Who all here models in O scale 2 rail?

[Road_Foreman_of_Engi]

Hi Rail gets a lot of coverage in CTT. Yes, it lives in that realm. Beautiful trains!

We all enjoy this model train hobby in different ways.For me, it’s all about repairing and running trains. An observation that’s come to me is that there is little or no difference in repairing an N scale engine, Ho, or G, and even postwar Lionel and Americin Flyer. It’s all the same stuff, other than the size of the parts.

It’s fun to try another scale. You might get hooked!

Paul

[Billwiz]

I consider all hi-rail track models to be toy trains. Yes, I know, some of them are very nice and are beautiful models, but they still have grossly large wheel flanges, fat wheels, big couplers, and run on enormous rails. There’s never been a hi-rail layout featured in MR that I know of because MR is the home of scale model railroading.

I recall at least one hi-rail feature article years ago (and probably before CTT was first published). It was a beautifully created and sceniced railroad.

[wjstix]

I consider all hi-rail track models to be toy trains. Yes, I know, some of them are very nice and are beautiful models, but they still have grossly large wheel flanges, fat wheels, big couplers, and run on enormous rails. There’s never been a hi-rail layout featured in MR that I know of because MR is the home of scale model railroading. The National Association of S-Gaugers points out the difference: “Currently, about 60-70% of the S-scale community fits within the A.F./hi-rail group, and about 30-40% are scale modelers.” An S-gauge American Models box has two options: Hi-Rail and Scale.

Railroad Model Craftsman has had several articles in the last couple of years by Brooks Stover, featuring his Buffalo Creek & Gauley layout. (It was the cover pic of the Nov 2022 issue.) His layout is S-scale / hi-rail. Looks pretty realistic to me.

Hi-rail is not ‘toy trains’. It’s running scale equipment, buildings, scenery etc. In S-scale, it means the two rails are a bit larger than true scale track. Everything else is scale. S hi-rail is not running American Flyer tinplate trains.

In O, hi-rail means there are three rails that are larger than true scale (note that most O hi-railers do not use tubular track with a few metal ties, but Atlas track with scale ties, or Gargraves with wooden ties.) “Three Rail Scale” goes a step beyond that, only using Kadee couplers, fixed pilots on diesels, large curves, and in some cases lowering freight and passenger cars for more scale appearance.

I think the key point I’d make is people are constantly wringing their hands over the hobby “dying out”, and the need to recruit new people. Yet at the same time, many people want to exclude people from the hobby just because their layouts don’t meet what some folks have decided are the qualifications to be a ‘model railroad’.

[trwroute]

Another problem is the perception that “O scale” and “three rail” are two different things. Over the last decades, one of the fastest growing segments of O gauge modellers has been in “3-Rail Scale”. These modellers only use 1:48 scale equipment, structures, etc. often using Kadee couplers, but use three rail track. Atlas, Lionel, and other companies make full 1:48 scale engines and cars.

Yep, that’s what I model. I also remove the sound and other electronics and use DCC silent decoders. I really don’t like all the sounds and just prefer to listen to the wheels on the track.

Almost all of my rolling stock are Atlas O and Intermountain kits that are equipped with Atlas O or MTH truck sets. And Kadee couplers, of course!

[Vintagesteamer]

Here is an updated pic of my AHM/Rivarossi Casey Jones locomotive, now looking more like the prototype other than decals. Need to glosscote the vintage decals and see if I can save them. I also picked up a mint in the box IHB 0-8-0 kit, its interesting the engines Rivarossi planned to do in O, but never did, the B&O dock side and USRA 0-6-0 are showed on the sides of the box. Planned but never produced. A shame, the 0-6-0 would have been great for small layouts.

[Road_Foreman_of_Engi]

It came out great!
What is the radius/ diameter of the curves? It looks like it could fit easily in a tight space. Great for small layouts.

Paul

[Vintagesteamer]

That is the AHM/Pola 24" radius track. All of them run on it, but just barely, the Reno and Casey Jones do better than the IHB 0-8-0, it binds just a tiny bit and if the joints are kinked, it really complains. A small diesel would be better, but I am steam person. Its a shame that Rivarossi never did the USRA 0-6-0 in O scale, they planned to, its advertised on the box for my mint IHB kit I still have to build. That would have done the tight curves better, as would the B&O Docksider and 0-4-0 tender loco also pictured as coming soon in O. But alas it was not to be. I need to pickup an Atlas/Roco F9 that isnt all beat up. That should run ok on these curves as well.

[Road_Foreman_of_Engi]

Ok, thanks.
I wouldn’t mind picking up a Reno. I like the old V&T.
Paul

[wjstix]

There’s never been a hi-rail layout featured in MR that I know of because MR is the home of scale model railroading.

I believe a three-rail scale layout was in MR a couple of years ago, and in fact I think the same layout was later featured in either Model Railroad Planning or Great Model Railroads annual. I’d have to go through my old ones to see when it was, but it was within the last few years. IIRC the layout modelled the Pennsy in the transition era.

