Replacement wheel sets for BLI/PCM E units

[OldEastRR]

Hate the traction tires they put on the early models. Is there a geared wheel tireless set that can replace it? They don't make this version any more and never had  spare parts for it.

[haasmarc]

Actually, when the PCM E7's came out, I didn't like the traction tires either and at that time they sent me replacement non-traction tired wheelsets.

[mmagliaro]

Got a picture of one of the wheelsets?  I never bought any PCM E units.  Are they a geared axle tube with two half-axle wheels pushed into the ends?  If so, maybe the half axle wheels out of a Kato truck would go in there.  There's a fair chance that a lot of E unit wheels are the same diameter.

[atsf_arizona]

Hi,

Maybe some of the photos from my PBase ATSF_Arizona photo album here can be of help, documenting how to replace BLI/PCM E7 and PA1 rear traction tire wheelset with a normal BLI/PCM wheelset that I got by asking their parts department:

https://pbase.com/atsf_arizona/bli_n_pa1_wheelset_replace&page=all

[nickelplate759]

I have a dummy E7B and swapped it's non-traction tire wheels with the traction-tired wheels of my powered E7A and E7B
So now I have a dummy E7B that has 4 wheelsets with traction tires!

[mmagliaro]

That definitely looks like the BLI are hollow geared axle tubes with half-axled wheels pushed into each side, so some Kato wheelsets might work as donors for the half-axles.  Just pull them out and press them into the BLI axle tubes.  Of course, all this depends on the axles being the same diameter, and using the Kato wheelsets with the pointed axle ends, and those pointed ends needs to stick out the correct amount so they will ride in the BLI contact strips.  I know that's a lot of "if's", but if all the dimensions are close enough, it should work.  If BLI replacement wheels for these are a no-go, it's time for some experiments.