2 railing a 3 rail engine

So shorting issues are mainly confined to steam locos riding on curves too tight? HO & N model steam locos don't have plastic wheels or valve gear, but metal like O Scale; they don't seem to suffer like that. Still seems like a problem with the models rather than a problem with 2-Rail as an operating system. Certainly not a problem with diesels.

I use metal Kadee boxes on my rolling stock, on 36" radius curves at that. The trucks & wheels don't get close to them, and I fail to see how they'd short out anyway if they did?

Metal draft gear boxes are better than plastic in my opinion as they won't compress when tightly mounted to the underframe. Plastic boxes sometimes get squeezed and restrict or jam the free movement of the coupler.

Sunday Shunter,

There is a problem with Bob's trains and it is a people problem.

????  *confused*

Some would tell you Bob's problem is more of an "Operator" issue.  I didn't say it, I just shared what others MIGHT say.

Now the most I know about 3R is how to spell it but, isn't a Lionel transformer AC?  Your model, just like most HO & N Scale models, runs on DC unless they are DCC or such equipped.  Does your loco have a decoder installed?  If so, they can be set for DC operation but, typically, they won't do anything until the voltage reaches a certain point.  This point can cause a loco to take off way too fast.

Jay

I assume you're using the DC output of your HO power pack.  If so, and the loco takes off way too fast, can you slow it down once it starts moving.

Tanks too all for the great info.  I will get an inexpensive loco and track and see what is what.  The 3rd rail is working on me, do not know why all of a sudden it just is and the 2 rail and scenery is just to great to not try.  Cheers Jim 

Sunday Shunter,

Sorry, it was a joke and nothing bad. You are engaging in a conversation with a person, Bob, who removes or won't put brake shoes on his engines due to the potential for short circuits. I do believe he has trouble with these things is what I am saying. I'm not saying that Bob's way of doing it is right or wrong.

It is just an indication of the person you are reasoning with about short circuits.

Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the explanation, no worries

In Britain the 2-rail steam scene is dominated by brass, kit-built locos; all types from tanks to 4-6-2 & 2-10-0 (the biggest wheel arrangement used in the UK), they must get around the brake gear 'issue' somehow as the models are fantastically detailed, often with full brake rigging, and due to the Exhibition culture here, many locos actually built will also be run regularly on layouts on show; they are not just display case queens. They do tend to use fairly generous radius curves though; 6ft radius is an accepted minimum, although this is also driven by the use of hook-&-shackle couplers with buffers, which don't tolerate really sharp curves like buckeyes can.

I don't model steam so can't comment further about that.

I can't resist putting in a plug for BPRC:

https://ogrforum.com/t...need-a-new-sub-forum

Jim, I didn't want to spend the money converting 3-rail wheels to 2-rail so I converted (still spent a good sum of $$$) the electronics from PS2 to Battery-Powered, Remote Control (BPRC).

I removed the center pickup rollers, along with the center rail.  Kept the hi-rail wheels and old 3-rail code 250 outer rails.  The system I installed came from Tony Walsham, owner of RCS in Australia.

I currently have no sound in any of my 7 steamers and I don't miss anything but the steam chuff (never really used the whistle/bell all that much).

Here's a YouTube video of my MTH RK 0-6-0, converted to BPRC:

https://ogrforum.com/t...imperial-0-6-0-video

I've been running BPRC 5 months now.

All depends on how you want it

Here's some photos of my Williams brass USRA 4-6-2.  All the engine has in it is the can motor, headlight LED, and connector plug for the cable harness so I didn't remove the boiler.  2 wires are used for the motor and 2 wires are used for the LED.

I'm adding a backup light to the tender so I had to remove the shell anyway and thought I'd snap a few pix:

1st is the transmitter:

Next is a view showing the 2200 Mah LiPo battery, the receiver on the right, and the on/off/charging jack on the left.

Next is the on/off/charging jack from above, under the "coal" load:

Here's my "coal" load, made from a piece of foam rubber:

And bottom of "coal" load hollowed out for the switch:

While I have it apart I'm going to "clean it up", paint some of the white styrene things and dress the wiring.  I used a MTH 10-pin cable but I'm only using 4 of the wires.  The backup LED will go into 2 terminals on the receiver.

The original cable on the engine was a 4-pin and I could have just as easily used that.

(I need to make a better coal load!)

Not a "people problem" when a Wasatch truck shorts - it is a manufacturing problem, and easily cured.  Ditto the PSC passenger car trucks - you simply have to find the offending piece of metal and move it.

Those of you who have never had a short circuit in 2-rail - I greatly admire you.  You remind me of my aviator friends who have never left a master switch on.  You have no need for circuit breakers.  I have them on both ends.

To Allan's jumpy start problem - I sold a very, very expensive locomotive to a guy in Texas.  I guaranteed it.  He wanted brake shoes, and I said i would install them, and it would leave here running, but the guarantee would not be part of the deal.

So he opted to keep the guarantee - sent it back three times.  Each time I could not duplicate the "jumpy start", but just assumed my definition of smooth start was not his definition.

Turns out he was using a Lionel transformer with a rectifier.  It would go from zero volts to eight volts.  Nothing in between.  That is probably what is happening.

Please, please, please do not re- print this post.  Please.  Reading it once is probably more than enough.

Bob, I'm pretty sure it was you (or Joe?) who warned me about the lead truck on my Allegheny conversion shorting out and it did. I ended up changing them to a smaller wheel. Never shorted again. If I didn't mention it, I'm not sure anyone would notice the smaller size.

Three possible cures for lead trucks.  I typically will inlay a small piece of plastic at the contact point.  Another way is to grind some material out - not a truly satisfactory way for a scale model.  And if the smaller wheels bother you, plastic wheelsets can be used.

Fortunately, the Allegheny has that outside bearing truck - nobody will notice the smaller wheelset.  How did you handle the tail beam?

Also, when you roll your own, you may find the rear driver of the front engine contacting something.  It is difficult to catch, but easy to fix.