Large Scale Central

Kadee Trucks

General Discussion
#1

Has anyone used any of the Kadee G-Scale trucks on anything? Was curious your opinion of them. Thanks

And NO, I don’t want suggestions on alternatives.

#2

I use them on everything no matter what the scale. I have no 1:32 scale equipment. They are more reliable on non-perfect track. They’re physically okay looking to me.

Doc

#3

I’m with Doc. I have them on a 1:29 Aristocraft Napa Wine Train Tanker and a 1:25 LGB caboose. Most of my rolling stock is Bachmann and they look fine to me from the proverbial 10 foot view.

#4

Don Watson said:

I use them on everything no matter what the scale. I have no 1:32 scale equipment. They are more reliable on non-perfect track. They’re physically okay looking to me.

Doc

Doc,

Do you have any on Bachmann Big Hauler (1:22.5) cars? Do they look undersized and did you have to shim the car up any?

Thanks,

Chris

#5

For the lurkers …https://www.kadee.com/g-scale-trucks-and-wheels-c-272_264_267/

#6

A guy I know replaces everything he gets with KaDee trucks, especially AML. Stock

#7

I put them on all my freight cars. I like them a lot. The only annoying thing is that the flanges are thick enough that they are impossible to gauge to NMRA spec.

#8

I had the same impression as Eric. I was sent wheels for evaluation some time ago, before the trucks we available. Very nice to look at, but very surprised they do not meet NMRA standards just as Eric mentions.

#9

Chris Kieffer said:

Has anyone used any of the Kadee G-Scale trucks on anything? Was curious your opinion of them. Thanks

And NO, I don’t want suggestions on alternatives.

So, I’m just a bit curious on your rejection of alternatives…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)

#10

Bruce D. Chandler said:

So, I’m just a bit curious on your rejection of alternatives…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)

Because I only wanted to know about the Kadee trucks. I already have experience with many of the alternatives, not with the Kadee. So I figured I would thwart the typical things that go on when you ask something.

#11

Love them. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)They are what I use on all of my scratch built projects.

#12

How do those large flanges pass thru switches? It’s the frogs I’m talking about.

#13

John Bouck said:

How do those large flanges pass thru switches? It’s the frogs I’m talking about.

They haven’t had any problems with my Aristo turnouts.

#14

fwiw: I’ve been using these on my scratchbuilt cars and they are working fine for me with Llagas Creek turnouts, no frog issues or flange width issues that I could tell…

#15

The only place I’ve had any issue is on a custom SVRR 3-way #6 switch. The problem was with the back-to-back being too tight for the guard rails. In the end, I just ground the guard rails to accommodate them.

I haven’t had any issues with stock offerings from SVRR, LGB, Aristo, USAT, etc.

#16

John Bouck said:

How do those large flanges pass thru switches? It’s the frogs I’m talking about.

Easy, most off the shelf switches have very relaxed flangeways, both the wing rails and the guard rails. This is mostly to allow undergauged wheels (too tight back to back) to run. It also helps when the flange thickness is too great, so you can reduce gauge/back to back to accomodate.

This is the toy train legacy we have inherited.

If you want to have real reliable running (not just a few cars with pizza cutter flanges), you go after the better wheel specs, and then you find that the flangeways are too wide when you have the wheels gauged properly. Now you wheels will drop into the frog unless you have excessively wide wheel treads, etc.

It’s a system, you can run stock sloppy tolerances and get ok running, but if you want to approach prototype capabilities (long trains, backing, etc.) you have to fix both the wheels and the switches.

This is why most people modify the Aristo WR switches, and their #6’s which both have unique deviations from the standards. The poor guys who make good switches get called on the carpet by people who have poorly set up rolling stock, and then it’s almost a no win situation trying to explain why it’s not their switches, but the customer’s rolling stock.

BECAUSE

The customer says “I’ve never had any issue with my Aristo/LGB/USAT switches, so it must be your switches.”

If the customer really makes the breakthrough, and fixes everything, everything really works better, I went through the whole evolution, and it was tough, except an expert convinced me there was light at the end of the tunnel, now I am a believer.

Greg

#17

Except that I fixed all my Aristo switches. Still no problems with the Kadee wheelsets.

