More Homemade Railway Wheels - This Time With Tapered Treads!

[@Maclman1]

The simplicity is what makes this so good. A lot of KZbin projects are over engineered, yours is the bare minimum which is really important. Love the simplicity (like the non-curved kick switch)

[@WayOutWestx2]

thank you!

[@KWHCoaster]

Indeed, I have a lot of unfinished projects because I have a habit of starting to over think and over engineer a project. I.e., a I built a PC/console racing cockpit using 1-1/2" ABS pipe and fittings for my gaming seat, steering wheel, shifter and pedals. I started trying to achieve perfection in a CAD program. In the end, I just went and bought 48ft of pipe and 45,90,T and Y fittings, more than needed, and just got at it. I used some of my basic dimensions and then rather ad hoc using a quick pencil sketch. Not as "perfect" as originally envisioned, but I like the end result and it is done and being used.

[@marnieparney]

I greatly admire your clonky points, and let me tell you, I can't even *count* the number of my friends who are making their own railway wheels.

[@WayOutWestx2]

Ha!

[@mattpreston6098]

I am so emotional invested in this railway.

[@parcydwr]

Hi Tim. Railway wheels are locked together by a solid axle. The way they cope with not having a differential in the middle is to allow the train to move sideways on corners. The sideways force of the train, when in a corner, pushes the outer wheels onto a bigger diameter and the inside wheel onto a smaller diameter so that the different length of track covered is matched by the size of the wheels. They are all machined to different profiles for the size of the wheel and what sort of locomotive or carriage is on top of them. I watched some being machined at swindon railway works. I was only 16 at the time so didn't grasp the science then but the big lathe had two toolposts that magnetically followed a steel template on the machine, not cnc but a predecesor of cnc that gave the right profile. The profile templates had letters on them. I think the big loco wheels were being turned to profile 'P' whatever that is. I would stick to your parrallel wheels, although water might drain out of the tapered ones better. Liking your videos.

[@forestreese1704]

In one of Tim's videos, I think one of the corrugated steel roller ones, he made a copy lathe like you describe for making wood rollers

[@Gin-toki]

The argument of the tapered wheels allowing water to easilier escape is a really good argument, might be worth to make the wheels this way solely on that basis.

[@terryhiggins9700]

Hi Rob, thanks for that info, and it makes a lot of sense too.

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Fantastic! Now that I know you can make cones on an ordinary roller it makes me want to make a large roller for a metal vortex cannon barrel

[@Rullstolsboken]

Didnt expect to see you here! Btw Love your vids

[@m93sek]

Punctuation matters.

[@WayOutWestx2]

Can't wait to see that, Ben : - )

[@johnstephen7557]

The clunky, jerky points remind me of childhood... being thrown around in the seat of a seaside ghost train😀

[@jack4trains]

Watching you form that flange with nothing but a hammer is just pure magic every time! =)

[@WayOutWestx2]

thank you, but really it's easy if you start with the right shape. Mind you, I was surprised when the first one appeared before me!

[@rd-ch1on]

You were perfectly clear in the other video about wheels :)

[@holdfaststarspark333]

You're a friggin genius Tim, ya hear? A GENIUS!!! Seriously, you amaze me.

[@kranzonguam]

Great work as always! It never ceases to amaze me how perfectionistic people become about work that they aren't doing. Take good care!

[@josephmiller997]

LOL! Well said.

[@davidhensley76]

The best voice on KZbin. Every child within 13 miles of your place will want to ride your train.

[@the_retag]

13m only?

[@schwuzi]

I'm not a child anymore and I live a whole lot farther away than 13 miles, but man do I want to ride this thing. Great job!

[@jcampbell100]

Are you kidding me? Amazed.

[@tom_tom_go]

Have you ever considered narrating children's stories Tim, you have the voice for it 👍 Enjoying the railway progress, any plans for a locomotive?

[@forestreese1704]

I wonder if he'll do a loco with an engine like the band saw mill has

[@karenkelly2135]

I absolutely love both his and Sandras voices, they are so soothing.

