@jonnyspeed posted:Absolutely. If it can be done in HO it can be done in O:
If I could get my wish Lionel would make 2R Hi-rail battery powered engines and a new line of 2 Rail Hi-Rail track. That would enable them to run on traditional 3R layouts or 2R layouts. MTH had the right idea with Proto 3/2, but they fell a little short due to a few critical misses in their design. With a little tweaking the MTH Hi-Rail engines would have been able to run on code 148 2R Atlas track but they got the gauge and tread size wrong. I have a feeling that most 3R modelers stay in 3R because they can get big trains in a smaller space. Not because they love the look of 3R track. Of the prominent 3R modelers that I've spoken with every one of them would rather have 2R track. They don't want to give up Smoke and Sound and they definitely don't want to have to double the min. radius or more to run traditional 2R models. I really think a new line of 2R Hi-rail models, possibly deadrail, would convert a lot of 3R modelers.
Just my 2 cents...
Jonathan, I agree with a lot of what you say. I think a new line of 2R Hi-Rail will possibly get the new to semi-new folks in 3 rail to convert. Someone younger who hasn't been in the hobby a very long time and has yet to amass a large collection and it is also someone who does not have an affinity for running Lionel PW. I do not see the guy who has been in the hobby 20+ years with a large collection of locomotives converting to 2 Rail even if he could run the locomotives in the same curve radius he does in 3 rail. That person just has too much invested in 3 rail to make the switch and I don't blame them. I think it's fairly rare to get a convert from 3 rail. When I did it I had less than 10 locomotives. Most guys that come to 2 rail come from HO. I am just stating what I have seen over the years using this forum as a judge. Maybe I am wrong because there are people out there that do not participate here. However, I do see a possibility that if there was a new line of 2R Hi-Rail maybe some of the more seasoned guys in 3 rail would add a loop of it to their layout.
By the way, I just wanted to mention, when you said that Atlas cancelled the run of the SWs I had a Raritan River SW on pre-order. Recently I did the same thing as you: About 6 weeks ago I saw an Atlas SW (NYC) on eBay go for over $500 so when I saw a 3 rail UP SW for $80 I bought it with the intent of someday converting it to 2 rail. Unfortunately, I read somewhere, possibly on this thread that the parts are no longer available from Atlas. Isn't that wonderful?
