2 rail vs. 3 rail rolling stock??

[loathar]

Hi guys! I don't venture over this way much. I was looking at the new Atlas Quarterly and have an O scale question. It's been 30 years since I had any O scale equipment. I know what the difference is between 2 and 3 rail locos, but what's the difference in rolling stock?? Wouldn't either stock run on either track?

Thanks! (sorry if this is dumb and repetitive...) 

[lionelsoni]

The two-rail wheels need to be insulated from each other, except for those who use windup or batteries.  In addition, "toy" trains typically have much larger flanges, which need deeper and wider flangeways; and scale flanges will have trouble getting a grip on the rounded railheads of a lot of toy-train track.

There are also gauge differences.  The O gauge used by modern scale modelers is narrower than the one we use.

[spankybird]

There is also the differance of the couplers. 2 rail couplers are scale in size and mounted to the cars. 3 rail couplers are oversize and mounted to the trucks.

[loathar]

Thanks!

[spankybird]

I have bought many older 2 rail cars and changed the trucks and couplers to 3 rail.

 

[tsgtbob]

Ahh, an All-Nation that never got the roof and ends painted!

(I've been away for a while, due to an old version of IE and Mac OS9)

Being one of "those" crazy O scalers, let me add these comments please.

2 rail cars, WILL run on 3 rail track, sometimes. with the smaller wheel and flange sizes, they may, or may not, run through switches, the insulated wheelsets will not trip wheel operated accessories as well as non-derailing switches. (An exception, trucks that were set up for outside 3rd rail operation will trip accessories)

Kadees (real Kadee 805 or 804s) will couple to Lionel couplers. By hand. Other makes of both 2 rail style couplers as well as 3 rail couplers may or may not, try 'em first.

As far as a gauge difference, the only gauge issue will be with Proto 48 wheelsets. These are the finescale standards, and P-48 wheels WILL NOT run on any flavor of conventional O scale.  

[tsgtbob]

Let me add one more comment here.

Find one of the old Atlas O scale cars at a meet. These have large flanges, as well as truck mounted couplers that will mate with 3 rail couplers.

Take one truck off, (they pull right off, they are pinned to the frame.) remove the pin, and pull one coupler out of the truck bolster. (A guy going my the screen name of Tsgtbob is telling you to pull the pin! No, not on that green pineapple, on the truck!)

Once the coupler is removed, pop the floor of the car, and (BTW, get a pack of Kadee 805s) open up the copuler pad holes. Put the Kadee together by the instruction sheet included with the Kadee. Use a pair of 2-56 machine screws and nuts to hold the Kadee on the coupler pad.

After you have done that, put the car back together, and enjoy your new "transition coupler car"! I have a few I have done this way, as a friend of mine has a 3 rail layout (he uses Atlas 3 rail track) and occasionally we run my 2 rail cars on his layout.