Doug & Chuck,
I'm going to show my 3-rail naivity here. Has any manufacturer ever contemplated "hiding" the 3rd rail so that it isn't so obvious? Is there something that makes contact with the middle or 3rd rail that would prevent it from being run in a slot on the underside of the ties so that it's less noticeable? If it could be, it would then be possible to completely cover it over with ballast.
My guess is that it somehow can't. Otherwise, someone would have already done it. I thought I'd ask anyhow.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Hi Chuck,
Yes, the term Hi-Rail is still very much in use. I haven't built a permanent home layout yet, still operating on the Christmas Tree Carpet & Western. The FEF-3s had some confusion about their minimum radius requirements, catalog said O-72, the box said O-54 and a member on the CTT forum was running his on O-27 profile O-54 curves without any trouble. The Christmas Tree sub-division of the CTC&W was built with MTH Realtrax O-54 specifically for the FEF-3s. Guess What, no go, so I will have to build a new platform for this years CTC&W Tree sub-div. But being forced to rebuild with O-72 curves, made me bite the bullet and buy that AC-9 that I had drooled over but wanted to avoid those real estate gobbling O-72 curves.
The outside rails being common simplifies a LOT of issues by a factor of rediculous, Wye's, reverse Loops, Grade crossing and track signals? SIMPLE, SIMPLE, SIMPLE. And the sheer mass of these things is almost (maybe IS) Addictive.
The 2007 Christmas Tree sub-division of the CTC&W, click pics to enlarge
I ran out of time before Christmas, and didn't get beyond the plywood turf stage on the scenery.
Some more Favorites from the roster of the CTC&W.
Here is another nice O/HO comparison, this time Both models by Lionel, same road#s , a couple of my Favorites.
Doug
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
Scale (or close to it) on center-rail track used to be called Hi-Rail. Maybe we should push to revitalize that usage.
Of course, Marklin HO has always been center rail - but, with stud contacts, it isn't as obvious.
If those gorgeous hi-rail locos have long pickup shoes, not Lionel-style rollers, they, too, could operate on stud contacts and eliminate the center rail.
My personal heartburn isn't with the rolling stock. It's the appearance of the track itself. Isn't that why GarGraves 'de-emphasizes' the center rail? OTOH, having both running rails the same polarity simplifies the installation of track detection by a factor of ridiculous.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I don't want You Loggers out there to feel left out, here is a Shay for You guys.
Click on pics to enlarge
This gives a Good comparison, Very similar locomotives, same road names and #s the O Scale is a Lionel, and the HO is a Bachmann Spectrum.
Some More
Sorry about this one being a bit over-exposed, I'm still getting used to digital cameras,
Again Click pics to enlarge
While some 3-rail trains do fall into the "Toy Train" category, there are some very impressive models, that the only detail they are lacking is the "proto-typical" number of rails that they run on. Here is just a sample of some of the Beauties available in 3-Rail Scale size trains.
Click pics to enlarge