[@makingitthrough190]

Thank you so much for inspiring all the makers out there to just give it a go! It’s not likely that I’ll ever be a metal worker. But the inspiration is the same. You’re teaching me to stop getting all precious and nervous about potentially wasting some fabric or whatever because the project didn’t go right. How do we learn unless we stop dreaming and actually make the prototype. Good work Tim!

[@Kittyintheraiyn]

People in the comment section will sometimes feel like they know better (sometimes they actually might!) but what really matters is you make and use what works for you, Tim. If they hate flat wheels, so what. If the flat ones work for your rail system all of the power to you! I don't have land or tools, or the know-how to do what you do, but I love to watch all of your videos!

[@WayOutWestx2]

Thank you Kitty. Half the time they do know more than me - I'm just not sure which half : - )

[@joshuapanek277]

These videos are very helpful for planning my fire wood railway! Thanks for sharing! North Carolina U.S.

[@zer0m0stel]

I am reminded of two adages from my youth in mechanical maintaince. The First is, If it works, don't fix it. the second is, Keep it Simple! Most farmers just wanna get things done and working and maybe improve it if they have to continually replace things. Upgrades are expensive. But if you have time, money, tools, and materials, then feel free to experiment. I think this garden railway is perfect for your use. It looks like something you can take down and store as needed, so perfection is not needed. Just the ability to save you back and joins the wear and tear you can't afford. So Bravo and Hats off! I look forward to seeing how the bearing works out and your final product.

[@doct0rnic]

Tim, I work for a class 1 railway in North Dakota and can confirm after 10 years of working as a conductor, that none of the wheels on freight cars are tapered. When new, they are flat and the flange isnt even that big. After miles of usage, they become worn in the center, I have never seen a tapered wheel at work. I cant confirm about European railroads. Also I love your ingenuity in your points, very clever!

[@WayOutWestx2]

Thanks, Ben. I am learning so much : - )

[@RussellNelson]

That surprises me. I've never seen a railroad wheel which isn't tapered.

[@doct0rnic]

@@RussellNelson the tapered look is actually the flange, shaped to fit around the curve of the rail. But the rest is flat, I was looking at the brand new wheels the other day and couldn't feel any actual taper of the tread from the edge to the flange. When new, they are more or less shaped to fit the shape of the rail itself, and eventually will start to show evidence of a convex shape after years of use. There is more evidence of this as the brake shoes are made flat and fit flat on the tread, and wear evenly.

[@Tolono]

Looks like testing with a heavy load will determine what's needed. I suspect either the flat wheels will be fine or you'll need even steeper tapers to roll through the curves. Each one of these videos makes me wonder what will happen next. Exciting!

[@rascallhunter]

steeper tapers or wider treads, bringing the flanges closer together so the tapers are longer. Too steep a taper will increase lateral pressure on the rails, which may become an issue over time (bow the rails out?)

[@gonzo_the_great1675]

You're not alone. There must be more of us out there..... I made a track system for a little rifle range. It runs down a concrete tube and used to take a trolley that carried the paper targets. The tracks were just 1x1 wooden strips, screwed to wooden sheet. And on it I ran skateboard wheels, with a chunk turned out on the lathe, to form a tread/flange. Worked ok, but the flanges were 90deg to the tread and would bite into the wooden rails.

[@richarddunnett2619]

I’m in awe!! This railway is just brilliant!! I preferred the straight wheels that can be cut from a piece of pipe!! The ingenious, simple methods you come up with are by far the most achievable. Plus if it saves you time Tim, then you get it done faster and we get to see the progress. Win, win!

[@mischef18]

I guess it comes down to what ever works in your situation. Safe travels

[@krowvin]

Tim I hear you when you say people can move the wagons just fine, but I think we'd all really enjoy to see you rig a motorized cart on the track when it's done and go for a spin. You did great work with your saw and ground leveling contraptions! We like trains!

[@WayOutWestx2]

Noted!

[@Jayf1981]

Go Tim go, Hi Sandra looking forward to your next vlog, I hope all is well.

[@keirapoppins2514]

I love the clonky kick switches. They're a good, simple solution for a simple, low-budget railway. It's not a passenger carrying mainline, or carrying delicate goods, and so ride quality doesn't really matter. I get the feeling that people are just a bit put off that it doesn't look like it's 'done right'. There's rarely only one right way to do things, so good on you! I'm really enjoying these videos.

