Replacement Metal Wheels

B

Bideford Light

Trains
Hi, over the years I've collected quite a bit of stock, Bachmann & LGB with a mixture of plastic wheels. Being a poor father having to pay these inflated university fees I'm wondering if any kind soul out there knows of any cheaper replacement than the Bachmann sets which in the order of £15 for 4 axles worth?
 
I don't think you will find anything cheaper than Bachmann. However Steve Warrington has them for £14 on his back2bay6 site.
 
'Fraid that's about the going rate these days?

£14-15.

I have fitted Bachmann/Lilliput steel wheels to nearly all my LGB wagons....
 
Accucraft wheels? I have a few sets in use - they are lighter and finer scale than Bachmann (but they seem better made). There are also the Lilliput wheels - larger diameter axle (in metal) between the wheels and therefor heavier than the Bachmann own label offering.

The Accu wheels are really good value compared to other makes.
 
trammayo said:
Accucraft wheels? I have a few sets in use - they are lighter and finer scale than Bachmann (but they seem better made). There are also the Lilliput wheels - larger diameter axle (in metal) between the wheels and therefor heavier than the Bachmann own label offering.

The Accu wheels are really good value compared to other makes.
Click to expand...
I didn't realise the Lilliput wheels were different to Bachmann? I thought they were the same things in different packaging.

Yes, I use the Accucraft wheels too and Trackshack is currently offering them at £4.60 a pair, which is really good value. However, you need to be aware that they need modification to replace standard LGB and that the smaller flanges mean that they will drop into the gaps around the frogs of LGB points. They do still work well though.
 
GRS do their own as well which are not that much more and do look nice. I think metal wheels are cheap up grades in terms of £ for benefit.
 
Most of my stock are bachmann wheels, apart from the odd ones with LGB wheels fitted before i bought them..
bachmann ones are cheap and add that clickety click that brings the railway to life.. :bigsmile:
 
I have just looked at the Lilliput wheels versus the Bachmann. The wheels are exactly the same - its just the axles (between the wheels) that are different. There was no run-out (wobble) on Lilliput but the Bachmann .....

As they both share a common parentage why is one superior to the other?:rolf:

Top of the pic are Lilliput and the lower is Bachman

971046fe484c403eb4af1f710bfc9c57.jpg
 
Be aware the Bachman wheels are a larger diameter than the LGB ones. GRS are charging. £13.45 per pack.

Personally I'd get the GRS steel ones. Deep flanges for LGB points, no wobbles and really well made.
 
I do like a deep flange
 
While I am in the US, I am always on the lookout for metal wheels. Since China put up the price of steel, prices have soared. I managed to pick up 4 sets of the USAT type like I used to buy from Al Kramer. These work out at £13.50 for 4 axles so not much saving now. Also these are 28mm not 31mm like Bachmann. There were plenty of Bachmann Larger wheelsets. I found these Bachmann did not sit in my Aristo/USAT trucks too comfortably.
 
The Bachmann wheels do seem to be of variable quality and I have a few wobbly ones :wits:
 
ceejaydee said:
The Bachmann wheels do seem to be of variable quality and I have a few wobbly ones :wits:
Click to expand...

You do occasionally find a wobbler, especially in the 24.5 mm diameter, but they stay in the track - always :thinking::thinking::thinking::thinking::thinking:

as for Bachmann vs Lilliput - the plastic on the Bachmann axle is only a sleeve - presumably to set the gauge?
 
trammayo said:
I have just looked at the Lilliput wheels versus the Bachmann. The wheels are exactly the same - its just the axles (between the wheels) that are different. There was no run-out (wobble) on Lilliput but the Bachmann .....

As they both share a common parentage why is one superior to the other?:rolf:

Top of the pic are Lilliput and the lower is Bachman

images
Click to expand...
I have bought Bachmann wheels that look like Lilliput & Lilliput wheels that look like Bachmann. It depends who gets the contract to make them.
 
Rhinochugger said:
ceejaydee said:
The Bachmann wheels do seem to be of variable quality and I have a few wobbly ones :wits:
Click to expand...

You do occasionally find a wobbler, especially in the 24.5 mm diameter, but they stay in the track - always :thinking::thinking::thinking::thinking::thinking:

[style="color: #3366ff;"]as for Bachmann vs Lilliput - the plastic on the Bachmann axle is only a sleeve - presumably to set the gauge?
Click to expand...

[style="color: #3366ff;"]Absolutely - as will be the metal on the Lilliput sets. Its the quality difference that annoys me - the Bachmann one can be eccentric and have a wobble. The worst (I find) are 31mm. The tooling marks (die details) are the same on both. Just don't know who stocks the Lilliput ones (I bought mine on the Forum from Mez) as I wouldn't mind some more.

I know they stay on track but I find it a little niggling to see coaches waddling like our geese:rolf::rolf::rolf:
 
trammayo said:
I know they stay on track but I find it a little niggling to see coaches waddling like our geese:rolf::rolf::rolf:
Click to expand...

I used to have the same concerns, until I watched the 1:1 stuff running through various stations while I have been condemned to acute boredom awaiting an appropriate service - they waddle, heave, jump around like nobody's business.

After that, I've given up worrying about the models - it's purely prototypical :bigsmile::bigsmile:
 
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