American Models Pacific-type steam loco driving wheels

I don't have one,so I can't say for sure...

Judging by the new catalog,it looks to be blind; judging by the exploded diagram from their website,it looks to be flanged.

Wish I could be more help, but at this point, I just dunno...

 

Mark in Oregon

The HiRail/Flyer compatible AM Pacific has a blind (flangeless) center driver.  The scale wheel version has a flanged center driver.

 

Rusty

There you have it...

 

Mark in Oregon

Thanks, guys.  I assume the center drivers on the DC scale streamlined PRR K4 steamer are also flanged.  Correct?

 

One more question.  Can American Models DC scale locos and rolling stock negotiate MTH S-Trax and Lionel American Flyer FasTrack turnouts and crossings without derailing and/or stalling (the latter mishap via breaks in rail surface/wheel contact continuity)?

 

 

Yep, the K4 uses the same drive mechanism as the USRA Pacific.

It's my understanding that S-Trax switches were really set up for HiRail flanges.  I haven't tried to run scale wheels through mine.  FasTrack switches aren't out yet, so there's no way of knowing.

 

Rusty

S-Trax was also the only track system offered by SHS, although they also offered flex track without roadbed.  For the scale folks they recommended a third party turnout who used their rail to make the turnouts.

 

There was a gentleman I knew that built a small demonstration layout with S-Trax and he could not run scale wheeled equipment without derailing through the diverging route of the turnout facing the points.  He was using an AM RS3 and a handfull of SHS and AM cars, all with scale wheels and body-mounted couplers.  He had better luck in running the other direction.

 

Currently, all my S-Trax is in storage.

 

I would also add that currently (and in the past) S-Trax turnouts are only (going to be)available in 20" radius, same for the Lionel FasTrack turnouts.

 

This in itself could lead to problems with long equipment with body-mounted couplers.

 

Rusty

I have used both scale and high rail locos and cars through S-helper switches with no problem at all.  The moving lever at the frog prevents derailments of scale equipment since there is no gap for the wheels to bridge.  Long cars with scale wheels are another matter. Early American Models scale length passenger cars with scale wheels will not negotiate the 20" radius curves of S-Helper switches.

Rusty,
I know that SHS went through several iterations of the S-Trax switches.  Most all of them featured a moving point that looks a lot like one of the flippers in a pinball machine.  this "flipper" moves to bridge the gap at the point creating a continuous path for the wheel.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought I saw a really early version that did not have these flippers.  Maybe that's the type used by your friend who had the scale wheel derailment problems.

Mike A.

Well, there you go, Bob.  Major seems to have the answer.

 

I managed to locate a couple of 20" S-Trax curves buried under the pile of stuff that's called my workbench.  I placed a scale-wheeled AM Pacific I've been toying with on it and it seems to be OK. 

 

It's a little snug (at least my model is) with very little side play on the drivers, but I was able to get all the wheels placed on the track.  I know the HiRail version has no trouble with 20" radius curves or the switches.

 

Mike,

I don't remember, it's been years since I saw the layout, but the first iteration of the switches indeed had a different frog. 

 

As I recall (and the answer is buried somewhere deep away on either the S Scale or SHS Yahoo forums) Don Thompson said the redesign was be due more to Flyer wheels picking at the original frog. 

 

So if it happens to work with scale wheels, so much the better.  I'll admit, I've only used S-Trax with Flyer and HiRail equipment.

 

Rusty

Thanks, guys.  Unfortunately I'm beginning to have second thoughts about S scale upon learning that MTH might be slow to offer the wide-radius turnouts that long passenger cars (which I want to have) require. 

 

Am I correct in assuming that most S modelers operate hi-rail equipment despite  some features that make it look "toy-like"-  -e.g., the huge, unsightly AF-style couplers and the (glaring?) presence of at least one set of flangeless drivers on all but Atlantic-type steam locomotives.  The former eyesore can of course be eliminated by using Kadee or equivalent couplers; nothing, however can be done about the latter shortcoming.

 

Just curious.  Does the fact that all driving wheels on typical hi-rail steam locos are not flanged bother anybody?

 

 

 

Here's some HiRail from my modulating days.  Sorry for the grainy images, it was also the early days of digital cameras(2001.) Track is American Models flex on Homa-Bed with Woodland Scenics ballast:

 

The couplers sorta disappear, don't they?  When I showed a video of this show to one of my HO friends, he didn't even notice the couplers until I mentioned these were HiRail.

 

As far as flangeless drivers go, no it doesn't bother me.  It's one of the compromises that model railroaders sometimes have to live with.  Even the scale wheel version of the old SHS 2-8-0 has blind drivers on the #2 and #3 axles. 

 

Blind drivers on the prototype weren't unknown either.  Believe it or not, this little spud of a 2-6-2 has blind center drivers:

 

Rusty

Your comment about model railroaders having to "live with" certain compromises resonates with me, Rusty.  As a former Lionel O train guy, I overlooked- -for decades- -oversized couplers; excessive-depth and blind wheel flanges; embarrassingly unrealistic, toy-like 3-rail tubular track; foreshortened locomotives and rolling stock; yada, yada, yada.  Thirteen years ago I could no longer do that; I began the slow process of selling my extensive collection (most of it is now gone).

 

About three years ago I became intrigued by the huge selection of realistic HO trains available, and slowly began collecting this stuff (no layout per se, however).  Unfortunately, HO is a big pain in the butt- -too small, light, and delicate; very finicky; and extremely difficult for a "senior" like me to work with.  That said, the S hi-rail features that I had found unacceptable are no longer a problem.

 

One more question.  What are the pros and cons of AC hi-rail and DC hi-rail?

 

AC HiRail is like Lionel O, there is a 3-position reverse unit to control direction.  Virtually all old Gilbert Flyer and non-command control Flyonel works this way.

 

DC HiRail is conventional DC control, like HO or N.

 

Perhaps the major drawback with AC is that the older transformers have a 5v or so minimum voltage to operate the old mechanical e-units.  This tends to cause jackrabbit starts with electronic e-units.  Many of the new transformers start at 0v and they start moving more slowly.

 

It's a matter of personal preference, depending on if one want's to remain compatible with old Gilbert Flyer or not.

 

Rusty