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3 Rail track


jimbob
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jimbob said:

Not for the garden railway (yet) but does anyone know if anyone still makes 3 rail track.Had a couple of leads but cannot find information on line.

I presume that you mean in OO/HO scale! The closest you will find is Marklin stud-contact track. The two running rails are electrically connected and there are studs sticking up through every sleeper which a skate underneath the locos runs over. It is intended for AC current but that is probably irrelevant. I did think of trying a Hornby-Dublo 3 rail loco on some but never got round to it. Early track just had a third rail but the studs are less obvious. I don't think it is available in flexible track.

Many years ago there used to be a OO/HO layout at Alton Towers in an old chapel, and all the 2 rail locos had been converted to three rail as they said it was more reliable. I think the track was ordinary 2 rail, with a third rail added after it had been laid.

I am pretty sure that USA Lionel O gauge is 3 rail, and still available.

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Hi Jim, what do you wan to use the 00 scale three rail for out or inside, bingo it is out there, why I asked because the track is tin plate track , Hornby Dublo 1/76 scale, lots on eBay even locos.

Here is an eBay link http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/32-pieces-of-Hornby-Dublo-OO-1-76-3-rail-Half-straight-Tinplate-track-13152/122121396910?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140117125611%26meid%3Defc042ef3c53483aa588fb970ad49713%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D282185838013

Tony from down under keeping on moving ahead

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Thanks for that both of you.

Its actually to run some 3 rail dublo that l have and the thought crossed my mind of a 3 rail branch out doors hence the Hornby stuff not being of any use.

The stupid thing is that l saw an advert ages ago in a mag for some American stuff but of course cant find it now.

A friend here in the UK orders a lot of US stuff online from a store in Detroit and he will ask when he orders next.

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Hi Jimbob, as well the Ho American layout that we have, I also have a large collection of Hornby Dublo three rail equipment which will one day form a layout that I have been promising myself for years, anyway the thing is Wrenn used to make yard lengths of three rail track and it still comes up on ebay from time to time, I'm not sure if it's nickel silver rail or steel though so don't know how suitable it would be for outside use.

Regards Nige.

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EngineDriver said:

Hi Jimbob, as well the Ho American layout that we have, I also have a large collection of Hornby Dublo three rail equipment which will one day form a layout that I have been promising myself for years, anyway the thing is Wrenn used to make yard lengths of three rail track and it still comes up on ebay from time to time, I'm not sure if it's nickel silver rail or steel though so don't know how suitable it would be for outside use.

The Wrenn track was a useful product for users of 3 rail, but the sleepers were made from a fibre material so would not have been able to withstand outdoor use. It certainly wasn't nickel silver either. It might be worth investigating whether you could put batteries on the trains and use 2 rail track. Bit of a challenge though!

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  • 5 years later...

Just a thought from reading this thread or of interest. My Dad still has his childhood 3-rail layout and trains.

I was wondering if it was possible to build new 3-rail from nickel-silver flexitrack. Say by mounting another rail down the centre raised on a plastic strip to the correct height? Maybe even disguised as rail sometimes left in the 4-foot.

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