Hello, I am currently an HO scale modeler. I am considering switching to 3-rail O scale. I was just wondering if other members have made the switch from another scale to 3-rail. If so, I was curious as to why you made the switch. Thank you for your responses.
I do not quite fit the criteria outlined in your post. But I did have three rail growing up, and later was a collector, (TCA), plus an operator (TTOS). Wonderful memories. Had a blast running those trains. Maybe some day I will gather up a few, again. If you do make the change, you will have a lot of fun.
I'm curious why you chose three rail and not 2 rail O scale. I must admit I do like O scale, just can't afford it.
Many years ago my father and I went from HO too O scale. I remember saying to myself why are we doing this? After watching the Lionel milk boxcar in action I knew why we switched. It was for all the cool working accessories Lionel gave us.
My latest adventures in trains are far from prototype, but things run and they run fast and it's fun. I know exactly what you mean.
I have modeled in alot of scales-Ho, N, Z, G, and now O 3 rail. Here is why I like O over HO. O trains are bigger. The history is great as well. They are just plain fun to run. Sometimes, the more "scale" trains can get me uptight. That 3rd rail reminds me-this is supposed to be fun! Shopping for used stuff at train shows is alot more fun than shopping for the other scales. I am sure there are more, but I can't think of them right now. We are downsizing my train room to fit more bedrooms in our house, and the new train room will have nothing but O gauge 3 rail.
I personally went the other way, from Lionel to N Scale. While I miss the size of Lionel, I would not go back to it as a primary scale....that being said, I would LOVE to have either a Southern Pacific GP9 or a Pacific Electric freight motor on 2 rail 0, well, 2 rail and an overhead wire for the PE. Yes, 3 rail is fun, but it is not realistic to me. I still have my rare(for Lionel ALCO's) Santa Fe freight ALCO's, and will keep them
I just did actually !! Still got my HO scale 4x8 ft table .. which is now an O scale Lionel 4X8 Ft table from here on out . I made the choice when I spotted an ORIGINAL 1963 Lionel O scale steam engine set with a flat car , gondola , tender , engine , and caboose . It came with ORIGINAL 1963 track oval and transformer which ALL still work to this day . I only paid $71.00 winning bid plus $37.00 shipping for it all .
I began in HO many years ago at the age of 12 or 13 in the mid '70's. Got bit by the scale model railroad thing and built a few layouts. Switched to On30 at some point (before all the current R-T-R stuff came out) and got heavily into scratch building and kitbashing. Finally about 6 or 8 years ago I just burned out on model railroading and was out of the hobby for a few years. Then one Christmas I pulled my Dad's old Lionel O-27 set out and set it up around the tree. I was hooked. Now I can actually run more trains and have more action in less space than I could in HO using the sharp O-27 curves. I run simple postwar Marx and Lionel stuff, no micro-chips or can motors. Engines run, smoke billows, trains actually clickity-clack over rail joints and very seldom do I have derailments. Plus as I get older, maintenance of vintage O-gauge stuff is easier to see and do than modern HO or On30.
I started in 3-rail 0. In the early 60's we transitioned to Half 0. Did that for a long time. In the early 70's, while in The Navy, transitioned back to 3-rail (still had all the stuff). I have 3-rail in the basement, 2-rail going in around the outside of it. LS outside. Half 0 in display cabinets (Varney, Mantua, PennLine, English) just to show me what real Half 0 stuff was. 3-rail is good. Never have any issues with reverse loops. I use only GarGraves track. Got out of tubular sectional 28 years ago. GarGraves or similar gives you much better looking, closer spaced ties. Shallower switches. Flat topped rail for much better adhesion than the small footprint at the peak of the round head rail. Have fun!
Guess I'm one that went the other way! From N Scale, to 3 Rail, to G Scale! But, NOT giving up the other scales!! And I've still got a few select pieces from the HO days still hanging around. Only because those were the pieces I absolutely had to keep! Now, I have more 3 Rail and G Scale that I don't know what to do with the stuff I can't display!! Run the G Scale out front, when the feeling hits. The 3 Rail, usually for BMRC show in December. Usually 2 trains. One coal train, with plastic loads removed and replaced with soft peppermint candy! Of course, the idea is to stop the train quite often, so the kids can grab a piece of candy, if OK with Mom and Dad first! Tried that once with the G Scale, before setting it up outside! A bit harder, since it was on the floor! But still fun. Like them all. Just wish I had the room to run even HALF of what I have in my collection!!
