Difference between Hi-Rail and 0 Gauge

What track are you using?   Hi rail track  in this context means track where the outer rails are each isolated from one another electrically...meaning they do not share a connection as they do in traditional tubular track and most 3 rail o gauge track types.   

Hi-rail in general refers to a specific modeling philosophy or approach.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_rail

You're misunderstanding the instructions.

In 3-rail O, the power flows between the center rail and one or both of the outer rails. This requires two connections. The first is the "hot" terminal from the transformer to the center rail. The second is the "common" terminal from the transformer to one or both outer rails.

If the track you are using is Lionel, the outer rails are connected together already, either by the metal ties in tubular track, or by connections under the roadbed in Fastrack. Most other track is the same.

The exceptions are a few types of fancy high-end track. The telltale sign of this would be wooden ties and no visible metal straps connecting the outer rails together.

The name of the game is having the outer rails connected together somehow, be it by design or by your own wiring.

I'm using Lionel O gauge track and switches. 

George G. 

so the wire from the command base can connect to the U terminal on the Powermaster

George Gilligan posted:

I'm a newbie and am hooking up my PH-1Powerhouse, Powermaster, and Command Base. I read that in hooking the wiring up to the track, they mention going to the outside rails if you're using Hi-Rail. I thought 0 Gauge was Hi-Rail but apparently I'm wrong because it doesn't work. In my Trainmaster Quick Start manual, it states, "after connecting a wire to the Command Base binding post, connect the other end to either; the U (common) binding post on the Powermaster or if you use Lionel section track, connect the wire to one outside rail. If you use hi-rail track, connect the wire to both outside rails".  I'm using Lionel CTC lockon to power the track but should I connect the wire to only the outside rail and not the center rail or should I do both? If I sound confused I am. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

George G. 

 

The hobby and it's terms are changing so lets do it simple. In the good old days of tubular track and metal ties the inner rail was the positive electrical connection and any outer rail would suffice as the negative or ground connection since the outer rails were electrically tied together by the metal ties, only the center rail was insulated from the ties. In that time frame often the trucks wheels and axles were conductive so these also provided a cross over grounding path from one outside rail to the other rail. If you are using that style track this holds true today.

However, there are other styles where the ties are wood or plastic and these can have many types of rail including tubular or other materials of a simple sheet metal fold like Lionel Fastrack or rolled/extruded sections of brass, aluminum or steel. The issue all of these share is the ties are natural insulators so unless the outside rails bridged with a jumper or you are using rolling stock with metal wheels and axles the non-conductive ties cannot electrically connect the outside rails to each other So in your set up you will have to provide a jumper between the outside rails to insure there is a common ground path for those rails. Like the tubular with metal ties the positive connection still goes to the center rail.

Bogie

Thank you for the information that answered my question.