[@WayOutWestx2]

Thanks, Chris!

[@stevelowndes5803]

As someone who served a proper apprenticeship in a locomotive works, i think you did brilliantly with your first attempt at wheels & points & track. They are quality engineering (fitness for purpose). I would, as you hinted, work on getting the wagons made up and tested to use. Stick to metal thru wood to start with, as the choice of bearing design could slow you down. Real chill out vids.

[@WayOutWestx2]

thanks, Steve!

[@domenicocaterino7896]

I'm Always amezed by how well you can work with metal

[@jenhofmann]

You've clearly engaged the rail aficionado set! So glad you're getting some traction both here and on your land! :)

[@WayOutWestx2]

Ha! Yes, who'd have thought it : - )

[@timjw5704]

Wagons roll! Good you tried out the suggestions. I always say "kiss" Keep It Simple Stupid! Simple is not always best but it is a good starting point. Thank you Tim

[@jonathan1427]

Excellent advice, but hurts my feelings every time.

[@chuckvoss9344]

Always joy to see what things you come up with.

[@li22ietopper26]

Wonderful. Great work, Tim.

[@WayOutWestx2]

Many thanks!

[@user-gf8pu2oh8f]

Great Job Tim, keep on doing what you’re doing, I wish I could do half of what you are doing with the rail system, thanks for sharing your experiences. 👍🏼

[@eckosters]

"Isn't everyone beavering away making railways?" That was the quote of the day! Nothing sensible to add - just loving it

[@BrendanPerkins]

Beautifully made wheels! I'm feeling rather inspired to have a garden railway of my own now.

[@yeagerxp]

Awesome job on the wheels👍👍👍Thanks for sharing. Now build the wagon and use the straight threads

[@mheermance]

This series is so impressive and industrious. I wish I had a fraction of your drive and I would complete more projects.

[@nicolaiitchenko7610]

Might suggest Snub rail points for future efforts. Would be FAR smoother and impress the pundits no end. And well within your reach. Keep it coming. Fascinating, fun and inspirational... Blessings from Australia to you and Sandra

[@WayOutWestx2]

Thanks, Frank. Yes, they might do too.

[@MikeWilliams-yp9kl]

Fantastic wheels I wish I a railway in my garden, love your points and your new wheels but I preferred your old ones

[@BNSFGP38]

They just hate your flat wheels, cause they don’t have there own railroad

[@bootsowen]

Flat wheels for a flat earth

[@Lumberjackk]

same with his switch haha, i think the kick switch looks cool for how simplistic it is

[@mheermance]

their own railroad. Sorry, I had an English teacher drill "their, there, and they're" into my head over and over, and I still hear her voice 39 years later.

[@RussellNelson]

@@mheermance Where own railroad? Oh, there own railroad!

[@mheermance]

@@RussellNelson Somewhere, somehow my old English teacher heard that, and she's not happy.

[@balderegholm5718]

I like your clunky points and this series do make me want to build a garden railway although a wheelbarrow is plenty suitable for my needs

[@crzwdjk]

One little design detail for curves is that it is relatively common to space the rails slightly further apart on curves, called gauge widening. Just how much you need to do it depends on the wheels, flanges, and track gauge but it's probably at most a couple of cm on your tight curve to keep the bogie from getting wedged. As for your switch, I was skeptical at first but if it works, it works. It's not like you're building a high speed railway.

[@stanlanning3704]

Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us! We've a bit of property in North Cork and plan to put in a railroad eventually. Your designs are a huge inspiration for us to start sooner :)

[@WayOutWestx2]

Sounds great!

[@RealisticAlternatives]

Hi Tim, impressive work. I spent a couple of years working as a rail lubricator: the solution used on the "big" stuff is to put a thin film of heavy grease on the inside edge of the rail in areas where there's lateral forces. Corners, in other words. It helps with getting the train through the bend but, beyond that, greatly reduces wear and can go a long way towards eliminating squealing/banshee wailing.

[@WayOutWestx2]

Yes, it could be that simple - I'll try it. Thanks. (Banshee wailing!)

