Flange depth on 3rd Rail locos?

2-rail locos yes,  3-rail locos no clue.

Wouldn't a lot depend on the rail height? I don't know any 3RS modelers that use Atlas O 2-Rail track either.

Let me be a little more clear. I'm sure 3rd Rail's 2-rail offerings will work on Atlas 2-rail track. My question is directed toward the 3-R locos.

I'm wondering about the possibility of converting the 3-R locos to radio control/battery power and running them on 2-R track. Obviously, with battery power the three-rail trackage would be redundant, but the flanges on the 3-rail equipment might be too deep to work on 2-rail, code 148 track (turnout clearances might also be a problem, but that's a separate, solvable issue).

Thanks,

Jeff C

Flange depth is specified in this NMRA RP

http://www.nmra.org/standards/...4.3%202010.02.24.pdf

Maximum flange depth is 0.95", so if you are running on Code 148 track, you should have 0.53" between the bottom of the flange and the top of the ties.  Somebody on the two rail side would have to measure where the spike head details are at, but I doubt there is interference.  Years ago, Hugo Stud was running stud rail using Atlas track, and I believe the large flanges. 

If you want to go this route though, why not simply dump your three rail engines and replace them with two rail.  You are headed for some work to yard out the electronics in the three rail animal (bye bye TMCC, hello Airwire?) anyway, so why not consider purchasing the two rail equivalent, and blinding the center drivers, and possibly go with different wheels for the front engine truck (pilot truck)?  You might also have to change out the drawbar for one a bit longer. 

You would end up with a better looking model that will go around sharper curves. 

My point here is we do not need high rail and deep flanges to operate steam on an O-72 curves. 

HO guys have been running around 18" radii for years with RP-25 flanges, and O scalers with smaller layouts with 36" radii for years.  The traction guys even go tighter than that, all with smaller flanges. 

Regards,

GNNPNUT

If an MTH steamer comes with 3/2 option I would buy the Hirail version that will run on tighter curves if its flanges dont interfere with the atlas 2 rail track.  I think that this is a good plan and could really open up some possibilities for 2 rail guys that have smaller layouts or are forced to have a tight radius curve but want to run larger steamers. An interesting idea for sure!

Jeff;

See my response on the 2 rail forum.

Allan