More folks model ______ in O scale than in any other scale.

[FJ and G]

Did you fill in the blank yet?

The answer, drum roll, is: Traction. (according to an MR article last year on modeling traction). In addition to trolleys and interurbans, there are freight trolleys, case in point, the Yakima line.

Traction is ideal for 3 rails because sharp curves are prototypical. I'm currently modeling the Santa Fe in an area lacking trolleys, but if and when I create a city scene there will be trolleys, and even in the countryside, interurbans were popular prior to the depression.

Trolley buses are kinda neat too, even tho they don't have tracks. I've never seen one of these babies on a train layout.

dave v

[Big_Boy_4005]

Dave, traction modelers use the small flange version, and it has nothing to do with our trains. Actually, traction is 3 rail, but only 2 are on the ground. the third is the overhead wire.

O is nice for traction because it is large enough to allow for properly sized wire and trolly poles. As far as curves go, they can go way sharper than 027, because the trucks are allowed to swivel freely. A typical curve in a street may be as small as 016, which translates to 8" radius.

[FJ and G]

Interestingly, Elliot, Washington DC did not use an overhead wire; but instead, a 3rd rail of sorts.

Secondly, reg. sharp curves; even sharper than 027, there's a fellow out there (saw his ad in OGR mag) welling 2 rail O trolleys that can negotiate curves approx 013 if I recall. You can put an oval of this on your office desk and run trains all day at work!

Also, trolley tracks are interesting, as many had a double rail to hold the flange around sharp curves and also to prevent paving stones from abuting the rail.

[Big_Boy_4005]

I was going to say 015, but wanted to err on the conservative side, and changed to 016, even though I thought tighter was still possible.

I always thought that that was a cable operation, like San Francisco, running down Pennsylvania Avenue. (I've seen old photos)

As for the double rail, some companies used that method to create a flangeway, but that was heavy and more expensive and wasteful. There are actually special rails with a built in flangeway, but they may not have been used on tight curves, because they could not be bent sharply.

[wallyworld]

Any one have the K Line 3 Rail interurbans? I have mulled over switching from mainline to traction as it would allow me a more prototypical track design and I was curious as to any opinions one has of these- both on the positive and negitive end.