Mike,
I'm glad Joe spoke up. He's done more of these conversions than anyone else, I know of.
Pay close attention to the things he tells you. I totally agree with him on the insulators used by NWSL. They are fine for rolling stock but not for driven (powered) axles. Primarily, they aren't tight enough and don't have enough surface are (to small) for proper adhesion. When I'm using the NWSL wheels, just like Joe, I bore them and install my own insulator.
Having said all of that, do you have a way to do the work Joe describes? A plain old 3 jaw chuck won't be good enough...way too much run-out.
Not trying to discourage you. If you want to proceed I will assist in providing the wheels.
Oh yeah, one last thing, the NWSL wheels are designed to press onto an 1/8" axle.
Jay
