Model Railroading > OMI Brass UP Business cars trucks or wheels

I have several OMI Brass UP Business cars and I'm finding that some cars short out cause the wheels are in centered right on the axle so one of the wheels is hitting the truck side frame and shorting out the train I believe these are 36 inch wheels on the car I tried to shift the wheels on the axle but they do not move, does anyone know where I can get any replacements.

Thanks Bnsfmodeler

Both KD and Walthers Proto sell metal wheel sets with non metal axles. Walthers also has passenger trucks with nylon sideframes.

I am looking for actual OMI parts

Dear ?  (it would be nice if u signed your name)

I have worked with OMI trucks many times and u are totally wasting your time trying to make them work or put new wheelsets in them. What I did was find a close enough truck in plastic that was good and I would install those. The cars would roll well and track well and when I sold the car, I would just reinstall the new OMI trucks which were shinny and new and take the plastic ones off.

Bruce

You might try to apply a piece of thin Kapton electronics tape on the inside of the side frames where the insulated wheels rub against the side frame. You will probably need to punch a hole for the bearing point.

Another solution i have seen is to limit lateral movement of the axle on the insulated side. One way is to put a KD knuckle spring on the pointed end of the axle or a small bit of pencil eraser into the bearing hole.

Let us know what works for you.

If one of the trouble cars is the Selma, id be happy to take it off your hands. Ive been unable to catch one of those critters.

If you don't use the interior lighting, I would suggest bending the metal contacts just slightly so they don't touch the wheels.  I've noticed on many of my OMI passenger cars the pressure they create is just enough to push the wheel against the metal truck and cause a short.  I've successfully run 15-18 passenger car trains (two totally different trains going in different directions on different track) by just tweaking the trucks.

Another problem I've seen is the truck is not squared but more of a slight parallelagram appearance.  If I see that I dissassemble the entire truck and reassmble them to ensure they are squared off.

I hope that helps!
-James Wright
  Omaha, NE

Same here only for me it would be Western Pacific's Feather River.
Steve

TomG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If one of the trouble cars is the Selma, id be
> happy to take it off your hands. Ive been unable
> to catch one of those critters.

Well Steve im in the same boat. Since the selma is the only model of the "feather River" ( the real one not the up rename) its the starting point for a strip job and remodel for greeen and orange paint. It boggles the mind that Overland didnt make both versions since there isnt much difference accept the UP detail changes. But she sure is pretty in green and orange. ;)
wpjones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Same here only for me it would be Western
> Pacific's Feather River.
> Steve
>
> TomG Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If one of the trouble cars is the Selma, id be
> > happy to take it off your hands. Ive been
> unable
> > to catch one of those critters.