Northwest Shortline has replacement wheelsets ...

7441-4 $5.95 N 40"/72 Replacement wheels to fit KATO diesel(8whls)

I'd recommend you contact them via phone or email to verify this is the part you need.

NorthWest Short Line (www.nwsl.com)
Oso Publishing & Evergreen Hill Designs (www.osorail.com)

Telephone: (406)-375-7555

Fax: (406)-375-7559

Email (general inquiries and sales): sales(at)osorail.com

Dave (technical stuff): davidry(at)osorail.com

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Address:

(UPS, FedEx, etc.) 292 Grantsdale Cem. Road

(USPS) PO Box 1349

Hamilton, MT 59840  USA

Fast Tracks turnout tolerances are deliberately tight because you don't want wheels wandering on a turnout - you want to control the wheel path precisely for minumum derailments. However, if the wheels are not in guage, then all bets are off - the tight tolerances only work if the wheels are in gauge.

If you losen the tolerances in a turnout to be "more forgiving" of slightly out-of-guage wheelesets, then wheels will be able to wander more in the turnout - and the result is simply more derailments for in-guage wheelsets as well.

Long story short - keep your wheels in guage and use jig-built or scratchbuilt turnouts with tight tolerances and you will have almost no derailments at turnouts except for operator error (run a turnout thrown against you). Commercial turnouts tend to take the "more forgiving" route on their tolerances, with the result being that in-guage wheelsets can wander more and you get more derailments.

I think you can fix those. I will ask our resident locomotive guru at the next session (tomorrow night) about the old Katos and how he goes about getting the wheels in gauge.

I have to get him to help me gauge a N Life Like/Walhters RS 2 I have anyway.

Chris

He suggested pulling (or pushing) the wheels as you twist in opposite directions. Thats how the gauge the N scale locomotives on the layouts I operate on.

He went on to mention that some early Kato made atlas N (and presumably Kato of the same era) Had a problem where (and forgive my flaky memory) the bushings or axles could crack and cause the wheels to never stay in gauge .. they would keep drifting. If you are finding this to be the problem.. that you cannot keep them in gauge no matter what yo do.. it may be terminal.

Chris

I find that most of my N-scale engines, atlas and kato, are on the narrow side from the factory.  This shows  up for me on my layout when they cross Atlas c55 turnouts.  I think it is the same tolerance issue. 

To fix this, I use a small flat blade screwdriver and insert it between the wheel and truck and give a slight twist. I do this with the blade pressure is on the inside of the wheel next to the axle.  It sounds like it might cause problems, but I have never damaged an engine yet and I have done this on 80% of my fleet (about 30 engines).  Just go slow and it doesn’t really take much effort or force.  This method was demonstrated to me by a senior member at a large MRR club in the SF Bay Area and works very well.