MTH Premier PRR J1 3-Rail O-Gauge Steam Locomotive Running On 2-Rail Track in True HD 1080p

No, I'm not kidding you, no, it's not a joke, and no, it's not SFX! It really is a 3-rail locomotive running on 2-rail track! :-) MTH incorporates into some of their later models a feature called ProtoScale 3-2 which enables you to run 3-rail trains on 2-rail track as well as 2-rail trains on 3-rail track, using either AC or DC power. My MTH Premier Pennsylvania RR J1 Texas (2-10-4) steam locomotive is equipped with this feature so I tried it out on some 2-rail track that I usually use just for display. I took off the pickup rollers (1 screw each), threw one switch under a tender hatch, and put the J1 on the 2-rail track. I powered the track via jumpers from the adjacent 3-rail loop so that I would have it under full DCS control (plus, I don't have a DC power source so this was done with standard AC power). The following True HD 1080p video shows that the 3-rail model works quite well on 2-rail track! Please visit my web site -- http://www.toytrains1.com -- for lots more videos and photos of both real and model trains.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• MTH
• Premier
• O-gauge
• Pennsylvania
• Pennsy
• PRR
• J1
• Texas
• model
• railroad
• toy
• train
• steam
• electric
• diesel
• locomotive
• Lionel
• trains
• PS2
• Protosound
• Protosound2
• O-scale
• HD
• hi-def
• 1080p
• 3-Rail
• 2-Rail
• ProtoScale

[toytrains1]

Yes. O-gauge trains run on O-gauge track. Given that the Ross track has a T-rail profile, even O-scale trains with their tiny flanges can run on this track.

[toytrains1]

The answer to that question requires a dissertation on the history of toy trains! :-) Suffice it to say that it makes the electrical work a lot easier.

[toytrains1]

You also have to make sure that the rolling stock has insulated wheels; normal 3-rail rolling stock will short out the 2-rail track.

[CookiesAndGuns95]

Can you run any O gauge train on that type of track? If so, where can I get this awesome track?

[CookiesAndGuns95]

@DaviUnic It was for power, but back in the 1920's, they wanted a smaller version of the obeist standard gauge train, so they made O gauge. Like Standard gauge, O gauge has a third rail. So, that is why the rail is there.

[CookiesAndGuns95]

@markd514 Well, no, back then they thought it would disrupt the entire O gauge community, leaving certain products useless, but I don't know about now.

[markd514]

@DaviUnic

I hate to say it, but the dumb reason everyone uses 3 rail is because "that is the way they always did it"

Few manufacturers have the balls to start transforming from the toy 3 rail to o scale 2 rail.

[Southerntreatment]

thats sick!

[PghTrainFanatic]

That's awesome! The only problem would beif you wanted to pull rolling stock that have lights inside them, and use the pickup rollers to power the lights. But it looks great on the 2 rail track!