[@Mungomytube]

Hi, Because your wheels are fixed to a common axle they will resist going round corners, this will be much more noticable when you put weight on the wagon. The outside wheel on a corner travels further than the inside wheel so they must be allowed to rotate independently. The outside wheel will be turning slightly faster than the iside wheel. The wheels must be free to rotate at their own speed and not tied together.

[@Tolono]

This is what the tapered treads solve. As the wheels go through a curve, the outer wheel moves towards the rail and rides on a greater circumference, and the inner wheel moves away from the rail and rides on a lesser circumference, so the wheels 'steer' around the curve. He tried making this in the video but ran into the same problem that real trains have: if the curve is sharper than the wheels can 'steer', there's extra friction and a grinding/squealing sound as the wheels slip.

[@Mungomytube]

@@Tolono . I see. clever stuff. Thanks.

[@Tolono]

@@Mungomytube Yep. The engineering of a railroad is pretty interesting. I like that we're all learning new things from Tim's videos.

[@henrysmudworks1894]

Split differential axles would help on the the curves and corners.

[@elijahwerner6130]

I am thoroughly surprised by how well your clonky points work; I didn't anticipate that at all!

[@RussellNelson]

Kick switches like these have been used in mines for centuries.

[@TheBrianrichards]

Hello from Massachusetts. We love all your content keep it up!

[@biddygames]

You do you man it is just enjoyable to watch.

[@Spetet]

I believe the tapered flanges are actually how train wheels, held straight ahead, allow the train to go through curves. The wheels are supposed to grind and climb the flange.

[@leslieaustin151]

Love it! Well done Tim. Sounds like for your use on your railway, your original wheels were fine. And no, you’re not the only one making railway wheels, but the ones I’ve just made - from solid steel - are 38mm diam on the tyres (or treads) and 42mm across the flanges, so my steam tram won’t be running on your railway - unless you have a bit of 35mm gauge knocking about in the barn! Looking forward to your wagon(s). Love the channel. Les in UK PS, my wheels are flat-tread wheels too. Les

[@WayOutWestx2]

glad to hear I'm not the only one, Les!

[@Chlorate299]

It's "Tim's Marvellous Rust-ic Railway". I think making sure that your wheels are able to float a bit left and right on their axles in the final design like they do currently will prove quite a lot more useful than a tapered tread.

[@covishen]

I just found your channel and I am very jealous. I own some property in North West Minnesota, USA, close to North Dakota. I have no metal working skill but now you have me wanting a railway to move firewood, and garden soil, wood shavings, etc! You are a bad influence, Sir! 😂

[@billyshears9918]

I like your videos. Looking forward to the next project. Digging a canal with locks and a mini marina. 😉

[@NRCprojetz]

Nice. Thanks for the extra work for the comparison. It's very interesting. I look forward to the comparison with cargo. Great video, keep it up. : D

[@slowdaze]

Fantastic video as always. The main advantage of a tapered wheel is that it changes the diameter of the wheels allowing the one on the outer of the curve to spin faster to maintain speed with the inner wheel. They are like an open differential in a car this way. In a car, if you weld the axles together then the car will screech, bind and bark the tires around turns. This is possibly the grinding you are hearing with the straight wheels, the inner wheel has to slip to maintain the same speed as the outer wheel. For your application, it doesn’t seem like there is a big enough advantage to make it worth all the extra effort.

[@grahams5871]

You can't believe how excited I was to see your new video. Who would win? The cone-heads or the cylinder-heads? I agree with your thoughts about cost and simplicity and just getting on with a solution that works and is good enough, but we're all still really interested in understanding which is best. I notice that your wheels are quite wide and fit snugly into the rails ( which is best for cylindrical treads) but if you used cone treads and made the tracks a little wider around curves, you'd easily have twice as much 'difference in diameter' to help the buggy around a sharper curve. Putting a small camber on the track ( like the indianapolis 500) might help things a little bit too, and thinking about costs: you probably have enough servicable wheels for your needs by now, making the front pair in a buggy use conical treads may help lead the whole buggy in the right direction.

[@WayOutWestx2]

Yes, tapered wheels need to be closer together than straights - I see that now. There's so much to learn!

