I'm a bit baffled on what's available for metal wheels. Being across the Atlantic doesn't help - US/Canadian manufacturers label their by prototype size in inches (two sizes, it seems, 33" and 36" which should be 5.2mm and 5.7mm respectively at 1:160). UK sources just use mm, with the 2mm Association having 7, 6, and 5.25mm wheel diameters on various axles; Farish with 6.3mm. Kato wheels could probably be ordered from a variety of suppliers, but I can't find the wheel diameter, and the axle length looks shorter than typical N Gauge. I'm not familiar with what's available to Continental modellers.

Can anyone give a rundown on what's available outside of what I describe above?

I'm hoping to replace a lot of plastic wheels with metal for a variety of reasons. It seems Farish is out of stock, and will remain so for a while. I suppose I could take out a 2mm association membership. For N Gauge the best choise of axle length would be either 15.2 or 14.2mm correct? Maybe I should just replace as much as I can with finescale wheels? I could also replace my coach wheels with a size closer to prototype.

Quote from: JayM481 on April 22, 2021, 01:59:57 AM
I suppose I could take out a 2mm association membership. For N Gauge the best choise of axle length would be either 15.2 or 14.2mm correct? Maybe I should just replace as much as I can with finescale wheels? I could also replace my coach wheels with a size closer to prototype.

I see from the current 2mmSA product list that there is only 1 N gauge profile wheel offered - 2-027 3 hole disc on 12.25mm axle. This axle length is for some of the 2mm underframes, definitely not PECO, Farish or Dapol, although you could change the axle for the length you needed.
I have some spoked wheels, both 2mm and N gauge that look like they are from the same manufacturer, but are to different standards, that I think were obtained from the 2mmSA a long time ago. They were for PECO replacements. I'll measure the axle length, but it won't be much use as I don't see them available any more.

Ok. I went to the shed and measured and photographed some wheels.

From the left these are:
2mm wheels on 14.8mm axle for PECO
MBM (Mike Bryant, I think) N gauge wheels on 14.8mm axle
DMA8 ( This has to be either a 2mm or NGS part number) on 14.8mm axle







I think the 2mm wheel and the MBM wheel are made by the same supplier because of the similar wheel colouring and method of construction.
Another issue is that I am unsure whether 2mm wheels will work through N gauge point work. Maybe the flange is too narrow. Others here will advise on that.

Mark

Don't forget that UK models are 1:148 scale so the Farish 6.3mm is 36" for that scale...

I generally used the Parkside-Dundas wheels (now listed by both Peco and Dundas Models since the split but currently shown as out of stock by both...)

They come in 5.2, 6.3 & 7mm with Solid Disk 3-hole disk or spoked. I find them a direct fit in Farish (Poole) and Peco stock with no issues, though some report them as tight in Peco wagons.

2mm SA wheels will not work on n gauge pointwork. It's possible you may be able to adjust the back to backs down to 9mm gauge (as opposed to 9.42mm), but you won't get satisfactory running like that, the treads and the flanges are too small and you'll lose them in the frogs.

Availability is a bit of a problem at the moment. Farish are out of stock (and when I asked they had no date for them), plus various US brands are out of stock too. Check out Dundas, they had spoked and 3-hole when I looked, but not disc. Freight stock is often 5.5mm or 6.2mm, coach stock often 7mm. There are as many exceptions as there are rules there though!

Edit: sounds like Dundas are out too!

In the past, I've replaced Peco wheels with Parkside, but I now use Farish whenever I find them available. I also replaced old Poole-type Farish wheels with these. All my stock now runs on either Parkside or Farish.

Farish have a much 'sharper' axle profile, and I think they run freer than Parkside (just my opinion), and also I've found that using the new Society reamer helps to free off any tight axleboxes.

One problem I did find with Parkside, and haven't (so far) with Farish; my layout lives in an unheated garage, and when subject to temperature extremes, the metal tyres can become loose on the plastic centres and hence go out of gauge. Easily fixed with a back to back gauge and a tiny dab of superglue.

Martyn

Thank you all. Noted on the scale. I model LNER, and know that Dapol wheels are 6.2mm, but the prototype should come out to 7.4mm in 1:148 (3'7" wheels), though I shouldn't be so picky.

I looked for Parkside Dundas wheels, but apparently not hard enough. The Peco sub-section has nothing in N, and the 009 subsection has no wheels, so I thought they were dropped. Where might I find them? Found the Dundas Models site.

Regarding 2mm wheels, I have some wheel sets I got with a couple of kits from Etched Pixels that appear to be 2mm finescale (obviously with N gauge B2B). They are certainly much finer than the N gauge ones on most of my stock. I used them to replace some truly awful plastic wheels that were in an otherwise quite nice kit-built RTS and gave it a run around my Kato loop (well, most of a run). The issue I had was not the wheels, which seemed to run fine on the Kato track. The problem was the couplings were now too low so it wouldn't stay coupled. That led me to believe that 2mm wheels would be fine on my planned Code 55 layout. Am I wrong?

Another source of wheels is N Wheelz by N-Trains, whose owner is on this forum.

I've never used them, though, so can't comment on them.

Dapol may also do spare wheels, but again, I've never used them apart from original fitting in their rolling stock.

You will find that using replacement wheels of different diameter will affect the ride height of the wagon or coach. It'll be your decision if its acceptable or not, especially against other rolling stock. Also be aware that axle lengths may vary slightly between manufacturers, I don't know. If so, some replacement wheels may not be suitable in some cases.

Martyn

That was going to be my next question: is there any reason wheels billed for OO9 can't be used for N gauge if the diameter is correct?

Quote from: martyn on April 22, 2021, 04:52:36 PM
Another source of wheels is N Wheelz by N-Trains, whose owner is on this forum.

I'm having trouble finding that, either on the forum or with google.

https://n-train.net/

Quote from: JayM481 on April 22, 2021, 05:11:57 PM
That was going to be my next question: is there any reason wheels billed for OO9 can't be used for N gauge if the diameter is correct?

As long as the axle length suits your requirements then no reason why not.  I bought a pack of 20 wheels from Dundas Models last February.

Quote from: JayM481 on April 22, 2021, 03:19:17 PM
Regarding 2mm wheels, I have some wheel sets I got with a couple of kits from Etched Pixels that appear to be 2mm finescale (obviously with N gauge B2B). They are certainly much finer than the N gauge ones on most of my stock. I used them to replace some truly awful plastic wheels that were in an otherwise quite nice kit-built RTS and gave it a run around my Kato loop (well, most of a run). The issue I had was not the wheels, which seemed to run fine on the Kato track. The problem was the couplings were now too low so it wouldn't stay coupled. That led me to believe that 2mm wheels would be fine on my planned Code 55 layout. Am I wrong?

I confess I've not tried, but I'd expect them to run poorly through pointwork as they'll fall into the gaps at the frogs. I imagine they'll also be very prone to derailing on anything other than very good track due to the finer flanges. 

Thank you all. I've ordered some from Dundas Models. We'll see how they work.