New to 2 rail questions

Yes for MTH Proto 3 and No for 3rd rail 2 rail models.

Thanks!

 

Do you know any good online 2 rail dealers?

grand central

http://64.251.10.24/~worldofw/shopgc/

Public delivery track

http://www.publicdeliverytrack.com/servlet/StoreFront

Norm's

http://www.normsoscale.com/

and all the other's!! There are many others as well that carry MTH with scale wheels(-2 ending part number).

Your local dealer could also order them as released from MTH.

There are too many dealers to list and many more that carry all the rest that you'll need for 2 rail, like P and D for example.

For MTH 2-rail engines, also try

 

www.justrains.com

I've picked up 2-rail MTH engines from Mercer Junction, Nassau Hobbies, High Country Hobbies, and Boone Hobbies. Pretty much any MTH dealer will get you 2-rail equipment on pre-order and many actually stock it as well. The word I've been hearing is that a large chunk of the 2-rail buyers are hard-core 3RS guys such as myself since the locomotives can also be switched to run on 3-rail "flat-top" track.

I will take some video tonight of my mth train master and pocono smoking it up on our club layout.

That would be awesome Pete.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone!

 

A few more questions:

 

1. What tacks should I buy to secure my Atlas 2 rail track?

 

2.  If I buy a NCE set with a computer interface can I upload sound files and or change firmware on Digitrax, or Tsunami decoders?

 

running both to charge up the battery, not much to see. but both are proto 2.0

Looking good there, Pete. What radius are you running on the corners?

matt,

 

I think they told me it was a 54 or 56" radius curve. My pocono and GGD cars run, so I am happy. just really need to run the GGD cars, some of the axle's still turn hard or don't turn at all. I have oiled them twice, and tried to open up the truck sideframes to help them turn better. the pocono can pull 5 of the good free runners, the train master can pull 8. going back up to weaver in 2-3 weeks to make are yearly trip, and gary is going to add weight to the pocono and check the springs. I have 11 of the 12 car set in lackawanna.

 

another short video clip, from track level.

Very nice Pete...and a nice layout.

 

Chris

Pete, Great video thanks! 

 

Are you using DCS on that layout?

Thanks for the great info Tom Tee!

Biggs767,

 

I installed the DCS Commander on the 2 rail track, I am the only one with DCS in 2 rail.

Pete,

Really great stuff you have going there.

 

Biggs,

One of the local guys, John Sethian, visits this forum from time to time and he's successfully using DCS in 2 rail with all of the sounds and smoke.

Hi All,

Nails are NOT the way to fasten track unless you want to see the nailheads.  I use 5/8" #19 brads.  Fully set the brad into the tie without caving in the tie and the heads disappear after the track has been painted.  I use Homasote for the roadbed and 3/4" ply for the subroadbed.  Tom can tell you that the brads are impossible to see when I am finished.

Regards,

Ed

What Ed says is accurate.  His workmanship is perfection of the perfectionist. He has raised layout construction to an artform.  I would like that he would built my own layout.

 

We simply use different lasagna recipes. 

 

I prefer my fully preshaped rail to float within the tie strip unsoldered and use the nail heads as a non tight retainer.  

 

Note painted nail heads in Atlas flex adjacent to Brad's custom half breed curved/tangent switch:

 

I believe brads can work well with fully ballasted/glued roadbeds.  Fasteners then wind up not being necessary. 

 

If ballasting is aways down the road or not to be at all flathead nails will have more retention.  After ballast is glued in place the nails can be easily removed.  I can argue both sides of this topic.  Both ways valid. IMO.

 

I do bill myself hourly so expediency is a part of my approach.  Once a dab of tie color is on the nail head it blends quite well.  I will never be the craftsman Ed is.

 

You simply have not seen how perfectly a RR layout can be done untill you see Ed's pike.  

 

 

 

Note painted nail heads in Atlas flex immediately adjacent to Brad's custom half breed curved/tangent switch.  The track to the far right has unpainted nail heads:

 

Pete, not sure of the exact number of 2 rail DCDS users but when Elijah made a similar statement he found that there were 7000 others much like himself.

tom,

 

I am the second 2 railer at the Black Diamond, and the only one that runs DCS in 2 rail at the Black Diamond.

 

I would like to see pictures of Ed Kelly's layout.....

Tom, I've found good old Atlas track nails to be useful when Homasote is involved.  I just push 'em in with my needlenose pliers.  I pull the nails out after ballasting.

 

I've also bought a few packages of the 1-3/4" atlas "snap" track to use for additional rail joiner relief pieces on flex track.  Not too bad pricewise - about $6 at the local hobby shop for 8 ends (2 on each piece). 

Those snap track pieces are great.  I use them for lift outs also.  One 10" piece cut in half provides a firm 5" at the end of eack ROW of  flex track at the point of separation.  Provides a very stable end of track.

 

Good for module construction too.  I use three there at each break.  The middle one is a loose filler, a floater between the modules.

 

The snap track is from an entirely different die construct.  It has a rigid plastic foundation.

Tom,

Thanks for the endorsement.  You are so right.  I work very slowly and could not accomplish what you do in the same amount of time.

Pete,

Right now, the RR is the Plywood Central and not very photogenic.  That may change in another year or so.

Regards,

Ed

Are you guys using feeder wire every 3 feet or what do you suggest?

 

Also, What size wire for feeders and for the main bus?

 

 

Originally Posted by Biggs767:
>Are you guys using feeder wire every 3 feet or what do you suggest?

I'm overkill, I put a feeder on every piece of rail.  This is because when
handlaying track I use Lou Cross' insulated joiners (a LOT cheaper than
the brass ones).

>Also, What size wire for feeders and for the main bus?

I use a 12 gauge bus and 22 or 24 gauge feeders.  If less than 12 inches
long 24 gauge is sufficient.

My buses run out 40-50 feet in each direction from the booster so I use 10 gauge stranded wire for the buses.  I use 18 gauge stranded wire for the feeders.  I too attach a feeder to every piece of rail.  I don't want any maintenence problems if I get any older.

Ed

 

Are you guys using feeder wire every 3 feet or what do you suggest?

 

Also, What size wire for feeders and for the main bus?

 

 

Biggs

 

Just in case you are not aware, if you want to run your layout with the DCS system bus wiring is a bad for the communication signal.  If you are running Proto3 locomotives on DCC follow DCC wiring practices.

 

As for securing track, I prefer to use screws.  Track nails have a way of working loose and the powerful magnets on the underside of sound equipped locomotives can pick up nails and damage the speaker.

 

In testing, I've found that following DCC wiring practices also improves DCS. A continuous buss -- either under the track or through track connections between feed drops -- seems to cancel out the signal. Snubbers, AKA filters on the ends of the buss seem to clean things up.