#18

“fixed” …

My guess is you modified the WR frogs to be flush with the adjacent rails, or got the new frogs

perhaps you shimmed the guard rails to be in NMRA spec…

But, I bet you did not “fix” the wing rail flangeways, which are grossly wide…

All that said, the WR turnouts are more forgiving than the #6, which needs all flangeways fixed AND usually has tight gauge through the turnout, and the frog geometry is wrong and wheels drop into the throat, and since the frog is cast you cannot fix the wing rail flangeways, and the best you can do is put the frog insert in to help.

Just out of curiosity (not wanting to argue or anything) I would be interested in what mods you did, just to kind of take a census of what mods people have done over the years.

For me:

WR switches:

  1. mill frog level with adjacent rails or replace with updated frog

  2. shim guard rails on both stock rails. Shim can be a tiny bit proud of rail height.

  3. check and modify if necessary frog flange depth

  4. dremel points to match stock rails

  5. dremel inside of points to make gradual “knife edge”

#6 switches

  1. reposition guard rails for proper flangeway width

  2. some recontouring of the angle of the guard rail ends (sometimes)

  3. re-bed frog casting if it stands proud of adjacent rails

  4. SS insert in frog to limit flangeway depth

  5. recontouring of ends of insert to make a smoother transition

  6. sometimes frog flangeway depth had to be “cleaned out” to get proper depth with insert

  7. a lot of recontouring on point rails inside and out.

  8. correction of tight gauge through the switch, often requiring grinding of the rail

I did not do everything, and would like to eventually cast new frogs for both switches with proper flangeways and fix the geometry problem (excessive throat “size” on the #6).

All in good time, for now the WR are baby smooth with all wheelsets meeting nmra specs and back to back EXACTLY 1.575"

Over and out…

Greg

#19

On my WR Aristo switches I sanded down the frog to rail height, then I deepened the frog flange-ways to 1/8 inch, and rounded the points a bit so the wheels didn’t pick the points. I did nothing with the guard rails.

I have Bachmann, USA, LGB, Aristo, HLW metal, some unlabeled jobbies and one car with MTH metal wheels. All have been checked for gauge and re gauged if needed.

The only time I get derailments at the switches is when debris gets in them. My WR switches are set up as spring switches, and the trains always go the straight route when going against the direction of the points.

#20

Greg Elmassian said:

“fixed” …

My guess is you modified the WR frogs to be flush with the adjacent rails, or got the new frogs

perhaps you shimmed the guard rails to be in NMRA spec…

But, I bet you did not “fix” the wing rail flangeways, which are grossly wide…

All that said, the WR turnouts are more forgiving than the #6, which needs all flangeways fixed AND usually has tight gauge through the turnout, and the frog geometry is wrong and wheels drop into the throat, and since the frog is cast you cannot fix the wing rail flangeways, and the best you can do is put the frog insert in to help.

Just out of curiosity (not wanting to argue or anything) I would be interested in what mods you did, just to kind of take a census of what mods people have done over the years.

For me:

WR switches:

  1. mill frog level with adjacent rails or replace with updated frog

  2. shim guard rails on both stock rails. Shim can be a tiny bit proud of rail height.

  3. check and modify if necessary frog flange depth

  4. dremel points to match stock rails

  5. dremel inside of points to make gradual “knife edge”

#6 switches

  1. reposition guard rails for proper flangeway width

  2. some recontouring of the angle of the guard rail ends (sometimes)

  3. re-bed frog casting if it stands proud of adjacent rails

  4. SS insert in frog to limit flangeway depth

  5. recontouring of ends of insert to make a smoother transition

  6. sometimes frog flangeway depth had to be “cleaned out” to get proper depth with insert

  7. a lot of recontouring on point rails inside and out.

  8. correction of tight gauge through the switch, often requiring grinding of the rail

I did not do everything, and would like to eventually cast new frogs for both switches with proper flangeways and fix the geometry problem (excessive throat “size” on the #6).

All in good time, for now the WR are baby smooth with all wheelsets meeting nmra specs and back to back EXACTLY 1.575"

Over and out…

Greg

This pertains to the “original posters” question how ?

Only asking so I can obey your forum rules and standards which you like to create but do not abide to .