2 v. 3 rail

[Anonymous]

Hi All,
Great information being shared on this site particularly for a newcomer to the hobby such as myself.
I've serached the site for the last two hours and can't find anything relating to this topic. Figured I'd search before starting another discussion.... I'm deciding whether or not to go 2 or 3 rail??? Let me have it guys, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Thanks
Teddy

[spankybird]

HOw much extra money do you have to spend on 2 rail [?]

BTW - Welcome to the CTT forum Teddy.

What part of OHIO do you live in [?]

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure? I have no idea how much more th two is than the three...

I'm in Streetsboro

[csxt30]

[#welcome] to the forum, Ted ! Well, it's whatever YOU like !! 2 rail is really very scale like.
3 rail, I would say has some advantages in using that 3rd rail for operating accessories. Are there any other friends in your area with 2 or 3 rail layouts, which sometimes helps decide which to go with & how about a local hobby shop ? My opinion is that I find it easier to find 3 rail stuff, either at hobby shops or internet sites. Also, do you have any trains now ? There may be a club in your area that may be 2 or 3 rail, which could help you. Are you planning a layout ? I will say that MTH is making a lot of engines for 2 rail or 3 rail, which means you just flip a switch, I think !! Well, welcome again & there should be others along I hope with more good info !! Thanks, John
PS: be sure & visit Spankybirds' web-site !

[spankybird]

You will find yourself in the top end of engines, Perimer, etc. I don't know of any lower price engines in 2 rail like in the Railking line. So you will be starting in the $700.00 and up up up range.

Streetsboro is just south of me (kinda). Do you ever make it up to Willoughby Area [?]

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Don't forget S gauge 2 rail.

[wrmcclellan]

Two rail O scale model railroading has traditionally been much more expensive than 3 rail semi-scale. That model may be changing with MTH's introduction of 2-rail-3-rail convertable locos. Atlas O also has a nice selection of scale equipment at similar pricing to 3-rail semi-scale.

The difference is in curve radii. 3 -rail trains typically have truck mounted couplers where 2 rail (not discussing American Flyer 2 rail S gauge trains here - i"ll leave that to someone else) has body monted couplers like real trains. Thus 2 rail scale locos and cars with body mounted couplers have curve radii starting at 36 inches vs 3 -rail where a 36 inch radius is considered a wide radius.

3-rail trains have large flanges to allow tracking on narroer radius curves where 3 rail has a more prototpyical flange depth. There is a group of O scalers that go for very precise realism with accurate (read that miniscule) flange depths.

So for 2 rail, one needs a much larger area to build a layout vs 3-rail.

And as I said, traditionally, 2 rail scale locos from the brass manufacturers tend to sell for 2-3 times the price of 3 rail locos. 2 -rail scale leans towards a higher fidelity to prototype accuracy (rivet counters realm - not meant to be derogatory) whereas 3-rail tends to have a lot of compromise (accuracy is less and paint schemes can be un-prototypical) which lowers price to allow more units to be sold.

Command control for 2 rail tends towards the NMRA DCC standard, but for O scale, the power boosters (10 amps DC) are very expensive and only available from 1 or 2 suppliers. Wireless DCC is also more expensive than wireless control using the MTH DCS or Lionel TMCC.

So you have to make a personal decision regarding what is important to you. If fidelity to scale is important, then 2 rail is for you. If you do not mind compromises and deeper falnges and tighter turns than is protoypical, then 3 rail is for you!

Regards,
Roy

[Anonymous]

Visit http://www.pdhobbyshop.com/

If you are in northwest Ohio you may want to try and visit the shop.

Two rail O comes a couple of variations, Proto-48 being the most stringent. The closer you get to true scale fidelity the more work and to some extent expense will be incurred. Proto-48 trackwork has to be near perfect or those scale flanges will not stay on the scale track. Regular two rail O is still more involved than off the shelf three rail. You will either wind up spending time/money on converting three rail stuff to two rail or spending time/money building stuff from kits or scratch.

