Converting Lionel switcher to 2 rail

You sure you don't want to try it yourself? Just start with the conversion axles from NWSL. Rip out the electronics, add new electronics (DCC) if desired, fabricate power pickup (or use battery power), install new couplers and you're basically done.

I working on an S4 now:

If you want someone to do the conversion for you I would contact Joe Foehrkolb of Baldwin Forge & Machine.

Nice work and video...hey,wait a minute!!!

Is that N scale I see in the background?! 

Mark in Oregon

Thanks Mark. Yes, that is indeed N scale. We have a bit of N, HO, 2R O, On30, S, and a bunch of 3R O. Never met a train we didn't like Have been on a search for which scale fits our givens and druthers best over the past few years.

Nice video Jonathan

While I was watching it, I had this thought.

Has anyone taken a 3-rail steamer, with the high flanged wheels, and re-tired the wheels?  In other words, making the diameter of the wheel larger (by adding a ring around the existing tire) while keeping the flange the same diameter, in effect making the distance from the OD of the flange and the OD of the tire smaller.

It would be like retreading a car tire.

This would be done while converting it to 2-rail without the need to make/replace the wheels entirely.

Hope that makes sense.

Make sense Bob, but that would be a serious machining task to get it to look right and track properly and probably not worth it verses simply changing out the wheels.

Bob

Nice work Jonathan!!!  Keep us posted on the conversion to battery powered!

Retiring a third rail wheel by pressing a roud tire over the existing 3 rail tire and leaving the 3 rail flanges will not work.  The  flanges are in the wrong location (try to put an NMRA gauge over them) for 2 rail and the thickness of the 3 rail driver is around 0.25".  I remove the tires and flanges from the 3 rail centers and machine new tires with integral scale flanges while reducing the driver width to 0.160" back to front of tire.  This also requires shortening the axles since the drivers are no longer as thick as the hi rail drivers.

Joe Foehrkolb

Thanks Joe, I figured it had to be a bit more involved or more folks would be doing it.

Thanks guys!!!

I did not know that NWSL had drop-in replacements!

I appreciate all of the responses!

Mickey