2 Rail conversion - How Possible?

YES.

Joe Foehrkolb

Baldwin Forge & Machine

Bessemer Sam,

I asked the same question months ago from an ebay seller,plus from other sources.

I was told an Atlas GP15 3 rail diesel could be converted to 2 rail for about $240 per engine. Add that to the selling price of $300+ and who can afford it? I was also told it's not really worth it when the project is finished.

You asked a good question on the Lionel.I never asked about that,but wondered as they make nice diesels.

If I could buy Atlas 3 rail diesels & convert them by adding scale wheels & flipping a switch on the locomotive like MTH supplies in their Premier line,I'd have had my road switchers in hand a long time ago. I know of at least 5 Atlas 3 rail GP15s setting in hobby shops online waiting to be sold,but there they sit. If a conversion were possible,there would be 2 diesels out of the hobby shops' inventory as well as money in Atlas' pocket. Sort sightedness in the business dept at Atlas. This would also help improve the 2rail market & O scale overall,as I'm sure I'm not the only interested modeler.

This didn't answer your question for which I'm sorry,but we're still on the same page in our line of questioning,only interested in different companies.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Al Hummel

You can do pretty much anything if you throw enough time and money at it. If it is available in 2 rail, I would try and find what you want that way. By doing that, you avoid some of the cosmetic issues that come with 3 rail, such as swinging pilots and railings that are truncated, where they should extend further downward.

The more 2 rail stuff you buy, the more likely it is that more 2 rail stuff will be made. Apart from that, there is a huge secondary 2 rail market out there if you take the time to look.

Simon

Simon,

I've been looking for MTH GP38-2s in the YN2 CSX lettering/color scheme,but everywhere I check that "I" an O scale novice,check,turns up nothing,not even a trail of dust except to the built date.

Atlas 2rail GP15s would be fine to. Do you have any leads for me besides Ebay,or the major hobby shops such as The Public Delivery Track,Norm's O scale.High Country Hobbies or JDtrains,all of which I tried plus Atlas itself.

Thank you.

Al Hummel

Lots of Atlas 2 rail locos show up at O Scale 2 rail shows such as the March Meet in Chicago, the Cleveland show in NOvember and the Indy show in September.   I have not been to O scale west, but there are probably some there too.

Not sure about road names but I saw at least 50 different locos at the chicago meet, all Atlas 2 rail. 

I thought Atlas already offered most of their engines in 2 rail as well as 3 rail? I'm 3 rail and have only been back in the hobby for about 4 years, but I think everything I have seen from Atlas since then has been available in both 2 and 3 rail, well at least most of it anyway. Of course they have been difficult to get due to the manufacturing plant changes Atlas has gone through. Maybe more will be available now that they are getting back on track.

There really isn't much need to convert any more.  You can sell the 3-rail stuff and buy 2- rail.  If you cannot find the correct paint scheme, converting that is way cheaper.

But in the olden days there were good reasons for converting.  There were whole industries dedicated to converting the Lionel Hudson to 2-rail.  Joe, above, still does that traditional work, and he does it at a price that will make you smile.

I still have a Lionel FEF and 4-12-2 to convert.  Piece of cake, except for machining the driver tires, which seems to take all day.

Alan is having an extremely difficult time finding stuff in O Scale. He needs to be guided to a custom builder who would be able to modify cars, locomotives, paint jobs, and couplers to his exacting specifications.  We need to let him know that these items he seeks are simply not produced off the shelf in O Scale.  Looking for things that do not exist can be very frustrating.

But is he willing to afford a custom builder?

Looking for trains in 2 or 3 rail on the forum here is very time consuming and needs to be watched daily. I think it be nice to be able to just list the engine/car/ 2 or 3 r and have people just click on them and be taken to the post either selling or wanted vs having to scroll thru ad upon ads. All in just one line and a click takes you there. Especially looking for 2 rail stuff which could be presented in a different color.

Back to the original question that I answered YES to.  You asked about converting a Lionel NKP Berkshire.  That can be done and requires machining of the drivers and replacement of all of the other wheel sets.  Diesels are another matter and I do not convert many of them anymore since MTH started making 2 rail convertible trucks.

As far as I know neither MTH nor Lionel offer conversion drivers for their 3 rail models.

As an aside, I was handed three MTH factory 2 railed steam locos in Chicago last month.  Two were PRR J-1 2-10-4 locos and the third was a PRR L-1s Mikado.   Their owner indicated that they would derail going around 84" radius curves.

I brought them home and found all of the models had drivers that were out of gauge per an NMRA wheel gauge.  They were narrow.  I regauged the drivers and shipped them back to their owner last week.  I have not heard if they now negotiate his curves.  They operated on my 72" radius mainline with no problems once the gauge was corrected.

Joe Foehrkolb

Sell your 3R locomotive and buy a 2R version.  Easiest.

Dear Bessemer Sam,

     Joe Foehrkolb answered you with a simple-YES. Joe has converted no less than 40 3rail locomotives for me and does impeccable work at a very fair price and a realistic turn around time.

     I would just check to make sure the Lionel Berk is actually a scale piece.

Regards, JohnP.Dunn Sr.

If you are looking for Atlas O 2-rail equipment...I suggest you check these folks...