Before I had a press, I used to mount wheels by squeezing them in a vise. The results were poor for me. I use a press.
Older Lionel service manual documentation advised repairmen to make their own cups, and use a metal lathe to mount the wheels.
For a while someone was marketing a fixture to go in a vise. I don't recall reading anything about anyone actually using them.
When setting up an arbor press to work on trains, the cost of the press is only the beginning. The original Lionel 15 piece tool set is limited in what it can do. There are many additional tools available today.
Same goes for the cups. The Lionel wheel cup set only does a few different engines. There are many other cups available today. Most only do one type of wheel.
