2 railing a 3 rail engine

I've seen it posted here countless times that the amount of work required is not worth it.  Especially if you could just sell the 3r at a loss and buy the 2R version somewhere else.

But I haven't attempted it personally, so let's see what the seasoned veterans have to say...

Truthfully, there are too many variables.  A lot of it depends on the model and how it's built.

Jay

Yeap!

Generally speaking, diesels are easier to convert than steamers.   

And along with that single motor mechanisms with gear boxes assembled onto the axles are easier than dual motor diesels, especially those with solid block trucks.    If the trucks have removable plates on the bottom so the axles can be removed it is much much easier.

There are some machinists who will do the conversion work also if have favorites.   

As noted - it depends and there are variables that specific each engine and/or drive system(s).  It ranges to swapping out wheelsets to significant machinist effort.

There is a good level of experience in residence here. Suggest that you consider posting a short list of those specific engines that you would really want to convert to see which have or not been converted by folks here to gauge feasibility.

+1!

This man speaks the truth. 

Not a smart move, you will loose more money than what you bought your 3rail stuff for.

Joe @ Baldwin Machine 410.591.5275 has done scores of these 3/2 conversions.  His work is meticulous. Joe is one of the finest machinist you will find.

This is a hobby.  Any serious thought as to how to recover financially needs to be re-examined.

So, if you enjoy tinkering, 2-railing is an enjoyable pastime.  I have done dozens, and I taught my brother how to make driver tires, and we did dozens more for fun and an attempt at profit.

If you do not enjoy tinkering, maybe 2-rail is not for you.  There are lots of things that go wrong - short-circuits that will drive you nuts, couplers that need to be adjusted, etc.  The track is way better looking in 2- rail, and once you get it all figured out, 2-rail runs as well as 3-rail.

There are plenty of 2- rail ready to run models out there, and they are not all that expensive.  Good luck, whichever way you go.

I should add...

Joe F did my Allegheny and he does fantastic work!

 Yes diesels with removable bottoms on the trucks are the simplest to do. I did so many that I started getting lazy and looking for RTR. Whenever I can't find a particular model in 2 rail, I convert a 3 rail one over. I just did three last month that had been sitting in line for almost a year. Of course, right afterwards, the same models came up for sale in two rail. 

about losing money, you loose money the minute you get into toy trains. You gain pleasure. How deep you go is up to you. I like to enjoy my RRs. They don't have to be perfect. They have to look right and run great.

 I just got a MTH CR SD80MAC on order from the catalog in three rail and tore it apart the first night. They didn't offer it RTR in 2 rail. It's here to run. I run two rail. I don't care if someone thinks it lost value. It looks priceless to me.

Yes, folks that worry about losing money in toy trains should probably look into getting a hobby.......like model RR'ing.

But in any case, for the OP there are a lot of real and useful options and there are folks here with real experience you can tap as resources. Joe @ Baldwin Machine is a superior source of knowledge, experience, and an all around good egg.

There are also a lot of opinions - go with the experience, and have fun pursuing your objectives.

TrainNut,

I am currently converting two Lionel sample models of the C&O H-7 2-8-8-2 from 3 rail to 2 rail.  These models came unpainted and the die casting in these models is fantastic.  Many of the add on details are lost wax brass castings.  The first loco is finished and runs like a clock.  I am not sure if any importer ever made a model of the C&O H-7 so if a modeler wanted one to run on a 2 rail layout conversion may be his only option.

I have converted many models to 2 rail, (mostly steam and electric loco models) since MTH started producing 2 rail versions of their premier line of diesel locos.

As stated above, your other option is to sell your 3 rail locos and purchase 2 rail models.  A couple of years ago, I converted over twenty locos to 2 rail for a modeler who had a 3 rail scale layout and could not live with the 3 rail track.  I did approximately one loco per month.  When he could find a 2 rail version of a model he had, he sold the 3 rail loco in his collection.

He converted all of his passenger and freight cars himself and rebuilt his 3 rail railroad into a two rail layout during the period that I was converting the locomotives.

He seems to be very happy with his model railroad now.

Joe Foehrkolb

We should add that Joe is very good at what he does.  I have a converted Lionel here that he just finished, and it looks and runs like a dream.  It is only powered on one truck - you want to avoid converting one-truck Diesels.  But Joe will tell you that.

The real deal is that Joe is good enough and fast enough that he can do this stuff for about half what I would charge.  I still have one set of Williams T1 drivers in 2-rail, and nobody can afford them.  We did about 20 of them for Vince Waterman.

And now and then you can get lucky.

I switched from 3 rail to 2 rail a few years ago. Sold about two dozen engines. BUT, I have two 3 rail Sunset UP Mikes that I really didn't want to sell and wanted to convert to 2 rail.

 Wa La!  I got lucky at O Scale West by knowing a gent that many of you know who was at Sunset for a long time.  He had complete 2 rail driver sets, pilot and trailing truck wheel sets and even the drawbar and pin  stashed away from his days at Sunset.  Gave me a fair deal. So, it is practical in some instances.

But, having said that.  I remain glad that I mostly just bit the bullet and sold a couple of dozen 3 rail engines and got on with life. Never looked back.  Wish I had done it sooner.

All I can say is it was a very tough decision for me. It took me about a year to fully make the choice. I guess I can't say I never looked back because sometimes I wondered if I did the right thing but I just couldn't stand the look of 3 rail track. However, I did save a few 3 rail locomotives and some rolling stock to run on friends 3 rail layouts and I still have all my Lionel Postwar.

Like Bill above, I sold most of my 3 rail locomotives but some I had converted. It all depends on what is available and for how much. For instance, about ten years ago I picked up a Lionel Atlantic for $240 and since it only has two sets of drivers it was feasible to convert. On the other hand (I'm on a budget) even if I got a good deal on a 2nd hand Challenger or a Big Boy it would cost more or just as much to convert (adding in the original cost of the locomotive) than to just a buy a new one.

Hey, ya gotta do what ever makes you happy. I'm sure you've read about the pros and cons of 2 rail on various parts of this forum so I won't repeat them here.

Good luck and keep us posted.

One thing that I don't think anyone has mentioned is using rechargeable battery power. That would eliminate the problem of shorts. The engines could actually run without ANY track. There are several topics about it here on this forum. Search RC Battery Power. Just another option.

Bob Delbridge (nice guy) who posts here could give you some insight on the process. He has battery powered his stuff and is ripping the center rail out of his 3 rail track!

Simon

Simon,

What you say is partially true.  However,  if a modeler wants to run his train on a 2 rail scale track system, the 3 rail wheels with their large flanges and oversize width must be replaced or machined to a 2 rail scale profile or the locos will not go through scale switches without derailing.  For most steam (and electric locos with quill drivers like the GG-1)  this requires the use of a good metal lathe.  Finding replacement scale drivers is not impossible but matching them up with the original model's crankpins, axles etc may be more difficult than just machining the original driver centers to accept scale tires.

Most diesels can be converted by using NWSL scale wheel sets insulated for 2 rail operation.  In the case of battery power, insulation would not be necessary but I am not a big proponent of battery power at this time.

Joe Foehrkolb

Joe is correct. I wasn't in the mood to write a book, which is why I suggested researching other posts on the subject (battery power).

If I were doing it, I would sell the 3 rail and buy 2 rail stuff, unless it was an engine I absolutely loved.

I do think RC battery power is the way to go, and it is only going to get better.

If realism is your goal, I would definitely go 2 rail.

And yes, Joe does nice work!

Simon