice. Very different.

Whatever they are, they are supposed to depict the devices used to attach the rail to the ties (sleepers).  On Peco C55 track those are strictly cosmetic, where on American C55 track those "spikes" are actually functional, since the are the only thing holding the rail to the ties.

You will also notice on Peco C55 that the inner parts of the chairs are lower profile than the outer ones. This is done to increase flange dept clearance to make Peco C55 track compatible with the typical deep flanges of European models.

[robert3985]

Peco track has chairs, not spikes/plates, European practice. Very different.

Nope.  I did the research, so did Dave Vollmer and one member from New Zealand (sorry I don't remember the name) and the consensus was that Peco55 doesn't look like any British or European prototype track...nor any Asian, North American, South American, Russian, New Zealand or Australian track.

This includes tie dimensions, tie spacing, and rail attachment hardware.  Peco55's square/cubic thingies look about as much like "chairs" as they look like spike heads and tie plates.

The claim that Peco55 looks like "European practice" track is a common assumption, but is unsupported by any documentation or evidence.  It is spurious.

What Peco55 looks closest to is the original toy sectional track introduced in the 1960's with toy N-gauge train sets.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[peteski]

Since Bob brought it up. here is some useful info on rail fastening systems:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_fastening_system

Peco's representation if rail fasteners does not seem to depict a chair, tie plate or a spike. It is just generic looking raised rectangle on each side of the rail.