FVM wheels no longer listed on MBK

[Mark5]

Most Atlas axles are not 0.540

BLMA used 0.540, so now Atlas has at least two different axle lengths (nevermind the one off weirdo trucks used under the 20,700 tank cars  ).

Mark

[bbussey]

The newer Atlas models use .540” axles — the ex-BLMA cars, the new Master tooling (PS-1, the TOFCs, the coil car). All the models developed prior to the PS-1 run on earlier Atlas trucks that use the longer axles.

[pedro]

.553” axle length eventually. And bulk packs as well, once the demand warrants.

The only reason I haven't ordered any ESM wheels is BECAUSE of the lack of a bulk option...

...but I just added a couple 12-packs to an order I'll be placing soon! Hope that helps in some small way. If you were to offer 100-packs tomorrow I'd place an order immediately. I have about a 250 car backlog...

[reinhardtjh]

I've been saving for nearly two years so when FVM wheels get back in stock I can order about 10 100-pk bags of 33" .540 lengths plus a few bags of 36" for some passenger cars.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

With all the talk about wheels.....OK, about to display some ignorance, but....
I have been under the impression that both Atlas and MTL were using .540 wheelsets. 

But, in my drawer of stuff I've never found a use for, I have a package of (plastic  ) ATLAS made wheelsets that are labeled "MT replacement wheelsets".  If they both use .540 wheelsets, why would these wheels (although made by Atlas) be specific to MT trucks?

Ah those wheels... Atlas had to produce low profile wheels for MTL trucks when they introduced their C55 line of track and MTL pizza cutter wheels would hit the railheads. MTL was producing low profile wheels, but not in bulk at that point.

The MTL low profile wheels were retooled (I'm guessing for faster, bulk production) and released a short time after the Atlas wheels came out. Unfortunately the MTL wheels tended to derail easily so a lot of people used the Atlas wheels in MTL trucks.

[bbussey]

The only reason I haven't ordered any ESM wheels is BECAUSE of the lack of a bulk option...

...but I just added a couple 12-packs to an order I'll be placing soon! Hope that helps in some small way. If you were to offer 100-packs tomorrow I'd place an order immediately. I have about a 250 car backlog...

We need a few more folks to shout it out via their hobby dealers. If the demand develops, we will offer it. But there are plenty of 12-packs in both wheel diameters to satisfy everyone’s needs through 2021.

[reinhardtjh]

ESM wheels are always in stock. We just filled a huge MBK restock order on .540” axle 33” and 36” wheels that they should show as in stock before the end of the week. 

Just as an FYI I got an email from MBK not long ago.  Back in stock.  Currently 36 packs of 36" and 60 packs of 33" in stock..

[lock4244]

38" wheels would be fantastic, as long as they're compatible with the Kato 125T trucks.  The Kato wheels are ok, but could definitely be improved upon with a narrower tread and better face profile.

The only cars I know of to use 28" wheels are some low-boy auto racks.  As a cautionary note, I tried 28" FVM wheels once in some MT trucks and the truck side frames hung so low that they would drag on the railhead at turnouts.  The tolerances need to be pretty tight.

The Trailer Train Front Runner four wheel spine pig 'flat' used 28" wheels.

[bbussey]

The Trailer Train Front Runner four wheel spine pig 'flat' used 28" wheels.

Atlas used 28" wheels in their model?  I have some of those buried away, I will have to dig them out.

[lock4244]

Atlas used 28" wheels in their model?  I have some of those buried away, I will have to dig them out.

I recall that they did use 28" wheels, or at the least something noticeably smaller than their standard offering at the time.

[Bill H]

How do the IM Fine Detail 33" .540 width wheels compare to the ESM? I seem to remember the IM wheels were closer to 34" than 33" in actual measurement...

[Ike the BN Freak]

How do the IM Fine Detail 33" .540 width wheels compare to the ESM? I seem to remember the IM wheels were closer to 34" than 33" in actual measurement...

I thought the IM wheels with .540" axles all were 34.5" wheels

[thomasjmdavis]

I thought the IM wheels with .540" axles all were 34.5" wheels

Yep.
From the IM website:

There is no prototype for the 34.5" wheels used for Micro-Trains trucks. These wheels should be used regardless of car type or CAPY if Micro-Trains trucks are used on the car.
...................
34.5" Brass Insulated Wheelsets
for Micro-Trains®Trucks
Axle Length: 0.537"
12 Axles Per Pack
............
and
............
34.5" High Detail Brass Insulated Wheelsets
for Micro-Trains® Trucks
Axle Length: 0.537"
12 Axles Per Pack

Measuring a brand new IM metal wheel from an IM car (mod 1937 AAR box delivered late summer 2020), I get 0.206 over the tread and 0.240 over the flange.
Same measure on MT plastic wheels from new trucks (MBK 2 weeks ago) 0.209 over tread and 0.253 over flange.

Per my calculator (the one on the PC) 33" N scale inches = 0.2065 ;  34.5 N scale inches = 0.215625 (.006625 larger than the MT tread measure, which in turn is .003 - approx. 1/2 N scale inch, larger than the IM wheel tread measure).

What it looks like to me is that IM made their .537 axle trucks with wheels that were the same size over flanges as the MT truck, but because the IM flange is smaller, the dimension over tread comes out larger.

It may be that IM had some overriding rationale for making the MT replacement wheelsets oversized, but I can't think of one. The two major reasons to replace wheelsets are to improve operation and improve appearance, and at $1+ per axle, they should do both.  From what little experience I've had, the Fox Valley 33" wheels made for MT seem to operate fine, has anyone encountered a situation where the IM 34.5 inch wheelset performs better?

[peteski]

It may be that IM had some overriding rationale for making the MT replacement wheelsets oversized, but I can't think of one. The two major reasons to replace wheelsets are to improve operation and improve appearance, and at $1+ per axle, they should do both.  From what little experience I've had, the Fox Valley 33" wheels made for MT seem to operate fine, has anyone encountered a situation where the IM 34.5 inch wheelset performs better?

Another possibility it that the error occurred somewhere between the US-based IM and the Chinese factory and went unchallenged. They then (after alrehady having thousands of them made) just decided to go with it.  When some fastidious modelers noticed the strange size and asked IM about it, they came up with the story they have on their website (which doesn't really explain the odd size).

Or maybe they are supposed to represent 36" wheels with worn down tread? 

[tehachapifan]

A tweener wheel might potentially come in handy on a car that should technically be on 36" wheels but would then sit too high.