My 2R layout is coming down, NOT!!

Malcolm,

Didn't you just recently switch from 3r to 2r?!?!?!

Why won't 2r work with an eastern theme?

Have you thought about doing the Interstate RR?  They had some nice looking engines and interchanged with some big RRs.

I wish I could have both, but at present I'm all 3-rail.  Converting engines would not be cost effective and neither would selling them as all have been modified, even though I have less than 10 engines (and 4 dozen pieces of rolling stock).

Well this is a surprise. Usually it's us moving to 2-rail.

The only technical advantage I see in 3-rail right now is that every piece of 3-rail equipment produced to date will operate on 36" radius (O-72) using the truck-mount couplers (and swinging pilots on big diesels). Even the traditional "reverse loop/wye" issue is pretty much moot since you can handle 2-rail polarity issues with frog-juicers or sensors and relays.

If you're using ScaleTrax, you can use the 2-rail cars. They'll be fine if you stick with the #4 and #6 turnouts. By the way, ScaleTrax is fully insulated (even the turnouts) so you could still run 2-rail locomotives on it (subject to curve sizes, of course). The turnouts would need to be wired and the frogs' air gaps shimmed with styrene to prevent shorts from rail shifting over time.

For locomotives, so far I've found that all of the MTH diesels I have with scale wheels will negotiate 36" radius -- SD70ACe's are pushing it because of the wheelbase of the trucks and the locomotive length. Steam is tricky due to the driver wheelbases, but my Blue Goose Hudson can also make it through 36" radius.

Welcome to the good side.  I all ways enjoy your custom built caboos's.   Nick

Malcom, just curious as to why the change? Is it because 3R takes up less room (smaller radii curves)?

If going to 3R is what will give you enjoyment in the hobby then I say go for it and good luck.

Malcolm,

Go for it!  I would have gone 2-rail except for the minimum curves and overall space.  I've tried designing a 2-rail layout in my 12x12 room, but just can't get what I want (or what I have) in that space.

With 3RS, if you're at track level, it all (should) looks the same anyway.

The issues I have in 3RS I would also have in 2-rail, which is mainly finding engines and rolling stock that I want, or detail parts and decals to make what I want.

I'm almost to the point that I wish I had started with a make believe railroad.  Not fantasy, but something I could make my own decals for (decals that wouldn't require a lot of different colors like the Seaboard Heart emblem).  I would have called it the "Portsmouth & Vicksburg" RR (for where my and my wife were born) and where I could use any combination of things.  I have a Ten-Wheeler I'm going to put a Vanderbilt tender behind (I've found no known prototype for what I have) and letter it for this P&VRR.  If it looks good I may be going in that direction.

Best of luck to you Malcolm, you have to do what will make you happy....and the Grand kids...

Malcolm,

Whatever you do, I'm sure you will do it well, and if it makes you and yours happy, that's all that matters!

Happy Holidays,

Simon

Malcolm,

I know you are an ecellent model builder.  I hope you will be satisfied with your decision to change to 3 rail.  I am currently in the process of converting an entire railroad's three rail roster of steam and electric locos to 2 rail.  There are at least 2o large steam locomotives requiring conversion.  The owner is converting hundreds of freight cars and passenger cars himself using NWSL wheel sets and Kadee couplers.  Three rail track haas been removed and being replaced with Atlas track and turnouts.   This is a relatively large model railroad.  WHY IS HE DOING THIS?

The owner had scale 2 rail for years and thought he would be happier with the more readily available and finished three rail scale locomotives.  But he told me that he had not operated his layout for two years because he just could not abide with the look of the three rail track system.

His decision to change over to 2 rail was not my suggestion.  He found out about my services afterwards.  I advised him against it because of the cost and time involved but his mind was made up and the railroad is already in the process of conversion.  It will take me the better part of next year to convert his locomotives.

My two year old niece can run my two rail layout with some help.  Running 2 rail trains is no different than running 3 rail trains.  Just some thoughts...

Joe Foehrkolb

Malcolms satisfaction is best served by what he likes. Had he solicited opinions I'd give him one, but he seems intent on this new direction. Have fun Malcolm!

Bob

If you like 3- rail track, that is where you should be. If you do not like the center rail, all you need to do is insulate, and you can keep the same radius curves.  The thing that makes two rail scale take more space is not the absence of the center rail, it is the more accurate models that roll on the outer rails.  Not opinion.

Well, do I love my new bride. She said you have worked so hard to hand lay the track and turnouts to tear it up. She had an idea!

She said, "Why don't we build them a display layout and put it in the spare bedroom." I did not realize she was listening to me when I explained the Lionel display layouts to her. I think I will take her up on her offer and keep my 2R layout too. I did not really care about the track but I am sure glad to know I can keep all my 2R locomotives that I have painted for Mississippi roads.

I think I will go and get her another diamond, she deserves it!

Thanks for all the suggestions too!

Merry Christmas!!

