Damaged Ultrascale wheels

[JDW]

Evening folks, 

 

Not sure where to put this but decided to put it here since it is a question - Moderators feel free to move if there's somewhere more appropriate.

 

I bought a few Lima chassis from Ebay a couple of years back, mainly for their mechanisms (Dyna-Drive flywheel/clutch set-ups), but they were fitted with Ultrascale EM wheels.  Since the chassis were destined for a couple of existing locos, the wheels were swapped back to the Lima ones from them.  A backward step, many of you will be saying, I know.  But I run standard OO, not finescale or EM, and decided that was the best solution.  Now, I had planned to sell the wheels on via RMWeb Buy and Sell, but in the meantime, we got caught up in the flooding in Aberdeenshire last Christmas, and they were in my toolbox.  The result is that I now have 2 locos worth (12 axles) of rusty EM Ultrascales, there's rust on the axles which appear to be steel, and on the wheel treads (steel, nickel silver?).  If they were just standard Lima or Hornby wheels, I'd bin them or keep them for a depot scene, but knowing that Ultrascales are both expensive and tend to have a waiting list, would they likely be salvageable in that condition, would they have any value, and for that matter, how much might they be worth?  I have no idea if they would clean up (I'd guess so) or if they'd still be conductive if the treads had a coating or are damaged.  

 

Sorry, that was a long post for a short question!  

Thanks

[Craigw]

Evening folks, 

 

Not sure where to put this but decided to put it here since it is a question - Moderators feel free to move if there's somewhere more appropriate.

 

I bought a few Lima chassis from Ebay a couple of years back, mainly for their mechanisms (Dyna-Drive flywheel/clutch set-ups), but they were fitted with Ultrascale EM wheels.  Since the chassis were destined for a couple of existing locos, the wheels were swapped back to the Lima ones from them.  A backward step, many of you will be saying, I know.  But I run standard OO, not finescale or EM, and decided that was the best solution.  Now, I had planned to sell the wheels on via RMWeb Buy and Sell, but in the meantime, we got caught up in the flooding in Aberdeenshire last Christmas, and they were in my toolbox.  The result is that I now have 2 locos worth (12 axles) of rusty EM Ultrascales, there's rust on the axles which appear to be steel, and on the wheel treads (steel, nickel silver?).  If they were just standard Lima or Hornby wheels, I'd bin them or keep them for a depot scene, but knowing that Ultrascales are both expensive and tend to have a waiting list, would they likely be salvageable in that condition, would they have any value, and for that matter, how much might they be worth?  I have no idea if they would clean up (I'd guess so) or if they'd still be conductive if the treads had a coating or are damaged.  

 

Sorry, that was a long post for a short question!  

Thanks

 

Ultrascale use Nickel Silver for the tyres. I have plenty of Ultrascale wheels with some rust on the axle but have never, ever seen rust on the treads. Someone has either purchased some of the limited batches of steel tyres that they produced, or the Ultrascale wheels are in fact Gibson!

 

Regards,

 

Craig W

[JDW]

Haha it is entirely possible Craig, I don't have any experience of using them so can only go on the Ebay description, which I'm sure said Ultrascale.  Do bear in mind, though, they were under floodwater for a couple of weeks, and in damp conditions for a few more, so they've had more thrown at them than the average wheel!  

[JDW]

A phone pic, not great but you get the idea

 

[Meld9003]

They are Ultrascale wheels. Ultrascale used to offer steel tyres, but don't any more. The current cost of an Ultrascale 6 axle pack for Lima is around £30. I would start the bidding at £10 and see what happens. You could try BIN at £15, but I think that's risky with the rust.

[JDW]

Thanks, that was around what I had in mind too.

[DCB]

I am sure the wheels will be fine, however I would bin the axles as they will be under size when they have been cleaned up and the rust might continue under the wheel seat and split the wheel.   Ebay sounds good as long as you advertise them accurately.   Some people expect factory fresh when you advertise things as spares or repair.

[CloggyDog]

As Meld said, Ultrascale used to offer steel-tyred wheelsets, long since dscontined, sadly. Nothing like steel wheels on steel rail for cleanliness (and prototypicalness!)

 

The wheels will clean up fine  - I had a set with some surface rust on the treads which just needed a once-over with the fibre-glass pen to sort (mounted the wheels one at a time on a suitable axle mounted in my fake dremel an spun them up)

 

The axles will probably need replacing, IIRC Lima use a 2.5mm axle, the likes of Eileen's Emporuim or Hobby Holidays are the best bet for some suitable steel rod to make up some new axles.

[bertiedog]

If you get rust like that and want to clean them up, then boil some water and add as much sugar as will dissolve, a very strong solution, let it cool and put it in a poly bag with the parts for a few days, the rust with go completely. Oil them to keep  free of rust. It's a good method with old tools etc. Phosphoric acid is quicker, but attacks the surface more,

 

Stephen

[Il Grifone]

The tyres have only minor surface rust and will clean up quite well. I use a brass rotary brush, but other methods are available - I must try Stephen's sugar method, but the brass brush is much quicker.

 

The axles are more severely rusted, but should still clean up OK. The problem might be removing the wheels from the axle, as steel expands when rusty and tends to make wheels difficult to remove.

 

However, if you sell them 'as is', that would be the buyer's problem.

[Kylestrome]

As the others have said, the tyres will probably clean up fine but the axles look like write-offs to me.