Opinions on Trix HO Steam ...

How does one differentiate current day Marklin 3-rail (what you call stud track) from what you call proper 3-rail track? So who makes this proper

3-rail track. I am curious as I have not seen it in HO being new to Marklin.

Now I'm really confused. I see it listed as flex track everywhere and the only useful description I found was "Curves with different radii can be made with this track. It can be cut using a coping saw." That sounds like flexible track to me. If I have been misled please help me understand.

A continuous 3rd rail. Like Lionel.

Trix used to be genuine 3-rail, as did Hornby. Trix used insulated wheels with either the left or right side of the locomotive live, and with centre power pickup this meant you could control two trains at once. They called it Trix Twin.

Marklin is stud contact. There are raised studs in the centres of the cross-ties.

A regular third rail pick up shoe will foul the studs. Marklin engines have a long pickup, like a sprung ski that bridges the gap between the studs.

Any sectional track can be bent to different radii if you cut the plastic web underneath the ties. For track to be flexible, the ties on at least one side of the track must not be joined to each other. Turn over a piece of snaptrack, and you'll see that the ties are connected under both rails. You can also cut the web underneath the rails of a turnout, and so adapt the turnout to slightly tighter radii, if you really have to.

Trix Express would have been the last (European) manufacturer of proper 3 rail HO Track. Trix isolated all three rails and used the center as common and one of the two rails for the feed - two trains independently on one track. Plus the overhead = three trains on one track. Plus EMS = 6 trains independently controlled on one track

The track sections are totally rigid. They can be curved about as easily as your average steel straightedge can be curved !!!

Sure. I've done a little bit by two-rail by cutting ties. Why they would advertise this as "flex" track is beyond me then if what you say about the

2205 is right. How disappointing. I was hoping that it was like flexible track you can purchase for 2-rail. So, the consensus is that there is no flexible(as purchased) 3-rail (stud-type) track? Thanks all for educating me. I'm pretty dense on 3-rail past Marklin C-Track. But I see the potential there and am looking forward to laying down some permanent 3-rail over the next year.

Steve

Good Morning and Merry Christmas

True 3 rail track from Marklin is what was supplied with the original Marklin post war sets, as my wife's set is. Like miniature Lionel track but mounted to simulated tin road bed. Her father also purchased many extra pieces which were available, track in 3 different lengths (approximately

10", 6" & 3"), grade crossings and many strange electrical pieces.

Her Dad was in the Army (Col.) stationed in Germany where she was born and all of her sets pieces have traveled the world, in a foot locker, which we have also.

The stuff I picked up at the yard sale are, what I was told, "T" track because of the little T shaped studs that poke up through the middle of each tie.

As Wolf mentioned, any piece of track can be adjusted, to a minor degree. How ever, Marklin "roadbed track is rigid, no flexibility at all!

Flex track is usually in 3 foot (yard, 900mm) lengths and the clips to the ties are designed so that the rail can slide in the clip. Now the rail section can be adjusted to virtually any shape, then trimmed square at the ends, ready to meet the next section of track in the layout. And you can cut it anywhere, so long as it's square and half way between the ties, for appearance sake!

Hope this helps Dave

After posting this message, most of which was from memory, I went to "the foot locker" and extracted a straight piece of each type, just to see all the actual differences. Talk about German engineering, even though they are

2 different types, electrically and mechanically, they mate. The roadbed color varies slightly from generation to generation, age or what ever, but they fit!

The dimensions should be corrected to 7" (180mm), 3 1/2" (90mm) and 1 3/4 (45mm) respectfully.

I mentioned a bunch of electrical "stuff". In the side of each of the 3 rail straight pieces (the stud type doesn't have it) is a socket to receive a miniature banana plug so that the base material can be commenced from section to section or block isolated by removing the rail clips, which explains all the cute little switches and all the wires with little banana plugs on them.

With respect to the e-bay sale which prompted the statement "not flex track", it's not. Those were just boxes of track sections.

Anyway, more info for you. I'll be glad when I can get rid of all the "100 years of family stuff" from my home and set up the trains.

Merry Christmas to all and good "morning"! Dave & Hamilton

Peco supply a 'stud contact strip' that allows you to convert their flex track to use with Maerklin, or at least they used to. Keith

Make friends in the hobby. Visit Garratt photos for the big steam lovers.

Thanks fellas for the education. I appreciate any knowledge I can pick up along the way, because for me, learning and trying new things is half the fun of a hobby. Picking up where we left off, I would be interested to hear how your experimental 3-rail comes out. Good luck on your project.

Steve

Steve replied:

*** Siskiyou Lines might be the keyword to use ***

------------------------------------------------- Joe Fugate's Siskiyou Lines:

Bill Bill's Railroad Empire N Scale Model Railroad: History of N Scale: Railroad Bookstore: 's Books and Toy Trains: to 1,000 sites:

At the top of my wish list, when I get some track set, is a Garratt, you know those?

The best to you for 2005 from California! Dave

Note that an Australian firm, Eureka Models (I think that that is the name), will shortly have for sale HO scale models of the NSWGR (New South Wales Govt. Rlys) AD 60 class 4-8-4+4-8-4 Beyer Garratt loco. for around about $A600 or so. A dearer version comes with sounds. Regards, Bill.

I have a Mikado -- looks and works very nicely in DC apart from the fact that the current collectors on the tender wheels create a short cicuit when running through my Micro Engineering turnouts. (I don't think this would be a problem on the new DCC friendly ME turnouts.)

I haven't tried it under DCC (and the sound only works under DCC.)

Ashley.