Malcolm & Telise

Sounds like you got yourself a good woman there, Malcolm. 

Many years of happiness to both of you.

Rusty

Malcolm you picked a winner there...glad you'll still be in the mix.

Phew, that was a close call Malcolm...chalk up another win for 2 rail...

Bob

Glad you don't have to start all over.  I will be nice to have a new layout to tinker with and still have a place to run trains.  Every time I start a major project the trains stop running.  Right now I sure wish I had a trestle to get my main line up and going again.

Glad to see there's no layout tear-down. It's never pretty. I can't remember the original reason for the tear-down, but if it's a layout for kids/grand kids, the separate 3-rail layout would be a good way to shepherd them into model railroading and O scale in particular.

If you keep the curves wide enough (36" radius/O-72) as tastes change, the scale-sized three-rail equipment is still operable on the layout. If you go with flat-top rail like ScaleTrax, Atlas, or Ross, then get MTH 4-axle scale wheeled Proto-3 diesels and smaller steam, they'll work on both layouts (curve-replacement turnouts will have issues.

Good luck and congratulations.

Shewwww. Now we got to get Matt going on the two rail...........I almost sent him some extra three rail axles without him knowing. I didn't, I didn't want to prolong the move.

Yeah I want to see those new CNW units on some 2 rail track Matt.

Already did that when I took them out of the box.  Didn't get it on film 'cause I didn't have the time to set it up. I've been doing that with all of my scale-wheeled locomotives.

Joe:

Been going the other way on cars. Have been converting some three-rail cars to two-rail wheelsets and Kadees. Just did a truck/coupler swap with a three-rail CNW fan who needed 3-rail parts. The CNW Evans 53-footer in the middle started as a 3-rail car. Have to get some underset Kadees for the stock cars as the couplers sit too high for shims.

Earlier conversion of Weaver cars to 2-rail.

Stuff for the spare parts bin we keep at the club.

Staged up and almost ready to go.

A video of the finished cars in a small consist. The first two hoppers are brass (PRB) that I picked up from a friend several months ago. The locomotive is an MTH GP38-2 w/scale wheels (it has since been weathered.)

Another all-scale consist from earlier this year.

 Wait.....I'm confused....does that make you 3RSS? or 3RS-2rail ready?

Yeah Baby! Looking good from here!

I'm either a closeted 2-railer (2-railer in Training as Ed Reutling and Bruce Frances would say), a 3RS operator, or confused.

Actually, at this point I'm a 3RS modeler who's going hard-core and maintaining the option of being able to run with his 2-rail colleagues. All the locomotive I've bought over the past two years (with a couple of e-Bay exceptions) have been scale-wheeled. All Atlas cars I buy are scale-wheeled, which initially confused my dealers. When my Turbo-Train gets here I'm probably going to have the wheelsets re-done since it's Proto-3.

Malcolm,

You did it, pal. I read your post about another diamond to my wife. Guess what? If I bought her another diamond, I can expand the collection of stuff. It is, however, like the horse habit she has. She spends $100 I get $2 and this is after 27 days short of 40 years of married life.

Merry Christmas to all my friends on the post.

Dick

I'm either a closeted 2-railer (2-railer in Training as Ed Reutling and Bruce Frances would say), a 3RS operator, or confused.

 

 

Ok now that is funny... 

 I couldn't post this over there as they get a bit touchy. It seems to me if you're going that far towards realism, the wheels should get changed too. Now I actually understand keeping three rail track for those operators. Some equipment won't get the full change over, or for other reasons. I've seen some three rail layouts done up nicely and that rail I could look past. (Drew M.'s layout is one of my all time favorites and it's three rail.) Like anything in life, sometimes you work towards a goal.

 I'll never understand why they blast me for commenting, and then mount a KD coupler to a truck on a simple freight car. I will never look past that. What's the point? So they can claim a title?? A guy like Matt is more of a train enthusiast that I strive to be. Don't matter how many rails he has.

 Now Matt, make a video of those warbonnetts!!!

These are older videos of test runs. In the first one, the lead unit hit some dirty track and the other two units pushed it into derailing at a curve further down the line.

Here's a single unit on a test run. The real problem at the layout is that some of the track has settled unevenly and the six-axle power has a tendency to find the bad spots, especially when MU'd. The 4-axle diesels are pretty much immune, even when run in pairs. We've been doing some track maintenance and when I get some consistent clean runs I'll shoot some more 6-axle video.

I've been reluctant to install hi-rail wheels as it's expensive ($50 per locomotive and I'm already up to 11 6-axle units) and I'd rather have clean track work since several of us like running scale-wheeled cars.

 I hope Malcolm is helped with this discussion. These are some great looking trains. It wouldn't be so bad if he ran three rail track. 

I agree Joe, as long as he is wearing a smile at the end of the day, then that is all that really matters.  Besides he is such a talented modeler he could turn a milk carton into a SW1.....