[@jneidlinger]

I've been loving your railway video series! Very interesting. Keep it up.

[@Boatlane22]

Just keep doing what your happy with I enjoy your videos don’t let anyone tell you different

[@jimbos3421]

My compliments to you sir, job well done, especially the use of a framing hammer to beat metal with! Looks like giant versions of my Lionel train wheels.

[@tamarmolerick3814]

Whilst there are significant advantages to having a taper on wheels (typically between 3 and 5 degrees) for what you are doing a flat tread is fine. An easier option you might like to consider for future experiment is non flanged wheels running on flanged (angle iron) track, this is known as a plateway. As someone who has earnt their living building, operating and maintaining narrow gauge railways for the last 25 years I am really enjoying this series and am impressed by your endeavours. Keep up the good work.

[@WayOutWestx2]

Thanks very much. I like plateways, but curves are more difficult with them, aren't they?

[@tamarmolerick3814]

@@WayOutWestx2 Marginally, but it is do-able; cut V notches in the foot of the angle iron, bend to shape, weld up notches.

[@RobertMilesAI]

I'm sure there's some fun maths you can do about this. For a given radius of track bend and a given distance between the rails, you get a certain ratio of how far the inside wheel has to go compared to the outside wheel, which gives you the ratio you need between the radius of the left cone where it touches the rail and the radius of the right cone where it touches... and that tells you, for a given angle of cone, how much closer together the flanges need to be compared to the rail spacing, so the wheels have enough space to move over to the correct wheel diameter ratio... or if you prefer, for a given distance between flanges, how sharp a cone angle you need in order to get enough radius variation within the lateral leeway the flanges give you... Not at all worth it for this application, but kind of fun to think about!

[@WayOutWestx2]

Not sure how much fun it is, Robert - but it sure is interesting : - )

[@GregVirgoe]

The purpose of the taper is to change the diameter and therefore circumference when cornering as the outside wheel needs to travel further than the inside wheel so with different diameters there is less slipping

[@equalogist]

So, the taper used in regular rail roads are about 1:20 ratio, so the curves must be longer and smoother, your curves are sharper, hence the taper needs to be a little higher (maybe about 6-7 degrees instead of 3-4 degrees, I would even go as far as 10 degrees). I absolutely love your content and would love to build a rail for myself one day :)

[@petertolgyesi6125]

You may calculate the needed difference in diameter for a certain turn radius. Narrow gauge railways that I have seen (originally from mining, now for tourists) typically have wide wheels to avoid steep taper.

[@joethompson11]

I'm just here to watch what you're getting up to and it looks brilliant! Loving this series of videos 😊 maybe I'll make a railway one day when I gave some space, I'd definitely never considered it till now!

[@cronauer1985]

You know we are all hoping you make a powered shunter , just a crude single cylinder type. Loving the videos.

[@keirapoppins2514]

Or maybe battery operated. It probably wouldn't be too hard to make a chain-drive loco powered by a car battery with a fairly chunky motor. Two axles, either one or both driven.

[@dws2313]

I think the "train" should be pulled by a miniature donkey ... just to keep things "quaint".

[@tonygrimes13]

@@dws2313 *Grass* powered instead of *Gas* powered!

[@colinlothlorian]

I have made railway wheels from a slice of 60mm tube with laser cut bosses and spokes, so they have a parallel tread. The flange is a disc of thicker plate so I could turn a taper on it. Despite the naysayers they work just fine at low speeds around the workshop, which is all they were designed for. Keep up the good work!

[@gibbosj08]

i think what you have done is amazing i cant wait to see some wagons 👍

[@Boulder_Bill]

If it looks dumb but it works, then it ain't dumb. I think the rail switch is brilliant and sticks to the KISS principle perfectly.

[@daleleibfried8648]

I love this. Your 👍 i like your way of thinking

[@h2o270]

Your metalwork is impressive!

[@shishkebab5306]

Well I think your little railway is brilliant, perfect way to save your field from heavy machinery. I can't believe you've had comments on here criticising it, don't really know what some people expect.

[@MinimumGauge]

The points are a tried and tested design. They look clunky but work perfectly in this application.

