Athearn/Roundhouse Overland Coach Wheelsets

[Mark5]

Athearn wheelsets are supposed to be 0.540" as well.

[Maletrain]

I think the issue is going to be whether the wheels were machined of sintered metal.  Dave is looking for low friction rolling on rail, so nice smooth wheel tread surface is the desired feature.

One thing that would be easy to try would be to just substitute some of the newer model MTL delrin wheels, which will also have 0.540" axles and tend to roll pretty friction free in MTL's trucks, at least.

[Dave V]

@Maletrain ,

Those Athearn 36" metal wheelsets were a perfect match.  These cars roll like crazy!  I went from having to "drag" them like sleds around the layout to tapping them lightly and having them coast halfway around the loop.

Thank you very much!  If I ever get my hands on more of them, I'll do the same thing.  My 4-car set is lettered D&RG, but somewhere I have bits and pieces to do another coach and combine to letter up as Colorado Midland (Republic Locomotive Works makes the decals).

Although it's far from a "sexy" model railroad task, I probably do need to eventually replace all of my wheels with metal just as I was doing on the old PRR Juniata Division.  The reduction in track cleaning requirements alone during a show makes it worthwhile to say nothing of the reduction in friction.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

If those don't work out, you might be able to just replace the trucks entirely with some of the hotness here:

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/panamintmodels?section=N+Scale&s=0

[Dave V]

If those don't work out, you might be able to just replace the trucks entirely with some of the hotness here:

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/panamintmodels?section=N+Scale&s=0

Oh yeah, I've been looking at those.  I actually placed an order with him for CMRy-style "Bombay" caboose cupolas...hoping to see those someday.

[Maletrain]

For whatever it is worth to somebody who finds this thread in a search sometime from now (when Tom makes a better search engine? ):

I found my came-with wheels on my second-hand eBay Ahearn Overland cars.  They were all (axles & wheels) brown plastic, moderate flange, wide tread, nominally scale 33" diameter with nominally 0.540" length axles.  And they rolled with more resistance than a little kid being dragged out of an ice cream shop without a cone in-hand.  Just looking at them, it is not obvious why.  But, they are not shiny like MTL plastic wheels, and don't roll like those, either.  So, I am suspecting that surface finish has a lot to do with it - maybe the finish on the axle points as well as on the wheel surfaces.

[thomasjmdavis]

I found my came-with wheels on my second-hand eBay Ahearn Overland cars.  They were all (axles & wheels) brown plastic, moderate flange, wide tread, nominally scale 33" diameter with nominally 0.540" length axles.  And they rolled with more resistance than a little kid being dragged out of an ice cream shop without a cone in-hand.  Just looking at them, it is not obvious why.  But, they are not shiny like MTL plastic wheels, and don't roll like those, either.  So, I am suspecting that surface finish has a lot to do with it - maybe the finish on the axle points as well as on the wheel surfaces.

Looking at mine (also second hand via eBay), they meet that description.  Mine roll OK but not well- probably wore in to some degree with the previous owner. I wonder if the wheels are made by the same manufacturer as the ones Atlas used on their "shortie" CNW passenger cars as they are similar in feel.  I think you are correct on surface finish being a major contributor to rolling quality (or lack thereof).  The Delrin or similar plastics are inherently low friction, and MT and others who make their trucks and plastic axles of those materials get better results.  I've also noted with the hard plastic trucks/axles/wheels that they seem more prone to small irregularities and/or warping- and all it takes is one bad wheel to make a car wobble or derail. 

For my own purposes, these cars were an "impulse buy"- they don't fit the planned layout timeframe, but the deal was too good to pass up, and I've liked the look of them since I first saw them on a hobby shop shelf.  One of these days, I'll pick up a 4-4-0 or 2-6-0 or some such to pull them.  So, all told, it won't bother me to replace the wheelsets (hopefully that's all it takes).

[Mark5]

If those don't work out, you might be able to just replace the trucks entirely with some of the hotness here:

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/panamintmodels?section=N+Scale&s=0

Not trying to be a smartass, but is anyone here actually using 3rd printed trucks?

I am curious to know what kind of "performance" experience folks are having with these.