(Edit)

It’s in Great Model Railroads 2022, page 72, “Capturing the Commonwealth” by Neal Schorr (who is also the modeller). The layout uses 60"R mainline curves, has fully functioning signals, and is fully scenicked. He used Atlas code 215 three-rail flextrack, solid nickel-silver rails w/ scale ties.

[MidlandMike]

Paul3
The problem is that these larger scales are a super minority in the hobby. If HO is 55% of the hobby, and N scale is about 25%, that leaves just 20% of the hobby for everything else. And since toy trains are the majority of the O and S scale markets, that means that less than 10% of the hobby is into scale O and S…if that!

Your percentages may be a bit low.

According to an article in the latest (1/24) MR, “modelers who claim N scale as their primary scale amount to about 20% of the market, with HO scale at nearly 80%”.

I just bought the Jan 2024 MR, and I can’t find the article you reference. What page was it on? When I go to train shows, O gauge sellers seem to be closer to 50%.

[wjstix]

I just bought the Jan 2024 MR, and I can’t find the article you reference. What page was it on?

It’s on page 26, in the “Step by Step” column, which for January is about how to choose the right scale to model in. It’s in the part about scratchbuilding.

When I go to train shows, O gauge sellers seem to be closer to 50%.

Some of the shows I go to (particularly the Century College flea markets in the Twin Cities north metro) seem to have a lot of O too. That kinda relates to the point I made earlier, that there are many people who would fit under a big umbrella of “model railroader” but who don’t get counted because they’re not in the NMRA, they don’t subscribe to MR or RMC, etc. There in their own groups/clubs, have their own magazines (like “O Gauge Railroading”) etc. so fly under the radar.

[AEP528]

I just bought the Jan 2024 MR, and I can’t find the article you reference. What page was it on? When I go to train shows, O gauge sellers seem to be closer to 50%.

At shows I see a lot of 3-rail, hi-rail, non-scale O models (old Lionel, Williams, etc) for sale. Is that what you’re seeing as well?

[Vintagesteamer]

I am seeing that and much more older 2 rail O scale than I have in the past at shows for sale. This is because many of the older modelers/collectors are passing on to the next life and their estates are coming out of the attic/closets and put up for sale. Its a great time to be a buyer.

[MidlandMike]

At shows I see a lot of 3-rail, hi-rail, non-scale O models (old Lionel, Williams, etc) for sale. Is that what you’re seeing as well?

Yes, mostly.

[MidlandMike]

I am seeing that and much more older 2 rail O scale than I have in the past at shows for sale. This is because many of the older modelers/collectors are passing on to the next life and their estates are coming out of the attic/closets and put up for sale. Its a great time to be a buyer.

Yes. I’m mostly looking for AtlasO, Weaver, and MTH Premier. At a recent show I thought I hit the jackpot when I saw a table with about ten O narrow gauge steamers, but they turned out to be On3, and I have On30. He said he had a few On30s earlier, but they were grabbed quickly. They were all from an estate sale.

[Vintagesteamer]

I really miss the fall O scale meet in Indianapolis. The next big one is the March meet in Chicago but I am usually all but out of vacation time from my workplace by then(our time resets the first week of May each year). There was always stuff there you never see at the other major shows around me. They have started to try to have a 2 rail room at the fall show in Danville, but its not that well attended by the 2 rail dealers as of yet. Being in a minority scale does have its challenges, but it makes it exciting when you hit a jackpot at a show. The same goes for my small Marklin collection in HO scale.

[AEP528]

I agree and I blame that solely on the Editor at Model Railroader. That magazine Should cover all scales like it did in the past. And that includes O scale. The only thing I feel should be left out is the tinplate/3 rail stuff. That needs its own magazine. But with dwindling magazine thickness and content. I would think it would be in the magazine’s best interest to include the other scales of “Scale” model railroading such as O, S and stuff on 45mm “g” scale track as that covers many scale facets. They eliminated the garden railways magazine. Yet the thickness of MRR keeps getting thinner and content less and less. Its more of a catalog of the newest wizz bangs on the market and less about the actual act of modeling. Hence why I dropped my subscription years ago. Bad managment has sank many a business/magazine. I have older issues of MRR that had a great mix of all scales and even older ones where the bulk of the issue was O as HO was in its infancy. Maybe if the mainstream media would pay more attention to the scales outside of HO and N, more modelers might look at modeling in that scale. Many percieve you need a huge basement for 2 rail O modeling. Buet there are many options for small layouts in small spaces, where scenes are super detailed to the max. Same can be done in S scale. Lots of proper scale items there these days if you know where to look. Sorry for the rant, but the direction of MRR in the past decade has really irked me to the max. And its a shame and diservice to the modelers they are trying to serve.

The February 2024 issue of MR features two O scale layouts. And the front of the magazine says “O scale special!”

Almost like the editor was trying to find O scale articles instead of ignoring O scal