If you want the ease of use of three rail but want two rail look and feel then check out the current offerings in "S" gauge. The trains are easier on the eyes than HO/N but still large enough to accomodate classic "toy" train operating features like action cars (if you like that stuff).

[dougdagrump]

To me they are much the same in appearance, the biggest benefit of 3rail to a knucklehead like me is the simplicity of not having all the polarity issues. [D)]

[Anonymous]

Fell,
I have nothing started at this point except my Great Grandpa's Live Steam Erie 2917 and tender that I really want to incoroporate in the layout, and possibly run...I ultimately would like to build a layout in the 12' X 20' range in my unfinished basement. I have a couple of leads to some clubs in the area which wil certainly help me make my decision and get me started. Basically fealls, two is going to cost more initially then the 3 and from what I've seen, the black coated/plated middle rail doesn't look that un-prototypical. I'm pretty fastidious and want to start the right way and will it's jsut going to take a me a bit more researching.
Thanks you guys for all the info. Wento Spanky's, very nice! and I'm actually in N.E OHio but do get to MI from time to time for business.
Any suggestions on clubs for O-Gauge in NE Ohio???
Thaks and Merry Christmas
Teddy

[spankybird]

Ted, Boy am I glad you asked ! ! ! ! !

There is this great Club called O T T S which stands for Ohio Toy Train Summit. We meet every other Friday evening (7:00 pm approx) at each others houses. The next meeting is Dec 30 in Mentor.

If you wi***o attend, you could swing by and see my layout and then we could go to the meeting.

[Anonymous]

Soundz like a winner. Next Friday it is!

[spankybird]

E-mail me (icon below) and I will send you directions

Check out my web pages (Icon and link)

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sturgeon-Phish

Don't forget S gauge 2 rail.

How easily most people forget. If I had the extra space for ANOTHER layout, I'd get some S-Helper track (the ballest version) and unpack my postwar AF stuff. The "S people" have some neat engines and rolling stock to choose from now, but I guess the buildings, cars, and people figures are limited, choice-wise. Joe

[Anonymous]

A big advantage in 3 rail in my opinion is there is just much more available in it at a lesser cost bot new and used. Another advantage probably not exploited enough is that the extra rail can be coupled with relays and used wired as a totally or partially automated system. You can run multi trains per track and activate trackside accesories very easily using simple circuits. This can also be done in 2 rail but it is more complicated and expensive. The 2 rail is obviously more prototypical but I am so used to seeing the extra rail I would probably miss it.

Dale Hz

[FJ and G]

Teddy,

You should go 2 rail. Anyone who is hesitating over the choice will never be satisfied, IMO. Either you love 3 rail or you don't.

[palallin]

Atlas O is making a great line of very good 2 rail cars and engines at decent prices, and Weaver is, too. Atlas also has the bottom-end Trainman line of 2 rail. They make a full range of sectional and flex track. There are numerous kits out there if you go 2 rail; you can model just like the HO guys do, just in a substantial size, and you don't have to pay premium prices (unless you insist on up-scale brass steam, in which case you'll need a second, third, and fourth mortgage). You can also find out-of-production kits and equipment from 'way back, including the Atlas and AHM lines of about 20-30 years ago, which provide a number of low-coast options. The continued viability of older equipment is a characteristic that 2 rail O shares with 3 rail and differentiates it from HO and N, where anything older than last week is passe' and pathetic.

One needn't be wealthy to do 2 rail O, but one ought to have lots of room ('70s vinatge Atlas 2-rail O track was available in 24" radius, but you will limit your choices of rolling stock a bit by using it).

Personally, I concentrate on 3 rail, but I dabble in 2 rail, and I'm working on a dual-gauge (2 rail O & On30) track which will also let me run my 3 rail).

[FJ and G]

You only need a diameter of 054 for 2-rail O, I believe, and the prices between 2 and 3 rail don't really look that great a difference with 2 rail slightly more. Perhaps MTH and Atlas had something to do with this.

I'm glad I'm using 3-rails, as I feel they'll be more robust for my outdoor layout.