2 rail scale engine on 3 rail track?

daylight posted:

Will this work, I want to buy a 2 Rail scale engine.  I have a DCC power supply

Thank you

Depends on the brand of track and turnouts, plus the sharpness of your curves.

I think if I remember correctly just don't hook up the center rail. 

Dick

what Jack means is the running rails of the track must be insulated from each other in order to run a 2 rail engine. most 3 rail track has the outside rails bonded together with the center rail insulated from them.

what do your mean when you say you have a DCC power supply? DCC uses an AC power source, a straight 2 rail engine without a DCC decoder uses a DC power source.

Hot Water posted:

daylight posted:

Will this work, I want to buy a 2 Rail scale engine.  I have a DCC power supply

Thank you

Depends on the brand of track and turnouts, plus the sharpness of your curves.

track is Gargraves 084 ( Ross switches).  I will be running a Mikado by 3rd Rail.  I know it will be tight but will run the engine slowly.

Just want an one engine that is prototypically correct as to wheel spacing, etc.

Thank you

should work with MTH proto 3 engines

The track switches are the problem, they will make a short between the two outside rails.

A simple loop of Gargraves or atlas track will work if 072 or larger.

I have a loop of 072 Atlas for just this purpose, so I can test run all most anything I have or find.

I have dcs, tmcc, dcc and straight variable AC and DC transformers to hook to it, but only one of them at a time.

I routinely run my MTH 3/2 scale wheel engines (in 3 rail mode) at my friends house. No problems with derailments. He uses MTH Realtrax which has a flat top rail. He has 36" (O72) and 40.5" (O81) radius curves. The fact that Gargraves track has a curved rail head may cause derailments. I once ran a small 3/2 steamer at the NJ Hi-Railers with only one or two derailments but when I tried to run a Hudson at a different friends house whose layout is all Gargraves track it constantly derailed. Good luck.

What you do is hook the tender lead to the center rail rollers.

daylight posted

Just want an one engine that is prototypically correct as to wheel spacing, etc.

Thank you

I hate to burst your bubble, but the gauge of 2R track is 3 1/2 scale inches too wide. You will need a loco built to P48 specs.

Simon

Two issues affect this.    First if I understand 3 rail terminology, 084 means 42 inch radius.   If that is correct, that is on the tight side for 2 rail.    48 inch radius is generally considered the tightest for most layouts.    Will this engine handle a curve that sharp?     The driver wheel base may be too long for the side play built in.   Also the lead and tender trucks may hit some of the underside.    In order to get more correct wheel spacing, 2 rail models often have closer clearances.    

Second the switches are a potential problem.     They must be wired to not short out.     Also, the rail gaps at the frog and guard rails may be so large as to allow derailments (they won't cause it, just not prevent it).   

Which Mikado is it?    I just picked up a PRR L1 mikado.   I have 48 inch minimum on a section of my layout I could test it on.   It does seem to have quite a bit of side play on the drivers.

I run my 2 rail MTH diesel and steam on Gargraves track, Ross turnouts without derailment, My large curved turnouts are the problem spot. And unfortunately they are on the main. 

Sorry, I now see that it requires a 56 radius so it's not for me

Thanx  for all the answers.  Here is the engine.

2 Rail Great Northern 07 Mikado  with DCC and QSI Sound

http://www.3rdrail.com/found.htm

48 radius is the best I can do

I ran the sunset L1 Mikado on my 48 inch radius curve.   It ran fine and was happy with it, but I don't think it can go much tighter.    There is no play left in the drivers and the lead truck cannot move much farther without hitting the cylinders.    There is play in the trailing truck.    My guess is you might squeeze it down a little to maybe 46 inch radius, but not more without modification.

Thanks to all for their comments and explanations.  I will pass on this idea

Most Sunset Steam locomotives are listed at a 56" minimum radius but a good percentage of them can go a little tighter. I have a NYC Mohawk which can handle an Atlas 49.5" radius curve. Sorry to hear you are going to cancel the idea. The GN locomotive is beautiful. 

I run scale 2 rail Atlas diesels on MTH Scaletrax and Ross Cutom Switches with no derailments.  I replaced the DC circuit boards with an old MTH DCRU and rewired the insulted scale wheels so that both sides are ground. The ac center rail power comes through an electrical connector from a MTH Protosound 1 locomotive that it running in lash-up with. In fact, all of my Proto Sound 1 locos have center rail power connectors for smoother operation and lighting scale passenger cars that don't have center rail pick-up rollers .

I routinely run MTH scale-wheeled locomotives and 2-rail rolling stock at the 3-rail club (3-rail mode) and the physics are fine for the most part. The areas to watch with 3-rail Gargraves or Atlas track (or MTH ScaleTrax) is the turnouts. Most of the turnouts are "wired through" connecting the running rails. The connections need to be broken and re-wired to accommodate 2-rail wiring. It's not difficult to do, but sometimes finding how the 3-rail connections are made can be tricky. Ross 11-degree (#5) turnouts seem to work well with scale wheels. #6 and larger have a very large frog gap to support hi-rail wheels and would be problematic with scale wheels. The MTH ScaleTrax frog design is a bit friendlier to 2-rail equipment on their #6 turnouts.

Once again, thank you to everyone that responded.  It just to much of a change now.

I will go with this