Hi Everyone… Have any of you ordered replacement wheels for an Aristo Gp-40 from NWSL? If so, What is the part # was is or Bore Diameter? They sent me 6mm bore, but that is too big for the tapered axle. Thanks for the help.
Joe
I was under the impression that NWSL never made wheels with tapered holes.
If you get the info, please post, have not heard much about how NWSL is delivering, product line, etc.
I contacted them once, asking for wheels for a loco, and I gave them the make and model, and they had no clue, they told me to tell them the wheel diameter, tread width and flange depth.
This was for an RS-3, so I told them, hey these have a tapered hole in the center, and they told me they did not have the tools to make them.
Greg
Joe Mascitti said:
Hi Everyone… Have any of you ordered replacement wheels for an Aristo Gp-40 from NWSL? If so, What is the part # was is or Bore Diameter? They sent me 6mm bore, but that is too big for the tapered axle. Thanks for the help.
Joe
Yeah - those tapered wheel centers are a bit tricky. We had Cumberland (Dave Queener) fit some of their 33mm wheels on an Aristo FA truck once. He did it, but it wasn’t cheap. You could send him an email and see what he can do.
Thanks Greg… Dave was pretty confident they would fit. He had 2 sizes listed a 5/16 and a 6mm. Since -9, Sd-45 and Gp-40 all use the same wheels, one would think their database was accurate.
I thought NWSL sold the wheels and axle assembly for those locomotives.
David, I will ask Dave @ NWSL when I call him Monday and post the answer…
Joe
They list geared axle/wheelsets for the Aristo diesel. 2565-6
And for the U25 circa 2001. 2648-6
And just wheels 2522-6 Aristo and 2662-6 Aristo (early)
This is on page 3-18 of their online catalog.
I had a conversation yesterday with DAVE @ NWSL. I sent him an Aristo wheel and a gear box from a GP-40 so he can see the exact shape of the axle. He informed me that they just received a new cutting lathe, and was very appreciative that I sent the gearbox. Now they can reproduce an exact duplicate of the Aristo wheel, but in Stainless steel. Cost is anticipated to be $4.00 Since these wheels will screw on like the originals, and also fit the -9 and SD-45’s, it will make replacing all those bad aristo wheels affordable and simple. Thanks Dave!
David Maynard said:
They list geared axle/wheelsets for the Aristo diesel. 2565-6
And for the U25 circa 2001. 2648-6
And just wheels 2522-6 Aristo and 2662-6 Aristo (early)
This is on page 3-18 of their online catalog.
Think this info was from past owner and no longer applies. Later RJD
R.J., its on the current site. Maybe it doesn’t, but if not they need to fix that.
Dave, when the original owner sold some years ago, the web site was not updated and has not been since.
From my conversation with others and directly with the new owner, there were boxes and boxes of wheels with 3 dimensions on them, diameter, flange depth and tread thickness.
Whenever I asked for a wheel for a particular loco, the model of the loco meant nothing, I needed to give those 3 dimensions.
Clearly the attribute of a tapered center hole was nowhere in the data base. I do believe that the original owner was able to make the tapered hole, but the new owners not only did not have the equipment, but I got the impression they did not know how to do it if they did.
Hopefully they will make new wheels, but my prediction is that we are going to have issues with gauge and back to back. There’s a LOT more here than just copying wheels.
Greg
Yeah Greg, but $4.00 per stainless wheel is a great deal not? Perhaps the correct tapered reamer would help to fit each wheel as required.
Michael
It WOULD be a good deal, IF it happens.
Stainless is hard stuff to machine, and there is a LOT more to this, i.e. there is a difference between the taper of the axle and the taper in the wheel (no kidding).
There are also 2 DIFFERENT “lengths” to the axles on Aristo locos, sort of early and late.
Within those 2 major groups, there’s a lot of variation. You can tell that when these locos were made, they “fit” the wheels to the current production run of the axles.
I would be ecstatic to purchase wheels with the same or better contour. Oh, wait until someone tries to “improve” the flange and all the locos derail, because of the 3 axle implementation not being sprung.
Joe, please keep us up to date on the news, we have been asking NWSL for YEARS to make these.
Greg
Greg, et al,
I spoke to the new owner shortly after the purchase and was told sort of the same thing Greg Was. My call was regarding the ‘G’ scale ‘Flea Drive’. After a short bit of conversation, it was apparent to me that David Rygmire (I think that is the last name) was a publisher, and not a manufacturer or knowledgable in large scale train material things. As Greg eludes, if it is clear on the boxes of ‘stuff’’ he bought what the part is, he will sell it.
I have personally written NWSL off my supplier list. Sad, because NWSL used to have a top notch reputation.
My tuppence worth.
There should be quite a market in Aristo wheels, so we can hope, but why after all this time, would he decide to finally get back into the business of making the wheels?
With the economy tough, it’s a stretch.
But, the market is there I believe. $4 a wheel I’ll believe when I see it, nickel silver might be a better choice, both for traction and cost.
Greg
I would have a chat with Dave Queener at Cumberland Model Engineering. He has the equipment, and he has produced tapered wheels for an Aristo FA block.
I only own one Aristo locomotive, and have had no wheel issues so far…knock on wood. However, if I were going through the issues I have heard folks talk about, and seen at club meets I would think differently about just replacing the wheels. I would be looking at replacing the axle and wheels with something that has a positive lock and solid mounting method. Using a Morse Taper to mount wheels on a locomotive is a risky business, as it takes a high quality shop to get the kind of repeatability required to maintain the required setups and specifications. PRC has across the board shown they are not that shop.
My tuppence worth.
With the many varied used in kit-bashing and scratch-building, and the large number of Aristo units out there, someone could make a nice cottage industry just making the powered trucks.
Anyone wishing to make power trucks only, that are reliable, guaged properly and at least close to scale wheels should be able to do a nice cottage industry. However the setup costs in this country will eliminate any chance of that. In todays economy it would take too long to recoup the investment for anyone to get involved. PRC has a strangle hold on the Aristo and Bachmann lines. The best hope is for someone like HLW or USAT to step up and get the spare parts available, and so far that hasn’t happened.
USAT does make motor block and power trucks. And since they make an Alco, they make Alco power trucks. I keep forgetting that “detail”. But I was shopping around for a pair of USAT Flexcoil trucks a month or so ago, and, they are a bit pricey. I do not know how pricey the Alco tracks are from USAT.