Can anyone remember when an article in CTT was written about building your own OO track. I saw it recently but can’t remember which issue or which year. Any help will be apreciated.
Thanks
I think it was Sept '93,
Check the CTT annual index online
That was an overview of prewar OO. When he called the office none of us (including institutional memory Roger Carp) recall it appearing in CTT. We truly might be wrong, but I think it was published elsewhere, in one of the club magazines.
I’ll have to start digging my back copies.
The CTT cover had the OO Lionel Hudson and the story had lots of photos, much of Dick Kughn’s collection. That should date it to the mid 1990s.
Got it!
September 1993 – Cover photo shows the OO Lionel Hudson next to a Pocket Watch. The cover headline “Too little too early”.
The feature story was pages 50 through 57 and shows each engine and car in detail. Page 56 talks about the track.
1938 track is different from 1939 - 42 and 3 rail forms a 27 inch circle while 2 rail forms a 48 inch circle. The 1939 catalog shows a “double loop” layout – but the outer loop is 2 rail and the inner loop is 3 rail. Another photo of that layout was used in 1940. Switches were listed in the catalog for 3 rail only, be prepaired to pay the price of a locomotive if you can ever find a pair of switches in working order.
2 rail OO track is still used in England, it’s easy to find at large train shows. If you attend TCA York, they have a OO Gauge group meeting.
Thank you for the help - I’ll see if I still have the Sept 93 issue.
English “OO” track is not the same as American “OO”.
Some years ago I made the mistake of purchasing a lot of English “OO” track to use with my “OO” Lionel.
It turns out that English “OO” is the same as American “HO”, which I beleive is 3.5 MM.
American “OO” is something like 4.0 MM.
I found someone who wanted the English “OO” track that I had, so things worked out.
For those looking to purchase 2-rail “OO”, Peco used to make narrow gauge “O” flex track that can be used for Lionel “OO”. I don’t recall whether it was On30 or On36.
English “OO” track is not the same as American “OO”.
Some years ago I made the mistake of purchasing a lot of English “OO” track to use with my “OO” Lionel.
It turns out that English “OO” is the same as American “HO”, which I beleive is 3.5 MM.
American “OO” is something like 4.0 MM.
I found someone who wanted the English “OO” track that I had, so things worked out.
For those looking to purchase 2-rail “OO”, Peco used to make narrow gauge “O” flex track that can be used for Lionel “OO”. I don’t recall whether it was On30 or On36.
OO scale is the same in both places, that is 1/76 or, in British, 4 millimeters per foot (1/76.2). But Americans use 3/4-inch or 19-millimeter gauge, which is correct for OO scale, while the British use HO-gauge track (16.5 millimeters) instead. (HO scale is 1/87 or, in British, 3.5 millimeters per foot.)
Is there any chance that the article you are trying to locate was the one where it was observed that OO gauge track is the same as On3?
Thanks for the correction.
I have seen track marked OO two rail at meets but never knew it was not compatible. My OO is all three rail.
The number of rails doesn’t tell you whether it works with American OO. Lionel made OO trains for both two- and three-rail track. The important thing is the gauge, whether 3/4-inch (American) or 16.5 millimeters (British).
The title of the article is "Creating New Track for OO Gauge - New sources provide inexpensive and easy-to-install track - Ed Morlok and it was published in the October 2008 Train Collector Quarterly
FWIW I have some prewar Hornby tubular OO three-rail tin litho track I use to store cars on my OO pike, though the rest is two-rail OO track.
DMUinCt, Is that really Lionel OO on the wall. Wow, if it is that’s quite a bit. Can you tell if you have it all there? And do you want to part with any of it 
Mike S.
Reply To “MSACCO”,
From the BOTTOM UP:
“G Gauge” MTH Challenger
American Flyer HO Passenger Set from 1948
American Flyer HO Freight Set from 1939
Lionel OO gauge Scale set from 1938
Lionel OO gauge Scale set from 1939-42
Lionel OO gauge Simi-Scale set from 1939-42
Top: Lionel “O Gauge” set from 1947
I also have track and two sets of “OO” switches. “OO” is beautiful! May be the best of Lionel. When I was 5 years old, I loved the Lionel Catalog to pieces but knew I would never have them, now I have, Nostalgia The “OO” along with the pre-war simi-scale cars and 8976 are the favorite part of my collection.
If your looking for “OO”, at TCA York you will find a great deal of “OO”. Engines run $300 to $500, cars $75 to $150. Track ??? Most range from Good to Excellent + condition as “OO” was a hobbyist gauge, not a toy. In the 1938 version, the locomotive is different in several areas, the track is not the same as the 1939-1942 type and the cars have different numbers. Two rail cars run perfectly well on 3 rail track, but again, have different numbers. cabooses can be found, — in light red with a brown roof walk lettered “Pennsylvania” as well as all bright red lettered “NYC”.
Yes, Don, I have a great interest in Lionel OO. I wish my wallet was a big as my interest. Haven’t been to York in a bit but next time I’ll look out for it. thanks, Mike S.