Wheels

General

Wheels are of 3 types, plate, spoke, and plate with holes.

U.S. wheel part names for a plate wheel:

Hub - the center part of the wheel where the axle hole is.

Plate - the part between the Hub and the Rim, where the spokes are on a spoke wheel.

Rim - the part that has the wheel Tread and Flange.

Tread - the part that is on the rail head.

Flange - the part that keeps the wheel from going off the track.

U.S. wheel part names for spoke and plate with holes wheel:

Same as for plate wheels but can have counterweights.

Wheels are made of ether iron or steel and are made to standards witch have changed over the years but for use in Trainz most of the changes are so small that you can not see them. An example the wheel Tread use to have a tapper of 1 in 6 and now 1 in 20, know one can see that!

If you make one good plate type wheel you can them modify it into the other two kinds witch is what I do and I do not have to do the animation part over unless it has side rods.

I use textures to show ether iron or steel wheels, iron wheels have ribs on the inside Plate. There was also a time when paper wheels where in use for passenger cars to give a better ride. The paper was compressed and had metal Rims and a flat metal plate on each side and a ring of bolts holding it on, witch is how you can spot them. I have not made this type yet but a texture should work.