Model Railway Forum

I live in the USA, so British OO trains and advice are rare in hobby stores. I bought a set of four older Lima BR blue/gray coaches for about $5 each. Detailing wise they aren't comparable with today's models but they were cheap and available. I want to run them on my layout but it uses code 83 rail and the wheels on the cars have deep flanges.

Usually I convert all my American trains (1:87 scale) to metal wheels, but I don't know of a comparable substitute for these cars as the wheel diameter is larger (because they are 1:76 scale). The Lima wheels are plastic and I turned down the flange on one using a belt sander but it was crude and took a while.

Can someone recommend replacement plastic or metal wheels with smaller flanges I can use for these coaches?
Thank you.

Plastic Lima wheels do tend to be smaller then the Lima metal wheels. I have not changed them myself but I would say 12mm or 12.5mm wheels should fit ok. I believe most of the old stock 00 gauge items ran on 12.5mm wheels as standard with various makes of coaches and wagons in those days when these coaches were made. There were only a few exceptions like freightliner wagons and lowmacs where the models used the smaller 10.5mm wheels. For years, until Bachmann introduced their Mk'1s and coaches like this which used the more correct scale 14mm wheels that other 00 gauge manufacturers followed (By which time Lima were in their last years of trading).
So pretty much everything ran on 12.5mm wheels, so even if the plastic Lima wheels (Which as far as I know the plastic wheels were from coaches in a trainset, while the metal wheels were on the seperately purchased items...).

But a thought. In the very early days of Lima, they made UK H0 models. These didn't sell that well so they quickly decided to make 00 gauge for the UK market instead. If the coaches are H0 and not 00, then maybe you will need to try a smaller size. 00 gauge should take 12.5 but I'm not sure if H0 will. Do you have any metal H0 or 00 12.5mm or even 12mm wheels to try?

Someone here must have already changed to metal wheels and can advize based on experience. I have changed a lot of wheels but not the Lima plastic ones... I would not have thought it was a problem to use 12.5mm metal wheels.

I am not sure if they are HO scale cars. But, 1:87 (HO) freight trains usually run on 33" or 36" diameter prototype wheels. I compared them to the Lima plastic wheels and they were too small. Now, 1:87 passenger cars might ride on larger wheels than 36" and if I had some on hand I could compare. But, I am not sure.

Is there a good source for inexpensive 12.5mm wheels (metal or plastic, doesn't matter) with small flanges? I only need 16... enough for four cars.

Hornby was selling packs of 10 wheels. Make sure they are the 12.5 (Approx size. They may be listed as 12.6mm) and not the 14mm wheels.
I don't know if Hornby still sell them in packs or not.
Bachmann also were selling wheels.
It has been a while since I have looked at wheels, but try Peters Spares, or a UK model railway retailer like Hattons, Rails etc.

Hi,
I am like you in the USA and model Uk outline with some older rolling stock and use " Peters Spares" for replacement.
Contact details "petersspares.com" Phone # 01144 1642909794
They are very knowledgeable and carry a vast inventory.
Regards,
John G

They are indeed very helpful (I've visited them quite often in the last couple of weeks as they're only 30 miles away).

The shop is now closed due to the current virus pandemic so you may find that their phone lines can get busy. They are still processing mail order (via website) and phone orders for both mailing and local collection (click and collect type service.) They are quite a small group working in a tight space so if one goes down the operation may be on hold for a while. Get your enquiry in quickly while you can!

Word of caution, some Lima axles I have found are different length over pin-points to those of Hornby and Bachmann.

Another word of caution: get out of British OO while you still can. You are perhaps the 5th person I’ve met in 30 years of chasing this dragon; who models Britain, from the USA. But then, I’d take a Terrier over a Big Boy any day

I ordered Peters Spares wheels.... and they nearly all fit perfectly. Out of the four similar passenger cars, 6 trucks ran freely but two had a slight bind to them. The axle length was all the same, so who knows. But, for a four car train they ran just fine.

The wheels that are a little stiff can be eased by holding them by the axleboxes and turning the wheels. One needs to apply a little pressure on the axleboxes while doing this. Repeat as neccessary until they start to run freely. This should ease them in nicely.