Hi-Rail Track

[Dave Farquhar]

Don, you've got a good definition of high rail. I don't know if anyone's ever tried to put a label on a traditional toy train layout that doesn't make much effort to be realistic, whether it's using tinplate type trains (something like the all-Marx layout that was featured in CTT a couple of months back), or a postwar Lionel or AF layout that's really heavy on the Plasticville. Whatever you call it, that's the opposite of high rail.

And there are a lot of layouts that are somewhere in between the two extremes.

[palallin]

Nowadays, Hi-rail is often used to mean scale-like scenery and details on a layout meant for toy (i.e. 3-rail O, AF, and so forth) trains. In that respect, Atlas, Gargraves, and Ross are most certainly considered Hi-rail as opposed to the more toy-like Lionel (and clones) tubular.

Those who have seen my posts on the subject know that I dislike intensely the artificial toy vs scale distinction; I uses "toy-like" merely to distingui***he traditional type of tubular track from those such as Gargraves (which is tubular but an attempt to more closely reflect the dimensions and look of real track).

FWIW, I'm using mostly Gargraves track and switches in the construction of my current layout, using some tubular K-line and Lionel in tunnels where it cannot be seen simply because I have so much of it and I'm too cheap to buy enough gargraves to replace it all.

[underworld]

It comes from the rail being 1/4 inch high......1 foot high in 1:1. Would look kind of cool at a grade crossing though!

underworld

aka The Violet

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[dbaker48]

David that makes sense. 20 years ago I thought "hi-railers" was synomonous with pre-war and or tin plate.

Thanks

[BR60103]

Hi-rail is the politically sensitive term (from 50 years ago) for modellers running tinplate/toy trains in the manner of a scale railroad. I don't know the origin, but it may refer to the Lionel rail being higher than scale rail.

[dbaker48]

Allan appreciate your definition, I was going to ask about "Hi-Rail" what if anything is considered "other" than hi-rail. And if there isn't anything any idea why some people make the distinction?

Thanks

[Anonymous]

All commercially available three-rail track is "Hi-Rail," if you're referring to the scale of the trackand rails. Doesn't matter if you're talking about O27 tubular, O gauge tubular, Atlas, FasTrack, RealTrax, ScaleTrax, Ross, Curtis, Gargraves, Super O, or whatever. It's all larger than scale for the 1:48 proportion (or thereabouts) trains being operated on the track.

Scale track is available for two-rail O scale as well as most other scales, but in O gauge (three-rail) you're going to be working with "Hi-Rail" no matter which you choose.

[Anonymous]

I've been reading alot about people who are into hi-rail type layouts. Now would Atlas, GarGraves and the Ross switches be considered hi-rail type track? I would assume the profile of these type track would be a tad-higher railwise compared to the Lionel and MTH based track?

Based on some of the hi-rail layouts I have seen they look pretty good, especially when ballasted. I am also guessing that hi-rail would be considered more prototypical looking as well.

Chris