MTL or Atlas brown plastic wheels?

[Maletrain]

I need to replace some wheels to make cars compatible with Atlas Code 55 track.  I am thinking brown for freight, and see that both Atlas and MTL now offer packs of replacement 33" brown plastic wheels for MTL trucks.  Atlas specifically states that theirs are "low profile for Code 55 track and MTL trucks, while MTL simple calls theirs "medium flange".  The pictures I see are not good enough to show me the details needed to compare things like wheel width, flange height, etc.

So, I am asking here: Is there any reason to pick one over the other, besides price?

[John]

I used the atlas brand ..  worked fine

[wazzou]

Based on my observations and not having seen anything that I know of being new from Atlas, I'd go with MT.
It is possible that Atlas has revised them since the release of the PS-1, of which I own none, but the ones I'm familiar with aren't as fine appearing.

[djconway]

Either will "work", MTL introduced the medium profile as an answer to the Atlas code 55 track. I'm still using up my supply of MTL low profile wheels (no longer in production)

[wcfn100]

It is possible that Atlas has revised them since the release of the PS-1, of which I own none, but the ones I'm familiar with aren't as fine appearing.

The PS-1 has metal wheels.

In my limited experience, I occasionally get a wobbly wheel with the brown Atlas wheels.  Can't say I've seen the same with MT, but I don't run too many MT cars anymore.

Jason

[Paradise275]

The MTL wheels roll much better. I use them in all my Athern rolling stock and the difference is very noticable.

Rick

[MichaelWinicki]

Luv the Atlas "Browns"...

They seem to work better than the MT "Browns" on Atlas code 55 track.

The MT browns... Something about the flanges that contribute to derailing on switches every now & then.

The Atlas browns are pretty bullet-proof IMO.  I put them on and I can forget about derailments.

[nscalbitz]

The PS-1 has metal wheels.

In my limited experience, I occasionally get a wobbly wheel with the brown Atlas wheels.

Jason

You possibly mean wobbly axles, or eccentric performance. Usually the axle has been squeezed in placement on the trucks and left a semi-permanent bend in the axle.

Can be softened in close to boiling water for a few seconds, then "pulled straight" and left to cool. No second chance, if it fails, toss.
Otherwise cause can be damaged or worn truck bearings, crud or cat hairs binding etc. 

   ... but I don't run too many MT cars anymore.

Remember ppl use replacement trucks, even on 'not MTL' cars....

regds dave

[Santa Fe Guy]

I replaced all my Pizza cutters (over 150 cars) with M/T 33inch medium profile wheel sets and almost over night derailments ceased during monthly ops sessions.
Highly recommend.
Rod.

[Ron McF]

My vote is for MTL standard "medium profile" wheels.

When I first converted my cars to low profile wheels about 60% got Atlas brown wheels, 20% received MTL low profile wheels with sharp (pizza-cutter) flanges, and the rest got various types of metal wheels.

A small percentage of  the Atlas wheels have a slight wobble, but otherwise they operate very well.

The MTL low profile wheels gave me almost as many problems as the high profile pizza-cutters that they replaced, and most (if not all) have since been replaced. I strongly recommend against using them.

Since the MTL medium profile "standard" wheels have been available I have been using them in preference to both the Atlas low profile wheels and the MTL low profile (pizza-cutter flanged) wheels.  They perform as well as, or better than any other wheels that I have (including the metal wheels) and I've never found one that wobbles.

Regards,
Ron

[Ron McF]

The MT browns... Something about the flanges that contribute to derailing on switches every now & then.

Are you referring to the first MTL low profile wheels that have sharp flanges, or their current standard medium profile wheels? I found the low profile wheels to be very prone to derailing on switches, especially when cars are being pushed. I have no problems at all with their standard medium profile wheels.

Regards,
Ron

[nkalanaga]

The FIRST MT lo-pro wheels were introduced in the late 80s, and had very nice, round flanges.  They worked as well as, or better than, any of the wheels available then.  I bought what I hoped would be a lifetime supply.

They later replaced them with the sharp-flange style, without changing the number (1008?), and the new wheels were atrocious.  I first encountered them on an IM flatcar bought at the 2008 N Scale convention.  The problem isn't so much the sharp flanges themselves, as that they changed the "check gauge", allowing too much sideplay in the wheelsets.  They're technically in gauge, but can pick points and frogs.  I wasn't buying many MT cars at the time, but those I did buy got new wheels, either "old" MT lo-pro, or Precision Masters.

The new "medium" wheels work fine for me, but it seems to be a step backwards to make the flanges deeper.  They will run on ME code 40 flextrak, though, so I use them.

[strummer]

I can attest to the great running qualities of the Atlas product; if you've read some of my recent threads, you see that when I made the switch to Atlas code 55 track, the first thing I did was swap out all my cars with these wheel sets. Good stuff.

Since then I've "only" had to deal with my locos...but I'm getting there 

Mark in Oregon