Seeking 40 or 42 inch N Scale wheelsets

[mmagliaro]

I'm looking around for some wheelsets that are ideally 42" diameter, with one insulated wheel and one conducting wheel.
Does anybody make such a thing?  Does anybody know if one of the commonly available diesels uses 42" wheels
and has one "hot" (conducting) and one insulated wheel on it?

("Conducting", meaning the metal axle is pressed into a metal wheel center and so current will flow through the wheel to the axle).

[peteski]

Isn't that the diameter of the wheels in many locomotive trucks?  They are set up for current pickup already.  If not, you might have to get them custom made (maybe NWSL?)

EDIT: I obviously didn't ready your post carefully.    Maybe some brass models used this type of electric arrangement?  If not, you could probably find a way to adapt one of the dozens of available wheel sets. Push the axle out of the wheelset, drill the wheel out for a plastic sleeve then reinstall the axle.  I also think that the older Arnold and Minitrix models uses wheels with plastic centers. That insulated the axle completely. Also, the older Mehano, LifeLike and Model Power locos used metal wheels on plastic axles.

[LV LOU]

 Max,what would the actual tread diameter be? I might have something..

[mmagliaro]

Lou:  0.263" 

Peteski, the diesels I have are insulated on both sides.  That's no good.  I don't want to have to use a wiper.
 I am currently trying some conductive paint, which *might* work okay, to use on an axle where both wheels
have plastic insulating bushings (bridge the bushing with some conductive paint).   I didn't see anything at NWSL that would work.

I want a metal axle, pushed into a metal wheel on one side, and pushed into an insulated wheel on the other.
I also fiddled with various sizes of brass tubing, trying to see if I could push the plastic bushing out of one wheel and
replace it with a piece of brass tubing, but I don't have any tubing size that fits snugly on the axle (it's probably metric).

[pnolan48]

See if can find an old Con-cor PA dummy.

[Kiasutha]

Not knowing what you're using it for, is there any chance you could modify/re-gauge an HO wheelset?
That would be about 22"-23" in HO; about right for some pilot truck or narrow-gauge wheels.
Some of them have the insulation arrangement you want.
NWSL might have some; just a thought...

[bill pearce]

You could consider the same plan that folks with signalling use with cabooses: They bridge the insulator on one wheel with a resistor. You could do the same with a bit of wire.

[mmagliaro]

Thanks for thinking about this, guys.
An HO wheelset would not be good because it will have big flanges and a very wide tread (compared to what N Scale would have).

I thought about the tricks for bridging wheelsets with a resistor (for block detection).  But those are stuffing a resistor
BETWEEN the wheels.   Usually, you drill a tiny hole in the back of the wheel, just where the metal meets
the plastic inner hub, and you wedge the resistor in there, with it's wire ends in those two tiny holes.

I might be able to drill a tiny hole into the axle, and then slip a wire in there and into
the back of the wheel.   

Something else everyone should know.  I have applied some conductive paint to do this now, and it does work.   But
I was looking for a more robust, and not to labor intensive, solution.   

Oh, and this is for pilot truck wheels on a brass steam loco.  The wheels are insulated on both sides, so the truck
is electrically dead.  But that is such a poor design.  You can always get pilot and trailing truck pickup on at least one
side with ease and for free with no wipers or other nonsense, just by having one wheel not be insulated.  I don't know
why everybody doesn't do this.

[Alwyn Cutmore]

Max,

You might care to try the UK 2mm society.

Regards

Al

[Big4Man]

You may want to look at NWSL. Although, I haven't bought from them in years, they still show seperate wheels and insulated shoulders on their axles with part numbers.

http://www.nwsl.com/uploads/CHAPTER_3_2013.pdf

Good Luck!

[Kiasutha]

Max:
They may not have what you need, but I suggest you look through the charts on this page.
You may want to re-think your statement about HO/HOn3 etc wheels being bigger/courser than N.
Some are actually finer than N. It's not uncommon for early era HOn3 to use code 40 rail btw...
http://www.nwsl.com/uploads/CHAPTER_3_2013.pdf
(edit-ooops; I see Big4Man gave you the very same link...)

Thanks for thinking about this, guys.
An HO wheelset would not be good because it will have big flanges and a very wide tread (compared to what N Scale would have).

[SkipGear]

Max,
 I will have to dig but I may have exactly what you need. You may need to turn down the flanges but I know I have some older Arnold wheelsets from some Euro passenger cars that were larger than normal. I'll see what I can come up with.

[mmagliaro]

Hey, that's a good idea on the HOn30 and such wheelsets.  And the unassembled wheelsets.
But I don't see anything in there that is HO, 21".  They all look much bigger to me. 

I DO notice that they sell replacement 42" wheelsets for the Bachmann DD40X !
Photos on Bachmann's site, however, look like those are insulated on both sides.

[peteski]

Max,
 I will have to dig but I may have exactly what you need. You may need to turn down the flanges but I know I have some older Arnold wheelsets from some Euro passenger cars that were larger than normal. I'll see what I can come up with.

The European passenger car wheels are usually 1 meter in diameter. That is about 39.4".  That might work.  Actually there is a seller on eBay ( http://stores.ebay.com/benno002-2 ) who sells replacement wheels for European models. And he does sell them with either one or both wheels insulated.

[SkipGear]

The Arnold wheels were too small but I found exactly what you need. Trailing truck from the Bachmann Santa Fe Northern. Wheels measure out at 42.6 scale inches and are half axle pickup (one wheel insulated). I have one setting on my keyboard right now if you want it. Wheels are a bit tarnished but otherwise should be fine.

If not....this one probably won't even need the flanges touched....

http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_70_119&products_id=357

The J class trailing truck wheels measure out around 40" I believe as another option.