[@jamescarruthers8184]

Tim!! What really matters is you have a rail sytsem in your garden which sounds Awesome!!! - Great work and yes there will always be more than one way to engineer to something :) :) I did think about old steel car rims, but you still have to attach them :(

[@Birdman_in_CLE]

I love that you use a framing hammer for metal works. This again shows that no specialist tools are needed. As one gets experience and saves a bit of money, then upgrading to good used equipment is often a good opinion.

[@RussellNelson]

Mmmmmm, you shouldn't hit metal with a framing hammer. The hammer's steel is tempered differently in a ball peen hammer.

[@josephbrandtner7713]

Tapered wheels might not eliminate flange friction against the gauge face of the rail. But they do allow the axle to shift sideways on a curve so that larger radius of the cone is running on the outside rail of the curve while the smaller radius of the cone of the opposite wheel can make smaller revolutions on the inside rail of the curve which has a smaller radius. This way both wheels can turn happily at the same time even though the radii of the rails is different. When railway wheels develop worn treads, they may work reasonably well in a curve. But coming out of the curve they will "hunt" side to side, sometimes violently, trying to find that sweet spot on the treads that will allow them to turn at the same speed.

[@Shipwright1918]

Working on something similar to this, but the wheels are made of roller skate wheels and a wooden flange bolted to the back. Track is pvc filled with sand to make it stiff enough to bear the weight.

[@ogaugeclockwork4407]

Wow! Nicely done! PS: I like your points, simple!

[@garywheeler7039]

Here in central california, USA, we had something called Drying Yards around 1900 for drying apricots in the sun. Wooden flats with sliced fruit were laid in the sun and narrow gauge trollys were used to move stacks of them. I was able to buy a couple, and had to repair one wheel using thin steel plate cut in an arc similar to your tapered tread. I found it easy to hammer it into shape it naturally wanted to form a curve, I then welded it into place to replace the big chunk of tread that was missing on the cast steel wheel. Used them to move stacks of bricks and parts of buildings and sheds around the back yard. The wheels were marked Stockton, a nearby city where they were cast. They used standard 3/4 inch pipe as the axle, and used a simple bracket to attach them to the wood frame. No bearings to speak of as the loads were not terribly heavy and the speeds slow.

[@WayOutWestx2]

Interesting - thanks, Gary. Yes, I'm just trying wooded bearings now too

[@WayneCarolan]

I thought your version one was very impressive, and well thought out. Keep doing your thing

[@isaacmarkovitz7548]

I'm no metalworker, but i do have an idea that might work. Basically, instead of rolling cones for the wheels, what about making simple hoops out of thicker steel, and then using a grinder to taper the wheels. One other option might be to weld in some filler near the flange, enabling a much steeper taper than if a purely subtractive method was used (although the heat warping the metal could be an issue). One advantage of an approach like this is that it enables you to experiment with more complicated custom profiles than a simple cone. I hope you find this useful, and keep up the good work.

[@WayOutWestx2]

Good idea, but thicker steel is much more difficult to roll and much more expensive to buy too. Keep thinking : - )

[@MegaApenstaartje]

Thanks for the video Tim, track is comming along nicely

[@the4thj]

Can't wait for the cars.

[@lukafilm]

I hereby compliment your welding, Tim! 😉♥️♥️

[@WayOutWestx2]

Wow, thanks! (Actually that bit was Will's work. He's really good..)

[@thoobonator]

I Love your railroad!. And your videos!

[@themadrobot]

thanks for humouring us taperrers' Tim

[@WayOutWestx2]

Any time!

[@fjol2635]

Hi Tim, I agree tapers don't add a lot on your railway. Much like a quarry railway, the aim is to stay on the rails. I've been wondering for years about using the hubs from sack truck wheels. They have tapers and flanges, are cheap and they come with bearings. The metal is usually thin though, so they might wear through quite fast?

[@guillermocruz2440]

Perhaps half a split rim of a kart or something might work as well. Nice video btw!

[@LunaRayToo]

Tim, Did you make the gauge on the curve a bit wider? On big railways the distance between the rails on a curve is a bit more to allow the wheels to run smother. Learned that on a show about hi-speed trains with Richard Hammond as the host. To the people wanting a curved set of points... bending that rail just right sounds like a pain in the backside. However it sounds like a fun winter project to make one. Thanks for videos Tim, keep them coming.

