Terry Danks posted:I reiterate to the OP.
Now is the time to decide 2 vs 3 rails! In all likelihood you will only be at this particular crossroad once.
I found far more actually available in O-gauge 2 rail than I ever imagined. In fact, every single one of the 15 or so engines I now have was also available in 2 rail. Most of the rolling stock as well . . . although, no, not all.
So, think this through thoroughly, better than I did.
If you want realism . . . go 2 rail.
If you want nostalgia, the trains of your boyhood, perhaps, that's another matter.
For every "scale 3-railer," there's a "two-rail wannabe." Some of us accept it as it is. Others are in self-denial and rationalize their situation into making the the third rail a positive thing that does everything from making reversing loops easy to curing cancer.
As a somewhat of a former 3 railer who went to the dark side of 2 rail I disagree with this. While it is true that if a person has a lot invested in 3 rail they will most likely not want to make the switch over to 2 rail (and I don't blame them) but it has been done by folks like me who did not have have a huge investment in 3 rail. If the OP is unhappy with 3 rail in a year or two and hasn't spent a boat load of money on 3 rail he can still make the change then. The OP doesn't have to decide right this minute between 3 rail or 2 rail. I do think it is most likely that the OP was asking about 3 rail track and not 2 rail track but I am glad that Terry mentioned considering 2 rail because when I got back into the hobby I didn't even know that such a thing existed. I was in the hobby about 4 years before I found out about 2 rail O. It took me a year to decide if I wanted to switch to 2 rail and when I did make the switch I sold what I didn't want to keep and converted what I did want to keep. My Lionel postwar stuff stayed as it is and maybe I will make a small postwar layout someday to run that stuff. That's why I say "somewhat" of a former 3 railer. My reason for converting was solely that I couldn't stand the look of 3 rail track. I know some of you guys love it but to each his own. I will also use what's left of my 3 rail collection to run at friends houses. At this point in time I spend more time running 3 rail trains on my temporary layout and at my friends house than I spend running my 2 rail stuff but my goal is a 2 rail layout in the future.
There are pros and cons for both 2 rail and 3 rail. It's true that if the user wants to run 2-10-4 and 4-12-4 locomotives they are going to need much bigger curves than what will be needed in 3 rail. Incidentally, a friend of mine and myself are both planning railroads. We are both going to using the same exact track curves and that is O99 and O108 with the only difference is I will be 2 rail and he will be 3 rail. I will have no problem running my Hudsons, Mohawks, and Niagaras on my layout and according to Mike Pitogo I will also be able to run MTH Big Boys and Challengers. No, I won't be able to run 2-10-4 and 4-12-4 locomotives but that's okay I just won't buy any. Some of the pros that I have found for 2 rail is that there are both electronic and mechanical NMRA Standards, and if I need a piece of track not offered by any manufacturer I can make it myself.
As far as product there's a lot of 2 rail stuff out there you just have to know where to find it. To say that 2 rail is more expensive than 3 rail just isn't true all the time. I recently bought a MTH Hudson with PT tender on the bay for $450. I have seen the same locomotive in 3 rail for slightly more money. I would say more of the time 3 rail is cheaper but not all the time. The fact that 3 rail is often cheaper has actually been good because at times I have gotten really cheap 3 rail locomotives and converted them to 2 rail. The bargains are out there in both 3 rail and 2 rail. You just have to be patient and you will find stuff.
The electrical myth: It isn't the time when electricity was new and not understood by folks which is why JLC went with a 3 rail track system. Those days are over if someone can wire a model RR in HO or N they can do the electrical work in O scale. It is no longer a big deal.
People see what they expect to see. I've had many people come down here and spend a good deal of time viewing our layout. After, they are away from it, I ask them: "How many rails?" I get a crazy look for them because they know a railroad has 2 rails. They don't notice. Amazing!
Not really. You're talking about the public. To them all trains be it model or toy are just toys/entertainment. They don't know and they don't care but I bet if you had a bunch of hardcore HO and N scale guys down to your basement they would notice the center rail. I would hope most would be polite and not comment to you or insult you about it but they would notice it. I have heard stories on this forum of that very thing happening.
I believe that there is no right or wrong way to go about this hobby. I saw your layout in OGR and I think it is awesome.
To the OP:Get as much info as you can and as much practical/hands on experience as you can and pick which track system makes YOU the happiest.
All opinion.
