3 to 2 rail

OSCALEYARDSALE@yahoogroups.com

 

would be a good place to start.

 

Cheers

 

Actually the buy/sell site here is very good for selling your 3-rail.

I agree. I have had good luck selling 3 rail here. With 2 rail it has been hit or miss but I usually try here first then go to eBay.

You might also want to take a ride over to Strasburg for the 2 rail show there this Sat. if only to see what's available at such a show.

Before selling off your rolling stock, evaluate which equipment can be converted easily as some items are hard to find in 2-rail. I've converted several cars to 2-rail and new acquisitions since 2009 have been 2-rail. What made conversion easier for me was I got onto a "buddy system" with a couple of 3-rail operators and we routinely make "truck trades" which mutually reduces conversion cost to not much more than the cost of postage.

 

Locomotives are more difficult. Some you'll have to sell off/replace or have converted. I opted to buy MTH scale-wheeled locomotives back in 2009 and that has worked pretty well for me, even though I run at a 3-rail club. Since I have a large collection of locomotives, the layout I'm building for the house will be hybrid (I bought a pure 2-rail Sunset 44-tonner and also have my eyes on other pure 2-rail locomotives). I'm getting rid of some of the 3-rail units.

Start slowly.  Figure out what you want, buy one, and sell one 3-rail locomotive or set.  Replace just one loop of track.

 

If you try to do it all at once, you will get overwhelmed, and it stops being a hobby.

 

Opinion.  And Matt is right - a lot of 3-rail stuff does convert.  All my K-Line passenger cars and die cast hoppers started out 3-rail.  I have a Lionel Hudson, B6, and FEF all either 2-rail or in the process, and lots of Train Masters have been converted here.  With Trackside Specialties, my brother (not a model train type) 2-railed 20 Williams T1s.

Were those some of the Williams PRR T1 Duplexes that were sold minus paint and electronics for bargain-basement prices? I remember that sale and a lot of 2-rail modelers grabbing them for conversion. Back then, getting brass steam for less than $1,000 was a steal due to low production numbers.

You have already decided to go 2 rail, so get rid of the 3 rail as quick as you can without taking a beating. Then you can slowly acquire what you want in 2 rail, which is the important part. I had HO, and basically did the same thing. Going to 2 rail shows is an excellent tip!

 

Simon

Since you are starting over, think about whether you want to get specific in what you model, rather than an eclectic collection.

 

You may still just want to collect a variety of things and that is fine.   However, you may want to change your ideas and focus on one RR or era, or just a few, or a locale that appeals to you and the railroads that serviced it.

 

That tends to lead to more modeling and less collecting if the spirit moves you.

 

With the opportunity to start over, if you establish a focus before you start acquiring, you can get things that fit what you want to do.   Otherwise if you just pick up everything because it looks neat at the moment, you may find yourself down the road a few years with a bunch of models that do not make sense for what you want to do.

Happened to me, and I love it.  I am basically an SP modeler, but have an extensive collection of PRR steamers, electrics, and even a few Diesels.  UP Challenger number eight just got a new cab this evening.  I even have a Seaboard Mountain, and plans for a silver and purple ACL GP.

 

That said, the above advice is sound - while I guess I agree that dumping all the 3-rail stuff at once will get you some bucks to work with, be slow and deliberate with your 2-rail purchases.  If you have a large layout, just do one loop.  Oops, repeating myself.

 

Yes, Matt - these were blown out at $500, and still command about that twenty years later.  They run like the wind, and look great!  My personal model got the Buick front end sawed off and replaced with the skirts up version.  Resplendent in Brunswick with a hint of CNW green to make it not black.

For Matt:

 

 

Speaking of SP, I remember your article on lowering and detailing an MTH 2-rail SD9. You still have that one? I thought about that one as another "New Project based on an Old Project"

Still have it.  It is going to get Microscale Tiger Stripes.  Takes two sets.  Looking for a prototype photo with orange stripes all the way up on both hood ends.

That GP full stripe photo is  in  one of Sunset Publishers full color volumes of SP locomotives.  The caption I remember* say Espee painted six engines with double ended trim.  Wish I had saved that book.

 

 

Some thoughts for when you start the acquisition phase: There is plenty of this stuff out there on the secondary market....be patient and sooner or later you will find it! There is NO time limit to getting things, and the process of doing so is half the fun. Buy stuff that you like! And if at all possible, go to some 2 rail shows......you will see a lot of things and get many good ideas just doing that!

 

Simon

I had a large collection of 3 rail engines I got rid of. About 1/4 went to a local dealer, 1/4 went to a local operator, 1/4 I sold on e-bay, and 1/4 I sold at York.

 

Once the first piece sold I was anxious to get rid of the rest.

 

When I got into 2 rail I knew I needed to focus on one railroad. At the time there were 7 or so N&W steam era engine variations out there and I bought them at Cleveland and Chicago shows and a few National conventions. I also had friends looking out for models for me. I was pretty happy to get the collecting thing under control. Since that time there have been many N&W engines that have been imported and I've just ordered them through dealers in advance and now I probably have wound up with too many.

 

The suggestion to be patient and enjoy the process is good advice. Everything seems to come around eventually. At the same time it is good to get educated about what of interest has been imported and be ready to buy when it does come around.

 

It is easy to figure that if a person bought just one engine per year for the rest of their life that they'd end up with way too much stuff. I tried to be very patient and STILL ended up with too much but not nearly as crazy and all over the place like when I was in 3 rail.

A few more random thoughts: Once you have divested your 3 rail, your biggest decision will be what to replace it with. If you like a variety of "stuff" your best bet is steam/diesel transition era for one of the class 1 roads. They had a pile of equipment and some of it was unusual, and transition era gives you both steam and diesel to pick from. Their stuff (class 1 roads) will probably be easiest to find because many modelers follow those RR's, thus more of their equipment has been made. A lot depends on HOW MUCH stuff you want/can afford. There is less modern stuff, but it too, is out there if you look. One other thought: Bigger is not always better as locos go.....depends how much space you have and 2R will require a fair amount more for turns than 3R. Don't be intimidated by any of this...it is FUN!!!

 

Simon

If you can get to the Strasburg show this Saturday or the Cleveland show at the end of the month, you will see a lot of 2R stuff.

 

Simon

 

Here's a link for Cleveland:

 

http://www.cleveshows.com/