Wheels

So, I figured a simple way for wheels. I did a profile of the wheel and used the spin function in Blender. Then I added a line 4'5 1/2" for the new standard inside length between wheels, and some points in the original file for it to snap to.
Now I can use this wheel profile file again with little alteration to create any wheel I need, and still alter it as learn more.
It worked out pretty well.

Wheels and the Oil Tanker

I realized today I made a mistake on the wheels of the CS passenger. When I started a new file, using the wheels and basic lines as a template, I saw the distance between the inner "rails" to be NOT 4' 8.5".

These guys make and repair wheels axles trucks etc.
http://www.lyonsind.com/index.html

These guys make rail tank cars. They have diagrams in pdf form.
http://www.americanrailcar.com/RailcarManufacturing/Car.aspx?car=tank

http://www.railpark.org/stories/tank_car_cn_agrx-802.html


Lest I forget.
Getting the dome ends on the oil tanker turned out to be a major pain....
Eventually I solved it by using NURBS spheres in blender, creating circles and importing them into blender, whereupon I used RAW NUMBERS, not snap points, to solve it.

I don't like the 12'7" height the drawing asks for....

Not sure.

Basic template for rail. Not exact but close.

American Standard Gauge (4'-8.5') mainline railroad track and ballast assembly.

Railroad Track Dimensions

The dimensions of a railroad track are not hard to find. Railroad track rails are 6 5/8" tall, the top flange is 2 and 22/32" and the bottom flange is 5 and ?? inches. If you are picturing the capital letter ' I ' in your mind, you are on the right track. The upper portion of the rail is only 5/8 inches thick. Now the track width in the United States and Europe is 4' 8 1/2", or 1.435 meters.

Standard gauge in North America is 4' 8 1/2", measured between the inside edges of the rails.