New wheelsets for Atlas 55-ton hopper?

[u18b]

I'm exploring putting new wheels under the Atlas 55-ton fishbelly hopper.

Anybody know what wheels will work in the Atlas trucks?

[bbussey]

Any wheelset with a .553" axle length.

[garethashenden]

Any wheelset with a .553" axle length.

Yes, but are there any available? Fox Valley used to make them, but they don't currently.

[Missaberoad]

Any wheelset with a .553" axle length.

Such as the new ESM .553" axles avaliable in 33 and 36 inch wheels

Sorry I couldn't resist   
Wishful thinking on my part   

[John]

I'm exploring putting new wheels under the Atlas 55-ton fishbelly hopper.

Anybody know what wheels will work in the Atlas trucks?

What kind of wheels do you want to put on them .. metal?

[u18b]

What kind of wheels do you want to put on them .. metal?

Any kind- as log as true rolling.
The Atlas wheels are OK- I'm not complaining.
But a small percentage cause the car to rock a little - which, i know, is somewhat prototypical, lol.


Lee has been on vacation or something.  Not sure if he ever changed wheels.  Though he has a lot more cars than I.  I'll only need about 20 or so.

[Maletrain]

Sure do miss the Fox Valley wheel sets.  BLMA and ESM have been excellent for the 0.540" axle length, but are not available in other lengths. 

Atlas plastic wheels do not seem to roll as freely.

I have accumulated at least (quick count) 125 Atlas coal hoppers and box cars that I would like to put metal wheels on.  And my remaining stash of Fox Valley 0.553" axles is nowhere near sufficient.

Is there any hope that Fox Valley will get more wheels on the shelf any time soon?

If not, is there any hope that ESM will expand that line to include 0.553" axles? 

[cjm413]

Yes, but are there any available? Fox Valley used to make them, but they don't currently.

IMRC makes 0.553" wheelsets

[Maletrain]

IMRC makes 0.553" wheelsets

 
Acronym   Definition
IMRC   Intake Manifold Runner Control
IMRC   Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre (UK)
IMRC   Intake Manifold Runner Control (automotive)
IMRC   Inspection and Maintenance Review Committee (California)
IMRC   Indian Muslim Relief and Charities (Palo Alto, CA)
IMRC   Information Management Resource Centre (Canada)
IMRC   Item Management Responsibility Code

Try https://www.intermountain-railway.com/n/nacc.htm for "InterMountain Railway Company" 

[John]

Any kind- as log as true rolling.
The Atlas wheels are OK- I'm not complaining.
But a small percentage cause the car to rock a little - which, i know, is somewhat prototypical, lol.


Lee has been on vacation or something.  Not sure if he ever changed wheels.  Though he has a lot more cars than I.  I'll only need about 20 or so.

I think I have some Atlas 33" black and brown plastic you can have if I can find them

[C855B]

FWIW, I gave up on using FVM wheelsets with Atlas trucks. There was simply too much rolling resistance. I don't know what the problem was, ether the FVM axles were too long or the frame somehow shrunk. My particular end game converting 120 70-ton ore jennies was to invest in MTL trucks and replace those wheelsets with FVM. Time > money. Turned out to be the most trouble-free train on the layout.

Yeah, not cheap, but any problem is solvable if you throw enough money at it. 

I'm sure this would still work given the increasing availability of non-FVM wheelsets. 0.540" MTL-compatible axles have become a de-facto standard, so IMO swapping the trucks is the first place to look.

[cjm413]

Acronym   Definition
IMRC   Intake Manifold Runner Control
IMRC   Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre (UK)
IMRC   Intake Manifold Runner Control (automotive)
IMRC   Inspection and Maintenance Review Committee (California)
IMRC   Indian Muslim Relief and Charities (Palo Alto, CA)
IMRC   Information Management Resource Centre (Canada)
IMRC   Item Management Responsibility Code

Try https://www.intermountain-railway.com/n/nacc.htm for "InterMountain Railway Company" 

 

[thomasjmdavis]

FWIW, I gave up on using FVM wheelsets with Atlas trucks. There was simply too much rolling resistance. I don't know what the problem was, ether the FVM axles were too long or the frame somehow shrunk.

Just for the heck of it, I pulled out one of my early vintage ($2 price tag and Atlas USA trademark) Atlas ore cars.  The axle length (original pizza cutters with plastic center metal wheels) per caliper is .543 (which is ironic- see below).  Got the same measurement +/- .001 for a couple other old Atlas (marked as "Atlas USA") cars in my box of stuff that did not sell on eBay 20 years ago.

Oops, sorry...Edit....I did not mean to imply you did not check axle length- just that Atlas has put out those cars with changes over the years- you could measure one older or younger and get what you were expecting, but try to fit that axle on one from another production lot and it won't fit.

I am happy with the IMRC wheelsets I have used here and there.  Replacing wheels is fairly low on my priority list, and my experience is limited to a few packages of IMRC and FVM, but to date have been happy with both.

Would be helpful if IMRC packaged replacement wheels for their own current production, given that the recent metal wheeled trucks and the plastic wheeled models that preceded them have (according to my calipers) .543" axles. Although the IMRC 33" do fit (in my experience, anyway) the early production IMRC kit trucks. So, the IMRC 33" wheelsets (in the wheelset package) will replace many Atlas 33" wheels (and some others), but not the most recent IMRC plastic wheelsets- or the current production metal wheels, if you happen to somehow lose an axle.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Any wheelset with a .553" axle length.

36" with .553" axles please! I just ran out of my emergency supplies and I still have about 200 Atlas 100T cars to convert.

[learmoia]

Acronym   Definition
IMRC   Intake Manifold Runner Control
IMRC   Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre (UK)
IMRC   Intake Manifold Runner Control (automotive)
IMRC   Inspection and Maintenance Review Committee (California)
IMRC   Indian Muslim Relief and Charities (Palo Alto, CA)
IMRC   Information Management Resource Centre (Canada)
IMRC   Item Management Responsibility Code

Try https://www.intermountain-railway.com/n/nacc.htm for "InterMountain Railway Company" 

You forgot Intermountain Healthcare.. Thats the result I get when I type "Intermountain" into a search engine.