@New Haven Joe posted:Probably the best looking 3-rail track would be 2-rail track running battery powered 3-rail engines. A modeler could pull the middle rail out of any manufacturers 3-rail track system or they could just buy 2-rail track. Pulling the center rail and converting a few engines to battery power would be much easier than converting an entire layout to a smaller middle rail.
Folks interested in Dead Rail (running with Power on Board the locomotive via batteries) will likely want to follow Darrell Lamm's series on that specific topic that is appearing in the magazine. His detailed discussion of all aspects of batteries themselves and their application to O scale begins in RUN 336, our June/July 2024 issue, which I am working on now. Will likely be a three-part series. With Dead Rail, it makes no difference if you have 2-rail or 3-rail track so far as the locomotive power is concerned.
With batteries quickly becoming smaller, more powerful, and holding long-lasting charges, this is a viable solution for many operators.
