Have a question concerning running 2r scale cars with 3r

First, what kind of track do you have? I have found the 2-Rail wheel equipped tricks run pretty well on Atlas O as well as Gargraves/Ross.

 

Second, I would first try to couple up your new Kadee equipped cars with the large "Lionel Style" couplers. I found that, prior to the up-grade of all my freight equipment to Kadee couplers, many times the Kadee coupled directly with the "big couplers". Give it a try be for you butcher a nice 2-rail car.

The cars are made by weaver and I have a car I can strip for parts. Currently running fast track but will be up grading to Gargraves or Atlas this summer.

 

Give it a try be for you butcher a nice 2-rail car. 

 

 

I agree about not butchering a car with Kadee couplers. Why not "butcher" a cheap 3-R car and install a Kadee on one end of it, to make a transition car?

         

That's one of my options as I have two cars I can do that with also since they are weavers I can remove one kadee and attach a weaver 3 rail coupler to the truck.  But before I do that I am going to see if they will couple to the lionel type couplers. Bleave me I dont want to mess these cars up either. If this works out, I will convert most of my scale rolling stock. If nothing else it opens option on rolling stock.

If you have flat top rail such as Atlas, then they should run pretty well.   The smaller flanges do not work as well on the old fashioned Lionel round top track.   

if they are Kadee 805 couplers, they will work with 3 rail couplers and stay together. If they are the new 700's series Kadee couplers, they will need slight modification to stay coupled with 3 rail couplers. As suggested above, you can also make a transition car, 1 Kadee on one end, and 1 3 rail coupler on the other end.

2-rail cars will work on FasTrack sectional at O-72 and above, but I can't vouch for the turnouts. As for the couplers, Kadees will generally stay coupled to 3-rail couplers unmodified, but you don't want to run through anything sharper than O-72.

That's good to know. My smallest curve(0-60) is on a siding.  Thanks

O-60 is 30" radius. The smaller cars (40-foot) will probably squeak through without a problem. They may get touchy going through a FasTrack turnout because it's curved through the frog, which scale wheels sometimes want to pick when being backed in.

 

Also, reverse curves (curves in opposite directions without straight in between) will cause problems with body-mounted couplers. Your straight needs to be as long as the longest car that will go through the S-curve. It's a lot of trial and error (in my case, lots of errors.)

The 060 curve is just one 8in section from an 072. It was a fit issue. but it should work.

Now that you have them, don't be afraid to tinker with them. Weight will most definetly help. Sometimes you may have to trim some of the coupler box sides to give you a bit more "swing".

AGHRMatt and Bluegill1

 

This was my solution on issues with fast track.  I raided my parts bin.

1. I replaced all the plastic 2 rail wheels with metal 3 rail wheels. No more issues with turn outs in reverse.

2. Made two transition cars. ( Kadee 700 on one end and 3R coupler on the other ( no more issues with 060 curve in reverse).

3. On the 2R box cars I placed one 3/16 flat washer under each truck to provide additional clearance for the metal 3R wheels and to even height with the 2R flat cars(Weaver)

4. Weaver transition car required 3 3/16 flat washers for height and clearance on the Kadee end. Atlas car needed nothing.

 With these modes this puts 2R cars into play, increases my selection of rolling stock, and start converting existing scale rolling stock to Kadees.

 

Doug