Micro-Trains - RB-21-N33MT - Wheel, Rail - Metal Wheels

Specific Item Information: RollBy™ OnBoard Speedometer with N Scale 33" standard gauge Rotation Wheelset for use with IOS or Android App

Prototype History: A train wheel or rail wheel is a type of wheel specially designed for use on rail tracks. A rolling component is typically pressed onto an axle and mounted directly on a rail car or locomotive or indirectly on a bogie (UK), also called a truck (North America). Wheels are cast or forged and are heat-treated to have a specific hardness.
Railroad car wheels are affixed to a straight axle, such that both wheels rotate in unison. This is called a wheelset.

Wheels and wheelsets are found in various diameter and axle length. This variety is also reflected in model trains.
The most common axle lengths for N scale model trains vary from 0.538 inch (MTL) to beyond 0.576 inch (Arnold-Rapido). See this blog article for more details on N scale wheelsets.

Road Name History: No applicable company.

Brand/Importer Information: Micro-Trains is the brand name used by both Kadee Quality Products and Micro-Trains Line. For a history of the relationship between the brand and the two companies, please consult our Micro-Trains Collector's Guide.

Manufacturer Information: Micro-Trains Line split off from Kadee Quality Products in 1990. Kadee Quality Products originally got involved in N-Scale by producing a scaled-down version of their successful HO Magne-Matic knuckle coupler system. This coupler was superior to the ubiquitous 'Rapido' style coupler due to two primary factors: superior realistic appearance and the ability to automatically uncouple when stopped over a magnet embedded in a section of track. The success of these couplers in N-Scale quickly translated to the production of trucks, wheels and in 1972 a release of ready-to-run box cars.

Micro-Trains Line Co. split off from Kadee in 1990 to form a completely independent company. For this reason, products from this company can appear with labels from both enterprises. Due to the nature of production idiosyncrasies and various random factors, the rolling stock from Micro-Trains can have all sorts of interesting variations in both their packaging as well as the products themselves. When acquiring an MTL product it is very important to understand these important production variations that can greatly enhance (or decrease) the value of your purchase.

Please consult our Micro-Trains Collector's Guide