Kato f unit Hi profile wheelsets

[laconj]

My recent Kato F unit purchases came with lo profile wheels which don't run well on my Atlas code 80 layout. The older pizza cutter units run great. Is there any source for the older wheelsets or trucks? The Kato site replacement parts all seem to be lo profile.

Thanks, John

[wm3798]

They've redesigned the trucks on these several times.  It's possible the older wheelsets won't fit in the newer trucks due to changes in the electrical pick up scheme, the axle length and/or the location/size of the gears.

The flange depth shouldn't affect the way the engine tracks.  Check the gauge.  You may have an issue there.  If you find it derails at the same location, you may have a trackwork problem that your older equipment can feel its way through, but the smaller flanges catch...  That's not a flange issue so much as a track alignment problem.  The newer flanges are just a wee bit more sensitive.

Lee

[MK]

The flange depth shouldn't affect the way the engine tracks.  Check the gauge.  You may have an issue there.  If you find it derails at the same location, you may have a trackwork problem that your older equipment can feel its way through, but the smaller flanges catch...  That's not a flange issue so much as a track alignment problem.  The newer flanges are just a wee bit more sensitive.

Lee

This!

When you say "don't run well", what do you mean?  What problems are you having?

[u18b]

Please understand that people are honestly trying to help.  It's probably not the flanges.

Large flanges really only help make up for primarily deficiencies in weight (many old 1960s and 70 cars were under weight) and/or problematic track work.

On my layout, I try to pay attention to where derailments happen.  If there is a pattern, I begin systematic checking.
- are wheels gauged properly?
- is there a problem with the track?  (gauge?  uneven?  big gaps?  a spot where curve is too tight?)
- sometimes the problem is a coupler which becomes a problem on curves

Do you have an NMRA track gauge?   Very helpful if you don't.
https://handlaidtrack.com/product/tl-0017/?v=0b3b97fa6688

Hope you find out what's going on.

[thomasjmdavis]

They've redesigned the trucks on these several times.  It's possible the older wheelsets won't fit in the newer trucks due to changes in the electrical pick up scheme, the axle length and/or the location/size of the gears.

The flange depth shouldn't affect the way the engine tracks.  Check the gauge.  You may have an issue there.  If you find it derails at the same location, you may have a trackwork problem that your older equipment can feel its way through, but the smaller flanges catch...  That's not a flange issue so much as a track alignment problem.  The newer flanges are just a wee bit more sensitive.

Lee

To directly answer the OP- the best source for old Kato wheels is to find a modeler who swapped them out for new Kato wheels.

Agree with everything Lee and others said. But to clarify on the "swap"- it depends  on how old the "old" units are.

The original truck wheels are not directly interchangeable, because the axles did not have 'cup' style pickups and are flush with the wheel- therefore would not work in any truck from the "revised" trucks (sometime in the 1990s) on.  But I have swapped recent production wheelsets into "revised" truck frames (the 1990s version Kato truck that replaced the original) without issue, and I would think that the revised truck wheelsets would therefore fit the current model truck frames.  The caveat would be that used wheelsets (30 year old) worn gears may not mesh well with the brand new gears of the brand new truck, even if all tooth counts and geometry are the same, and be subject to cracking from age, etc.

[Nick Lorusso]

John,
Try gauging the wheels. I had this issue in the past with locomotives before. And wheels were out of gauge.
Nope it helps.