# Steel wheels required?



## chiloquinruss (Aug 14, 2010)

We are just getting started with the issue of visiting trains. Do any of you have special requirements for visiting trains? We had had a visitor yesterday that had a great 'looking' train but it ran terrible. After many incidents that culprit turned out to be the plastic wheels on his consist. We swapped out the wheelsets for some metal ones we had on hand. The problems disappeared and he ran for several hours. with a great big smile on his face. Question repeated we are thinking about requireing metal wheels on all visiting rolling stock. Is this an unrealistic requirement. Comments please! 

Midway Circle Garden Railraod
Train Mountain
Russ


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By chiloquinruss on 12 Sep 2010 10:38 AM 
We are just getting started with the issue of visiting trains. Do any of you have special requirements for visiting trains? We had had a visitor yesterday that had a great 'looking' train but it ran terrible. After many incidents that culprit turned out to be the plastic wheels on his consist. We swapped out the wheelsets for some metal ones we had on hand. The problems disappeared and he ran for several hours. with a great big smile on his face. Question repeated we are thinking about requireing metal wheels on all visiting rolling stock. Is this an unrealistic requirement. Comments please! 

Midway Circle Garden Railraod
Train Mountain
Russ


Nope not unrealistic at all as most people have metal wheels installed already. Metal wheels just make things run better and most major manufactures already equip there cars with metal wheels to avoid having there customers purchase them extra. Kadee couplers would make things run good as well but you should do a conversion car with different couplers on each end so you can mix and match people cars together. Also you should let people know up front what you require. We do this all the time with the club and there are no issues.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

You might want to keep some dead weight around. flat pices of steel, lead weights. and the like for people who have plastic wheels. You can adde osme weight to thier cars which could compensate for the plastic wheels. 

On all the layouts I have run on all the problems I had were caused by my rolling stock. I was able to adjust my rolling stock to run the they guys layout. 

No one every told me there was restrictions or pre requirments.

It all depends on how much your want to go out of your way to make a persons vist a happy vist. 

I have never left anyones layout where I did not have a great time being there. 

JJ


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Russ 

If you're talking about a club function, becarefull with up front requirements . Like the fellow that showed up with cars that had plastic wheels, he found out that the metal wheels are better by having problems with the way his train ran on your club's layout. If he'd been told up front he couldn't run his trains because he had plastic wheels, he might never have found out the wheels were the problem. There's a ton of used cars out there with plastic wheels and not everyone has the resources to put medal wheels on their rolling stock. So long as what they have to run isn't going to damage the club's equipment, let the new guys run what they brung. They'll see the better stuff being run and want the better equipment for them selves. 

Randy


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't think you need to make it a rule. I just look at it that the visitor learned an important lesson and could see first hand that its worth the investment. 
Thats the only way some folks will learn. 
Our open house is in two weeks. this is the 8th year and the only rules I have is ,
1 Don't walk over a moving train
2 don't run after the trains. (kids) Most operators can't run anyway.LOL


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Don't or didn't I read somewhere where plastic wheels leave a residue on the tracks, causing conductivity problems too?????????????? Regal


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

*Don't run after trains? What are you trying to say Marty? We are OLD!*


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

Double post


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

I would not make it a rule to run metal wheels. Your visitor found out the hard way what the problem was and it was fixed. NOTHING proves a point better than seeing that the use of metal wheels made his visit enjoyable and memorable.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

I'd agree with Gary. Let them run and then when the problems arises you can now explain why most folks that operate G scale use Metal instead of plastic. Aha you become a go source of Info and the guy foes home happy. Later RJD


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Track powered layout? Metal wheels only.


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## chiloquinruss (Aug 14, 2010)

Great input as usual from this group, thanks. I will pass it on to da' troops. I know on past smaller gauge layouts that the plastic wheels also contributed to the wheel/track cleaning issues. Thanks again gang, I really do appreciate it. Russ


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