Do Micro-Trains 36" Wheels Fit in BLMA 100 Ton Trucks?

[Kisatchie]

I've got some BLMA hoppers coming (soon, I heard), so I'm wondering if MTL wheelsets will fit in the BLMA trucks. Some day, I hope to have a DCC layout, and I heard metal wheels can cause trouble with DCC. Is that true?


Hmm... what is Truth...?

[Catt]

With 3 layouts at club running DCC and mandatory metal wheelsets I sure it won't have any affect on the DCC.

[bbussey]

They should, since BLMA wheels work in MTL trucks.  But I would stay with the BLMA wheels.

[wcfn100]

Metal wheels work fine with DCC just as long as you never say Candyman five times while looking in a mirror. Then you'd have some serious problems.

Jason

[ednadolski]

I'm wondering if MTL wheelsets will fit in the BLMA trucks.

Perhaps, but I don't see why anyone could ever want to.   

Some day, I hope to have a DCC layout, and I heard metal wheels can cause trouble with DCC. Is that true?

No, not at all.  Besides, you already have metal wheels on all your locos  (I hope!) 


Ed

[peteski]

I hope to have a DCC layout, and I heard metal wheels can cause trouble with DCC. Is that true?

Absolutely false rumor, probably spread by DCC-haters.  You also have to use metal wheels on cars if you decide to use current-sensing block occupancy detectors.

But seriously, the only possible reason I can think someone would say that is the DCC auto-reverse loops (where the reversing section is shorter than the train). With plastic wheels, only the locomotive will trigger polarity reversing (when needed). If the cars have metal wheels, they will also cause the reversing section to flip back and forth as the train goes through it.  But that is not a problem as the reverser is designed to do that. Besides, this would be true for an automatic reverser in DC (if those even exist).

[Kisatchie]

No, not at all.  Besides, you already have metal wheels on all your locos  (I hope!) 

D'Oh! Okay, so I'm stupid...


Hmm... I wouldn't say
that. Kiz is just tragically
misinformed...Hey, I'm
trying to be polite here...

[Nato]

           I' am still running DC  Wireless on my home layout and DCC on club layout at shows. In converting all my rolling stock that remains permanently out on my layout for op sessions  to metal wheels, I discovered there were sometimes shorts, this is caused when you park cars over switches either with wheels in the wrong spot or where track may be gapped one end on one side of the gap the other end on the other side.          Nate Goodman (Nato).

[robert3985]

          I' am still running DC  Wireless on my home layout and DCC on club layout at shows. In converting all my rolling stock that remains permanently out on my layout for op sessions  to metal wheels, I discovered there were sometimes shorts, this is caused when you park cars over switches either with wheels in the wrong spot or where track may be gapped one end on one side of the gap the other end on the other side.          Nate Goodman (Nato).

Or when you have cars that are lighted which pick up current from the rails and bridge gaps.  I know Nate's had some problems on his layout, but I've yet to encounter any on mine unless I accidently throw a turnout the wrong way while the train is still moving across it...which creates more problems than a simple short! 

I'm working on getting Nate to convert to DCC, but he's got a sh*tload of engines to convert.  That's why I went with Digitrax, so I could still run my analog engines if I wanted at the same time as my DCC ones...which, thankfully, is becoming less and less of a necessity for me.  One at a time, that's what I say.

Truth is, I've got fewer gaps after converting to DCC than I did when I was running DC.  I think it's less of a problem with DCC...and then, only occasionally...akin to parking an engine over a gap.  Gotta put your gaps in places that aren't going to have an engine or a car parked across them unless it's operator error.

The only place it would be a BIG problem on my layout is where my programming track is located and then, only because I've hooked up a Soundtraxx Programming Track Booster to it and crossing the gap when that section is in programming mode would fry my booster.  That's why I've got a section leading into my programming track that's longer than my longest engine (a Big Boy) which goes dead when I switch to programming mode, effectively eliminating the possibility of bridging the gap and protecting my programming booster.