@Robbin posted:I wanted again to say how much I appreciate everyone who has posted taking time to share information here! I am still re-reading the posts and digesting while doing research. I was noticing upon reading the posts again that in the post John Sethian put in that there were converted 3 rail to 2 rail engines listed. Would anyone that has done this point me to information about what that would look like? What I mean is, what is involved in converting a center rail lionel or mth to two rail? It would be nice to have a two rail digital control conversion option for the fleet of engines I have. But I did not even know that conversion to two rail was possible.
The conversion of 3 Rail Steam Engines to 2 Rail can be done, but if you don't have Machine Tools it is not simple or inexpensive.
The "problem" is 3 Rail equipment is it designed to pick-up the current from both outside rails and the chassis is "live". The center roller is insulated from the chassis and sends power to the input of the board or reversing unit.
2 Rail equipment has the wheels on one side insulated, in most cases a "wiper" is used to pick-up the current from those wheels.
Remember that the vast majority of 3R equipment including rolling stock has metal wheels and axles. If any of this equipment, or the wheels on the tender or pilot trucks on a steam engine are not insulated on one side (which is almost always true of 3R), they will create a dead short on the layout.
That is what has driven me to the conclusion that if I want to go from 3R to 2R it will be via Dead Rail.
Hope this helps?
