Replacement LGB wheel sets

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oldoak

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Replacement LGB wheel sets

For some time now I have had a desire to replace my LGB plastic wheels sets with insulated metal wheels.
Many of you will also have seen several comments about Accucraft wheels falling down into LGB point frogs or splitting LGB points

Despite trying other types of wheel I have not been able to find a consistent standard in quality or availability. (with LGB its now you see it now you don?t)
I am off to Oz tomorrow (Via Burma) so I am about to investigate having a batch of LGB pattern wheel sets made up. I stress not by a backyarder but by a precision Automotive & Petro Chem engineering Co who use the latest computerized kit.
The only problem I see is the strength of the A$. and the volumes. When the kit is set up it can run all night. The more that are made the cheaper the unit price.

So my questions to you dear reader are?

Anybody out there interested?
How many would you like.
How much is a reasonable price to pay.

Any opinion on "is it worth it?"

I just need some ball park numbers at this stage to see if it is worth the effort.
 
and are they insulated?
Thanks mate.
 
Bachmann/Lilliput ones are around £13-14 for a pack of 4 atm....
 
Gizzy said:
Bachmann/Lilliput ones are around £13-14 for a pack of 4 atm....
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Thanks Gizzy thats a good start. I have LGB when you can find them at about £16-18.
 
oldoak said:
Gizzy said:
Bachmann/Lilliput ones are around £13-14 for a pack of 4 atm....
Click to expand...
Thanks Gizzy thats a good start. I have LGB when you can find them at about £16-18.
Click to expand...

I think you'll find that LGB ones are £16-£18 for TWO axles, while the Bachmann ones Gizzy quoted are packs of 4 axles - making Bachmann less than half the cost of LGB.
While the Bachmann ones are not always perfect, they are generally good enough for rolling stock wheels, so you'd need to be able to compete with their pricing unless you are making something of significantly better quality that people will be happy to pay the extra for.

Jon.
 
Yes, I have read that some of the Bachmann do have problems, & that was part of the reason for having a go myself, I find it difficult to see why?
When the computer is turned on, each Item should be exactly the same!
Unless they have a packaging problem which is damaging something . But we shall see?
 
The Bachmann wheels are cast, LGB ones are machined, that's why LGB don't wobble when they go down the track.. :rolf:
 
I have never seen a bachmann wobble. I am sure they do but is avoiding one in a 100 worth making your own. in the states I have read some of the guys running 100 wagons at a time have special ones for low friction reasons but other than that is it worth it? GRS do there own which are comparable in cost but are machined from what i can tell and are very attractive. i think they maybe stainless. i fitted them to some coaches. just my two pennies. Oh and when we did a toddler ride on experiment (long story) bachmann wheels held up fine!! (google "ride on g scale" if you want to see it :rolf:) Also here is about 100 bachmann wheels sets can't see no wobbles, all straight from packet no tests...:bigsmile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz7DS6dqaGA i was genuinely interested to check my videos of long trains all bachmann.

having said all that if you can provide better engineered attractive wheels at a smililar price (£14 for four axles) i think you will have a market.
 
Aristio Craft wheels are very good but hard to find. I use USAT / San Cal (they are identical) wheels in most of my stock with disc wheels as they are heavy solid brass with either chrome or black finish.

The shortage is really with good affordable spoked wheels. They are one or two German companies that sell metal rimmed spoked wheels turned down from LGB plastic wheels.
 
I have just bought a set of Aristocraft wheels for £18.50 in the UK. They look very nice but I have not tried them yet. Is there anything I need to watch for?
 
I found that San Val wheels of which I have many sets are very good value but have slightly longer and thicker axles than LGB which can make it difficult/slightly worrying forcing them in place. Once fitted they are perfectly OK
 
KeithT said:
I found that San Val wheels of which I have many sets are very good value but have slightly longer and thicker axles than LGB which can make it difficult/slightly worrying forcing them in place. Once fitted they are perfectly OK
Click to expand...

LGB have changed the design of their bogies several times over the past 20 years and the USAT / San Val wheels are a perfect fit it older models but some later models need minor modilfication to the bogie frames and they will not fit at all in the modern style US Bettendorf bogies.

Aristo Craft wheels come with two axel types for different bogie types.
 
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