[@JWvanderLeest]

I noticed in the bend of the track the flanges were scraping the sides of the rails. There is a relation between the angle of the flange, the distance between the axles/wheelbase and the curve. To prevent scraping the radius the flanges make must be smaller than that of the curve. With a rope perpendicular to the rails it must be possible to estimate the radius of the arc. The same for the flanges of the wheels. GL and greetings from the Netherlands.

[@WayOutWestx2]

You're right - I'm still experimenting with the best angle

[@TwoAcresandaMule]

Some people are just never content with things. Build them how you like.

[@MusikCassette]

the genius of tapered treads is, that in curves is that in curves the outer wheel can travel a longer distance than the inner wheel without any slip, because it travels on a larger diameter. The tighter the curve, the bigger this difference needs to be for this effect to actually work. (if you want I could do some rough calculations on that, but I would think you are capable of that too) In theory, even with a sharp edge the wagon should follow a curve as long as the treads are wide and tapered enough. As a bonus, the wagons lean into the curve, thereby counteracting centrifugal forces. When you have treads, that suit your tracks, the role of the fledges becomes quite different. So they can be further away from the rails and probably shorter. As a rule of thumb: wide and tapered treads make a wagon more forgiving towards unprecise rails.

[@WayOutWestx2]

The advantages were just not worth the extra trouble.

[@MusikCassette]

@@WayOutWestx2 I am thinking, that for your tight curves the taper is not enough to get the benefits. On the other hand. The benefits are bigger at higher speeds. In your usecase a bit of slipping is probably not that bad and as long as you don't move to fast the danger of things falling of, or the wagons tipping over is quite managable. on the other other hand there is still room for some interesting and educational videos. ^^

[@rudyzepeda2800]

I enjoyed this video. Thanks

[@RJ-xv1nh]

Ivor Williams trailer centres work great, have them on my sawmill track.

[@WayOutWestx2]

A straight track, though?

[@RJ-xv1nh]

@@WayOutWestx2 I have a special bendy bit for curved logs : )

[@hjmiller2689]

I will say I'm impressed with your commitment and availability of resources for the project, bu the only problem I have with he railroad, is the switch. I think you should try experimenting with a longer curve going out and trying multiple shorter straight pieces for easier Turing if you're making a two truck train car, even the singe truck could be problematic and cause derailments. Its just a suggestion from me

[@ShortOrderCook]

For a moment there Tim I thought you were making the worlds hardiest Tin Foil Hat 😄🎩👽 - those lovely new wheels wont go to waste I'm sure - they're for the next set of straight tracks! Great job!

[@WayOutWestx2]

Tim Rowe, Milliner? I like it : - )

[@ShortOrderCook]

@@WayOutWestx2 LOL - Actually that's not bad at all - very Saville Row! 😄

[@gtb81.]

after you build the carts, maybe build a little steam engine too? that would be very cool to see

[@kweaby]

Keep up the good work

[@lukeduwve6968]

Amazing work!

[@WayOutWestx2]

Thanks a lot!

[@SamDru]

5:50 I can see the tapered wheels doing its job. In cars tapered wheels are like differential and it will lessens the friction when passing through curve

[@usm-4kagnew165]

Cylindrical tread wheels will always slide a bit in curves due to the difference in the distanced traveled between the inside and outside rail in a curve. Tapered wheels act as a differential to compensate for the difference in distance each side has to travel through a curve. The wheel on the longer outside rail rides on the larger circumference of the taper, while the wheel on the inside rail which is shorter rides on the smaller circumference of the taper. Proper taper needs to be engineered for the tightest radius of your curves, I.e. the tighter the curves, more taper is required. Wheels also need to have sufficient lateral clearances between the wheel flanges and the gauge side of the rail to find the correct circumferences to comfortably negotiate the curve. The other issue I noticed is due to the radius of your curves, there is a lot of friction between the wheel flanges and outside rail in the curve. You may want to lubricate the gauge side of the outside rails in your curves to reduce friction. The same applies to the switches.