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Not ALL 3 rail are "Toy Trains"

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  • Member since
    August 2006
  • 624 posts
Posted by fredswain on Thursday, June 26, 2008 4:52 PM
While I'm an n scaler due to current space requirements, and I've had (and still do packed away) HO, my dream system is a 3 rail O layout over a 3 car garage. I'd still add all of the scenery detail and design that I would in any other scale. It would just have 3 rails. I'm not a "rivet counter" so to me there's a fun aspect that takes priority over a 100% prototypically accurate aspect. I like a realistic look but I'm not so picky that I'd criticize every little thing. Even the 3rd rail is acceptable to me. I actually like painted and detailed MTH Scaletrax and that would be my choice for a layout that I'd build. There is at least one "rivet counter" in town here who criticizes othe scales because they aren't 100% accurate on rail spacing in relation to scale and a host of other things. He models On3 and scratch build everything to perfection. It's nice but to me being that anal removes some of the fun of it. That's what makes him happy though so to each his own. I'll give him credit that he's got a nice layout. Mine will one day be 3 rail and I won't consider it to be a "toy train".
  • Member since
    July 2007
  • 14 posts
Posted by rio grande forever on Thursday, June 26, 2008 5:00 PM

Take a look at this website if you want to see some really first class hi rail:

http://norm.beesky.com/

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Seacoast New Hampshire, USA
  • 126 posts
Posted by seacoast on Thursday, June 26, 2008 5:06 PM

Wow, very nice Norm! Great looking hi-rail dare I call it scale layout a real master piece! Was your layout featured in OGR or CTT magazines awhile back? Maybe this thread/discussion belongs in a different forum at CTT?

George

George
  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Shanksville PA
  • 311 posts
Posted by tsgtbob on Thursday, June 26, 2008 5:44 PM
 Tom Curtin wrote:
 tsgtbob wrote:

I was going to ignore this thread, BUT, I just HAVE to chime in with my .002 (tax exempt).

I see we've had some de-flation here.  ".002" is two tenths of a cent.  I wish I could see that in our grocery bill.

 [The above is strictly offered in good fun and I hope will be taken as such]

 

No, that is exactally what I ment. .002 Approve [^]

 

Exactally what my opinion is worth. No more, no less.

 

My opinion WAS worth .02 35 years ago, but inflation has made it worth .002! 

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Rhododendron, OR
  • 1,516 posts
Posted by challenger3980 on Thursday, June 26, 2008 9:37 PM

Hi Don,

  I haven't seen You down at the club in quite awhile, glad to at least see You here on the Forums. I Hope that all is well with You.

  Thank You for the Compliment, as far as "Live Steam" it is Very Impressive, I got to see a Gauge #1 Live Steam Shay a couple years ago at Glenda Boeckel's (Spelling?) Garden Layout before it was dismantled and She moved. I also have seen a Live Steam Berkshire run at Staver Locomotive, down near Montgomery Park.

   As Great as those Gauge #1 live Steamers were though, they were nothing compared to getting a little throttle time on a 12 inch to the Foot scale Live Steamer. Last June, I got some throttle time on a Privately owned H.K. Porter 0-4-0T, and in July, I went to the Nevada Northern in Ely, NV and got some throttle time on both their SD-9 #204 and their 4-6-0 #40. This July 25th, I am scheduled to go to the Sumpter Valley Railway, to Hopefully run their Heisler, but being a wood-burner, it may not be allowed to run because of being so late in the fire season, in which case I would still get to run their #19 2-8-2. If so, I will have to reserve the Heisler for earlier in the season next year.

                      Doug, CGMRC mem# 101

                     (NOT Auberg, the other Doug, the GOOD LOOKING oneSmile,Wink, & Grin [swg])

May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Rhododendron, OR
  • 1,516 posts
Posted by challenger3980 on Thursday, June 26, 2008 10:30 PM
 markpierce wrote:

Sorry, I just can't accept the look of a third rail on a model railroad unless one is modeling dual gauge or a cog railway.  I'll admit, however, modeling a working track switch for a cog railway would be difficult, particular if modeling the Locher rack system (look up "rack railway" in Wikidpedia for an explanation of that system) as used on Mt. Pilatus, Switzerland because the turnouts rotate as pictured below.

Mark

UUHHMM, Who says that 3-rail, isn't prototypical, (I KNEW that I had this pic hiding in my computer somewhere) Yes, I do know what is going on here, but well, it still looks like prototype 3-rail to meSmile,Wink, & Grin [swg]. I have heard the expression, "There is a prototype for everything" Well here is the prototype for MY 3-Rail track, so YES, it CAN be justified, I'm just pre-laying new rail, down the center of ALL my tracksLaugh [(-D]. You get to model whatever size sub-division you want, in LESS than ONE SCALE SQUARE MILE (probably MUCH less than, unless it is a really big club), and I get to "lay New rail" in the center of all my tracks, now we can all be Happy, isn't that what, the Hobby is supposed to be about any way?

                                                       Doug

May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails

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