One of my ideas for promoting two-rail would be a (relatively) inexpensive, widely-available starter locomotive—either DC powered or readily convertible to either DCC or battery power and one that uses Kadee or Kadee-compatible couplers. I think that Atlas had some good ideas but botched rheir implementation in the 1970’s: they would have done better to come out with a two-truck first-generation diesel switcher and something other than that Roco industrial switcher and those Euro-couplers, even if they were only Kadee-compatible dummy knuckle couplers. Better mechanisms would have helped, too.
I earlier stated my interest in shelf or modular/“Domino” layouts like Wingate and David Barrow’s O scale project. If we want the idea to grow, we need locomotives suitable for such projects: four axle switchers or road switchers (or perhaps an 0-6-0 or a 2-6-0) instead of another iteration of a 2-8-8-2 or an eight-axle UP Centennial.
Two rail has advantages that three rail doesn’t for people changing scales. People stepping up from HO or N can still use some of their “conventional” power supplies or DCC electronics. I run three rail with a local modular club and I’m reeling from Lionel Legacy throttle sticker shock.
i still think two-rail would do better with more widely-available locomotives. Infrequent imports and delays of more than two years squash interest, especially among those of us 60 years and up.
I tried ordering an Atlas diesel switcher six years ago. That was when Atlas started having problems with its factories. I then tried ordering a Weaver Baldwin switcher. That didn’t pan out either. I finally was able to get a pair of switchers: both are three-rail and I wish to High Heaven that someone would make a conversion kit.
shelf layouts aren’t just for full-time O-scalers either. Some O narrow gaugers would love to have a switcher move cars to the transfer table instead of moving them by hand.
IMO, the lack of a decent, readily-available diesel road switcher (or small steam power) is contributing to two-rail’s continuing decline.
