A Interview About O Scale 2 Rail Trains With John Sethian.

This is part of my ongoing series "Train Talking With Al Pugliese and Friends. Today I interview O scale modeler John Sethian about the future of 2 rail O scale and 3 rail scale which is also very popular. Part of this channels purpose is to bring our hobby together so I hope you find this interesting. To see more discussions about our hobby go to MY PLAYLIST then click on Train Talk with Al Pugliese and Friends to see more. Please subscribe to the channel its free and helps its growth

[@1Nanerz]

Another excellent O scale interview. Keep exposing this wonderful scale. Thank you

[@asjamison]

Al- thank you so much for sharing Johns layout and interview, he is such an inspiration. As a life-long O scale 3 railer, I really appreciate all your O scale coverage!

[@Randell-pb2xr]

I thought the interview with John was great! I’m a N scaler but I love the detail of O scale and what John has done with layout. Thanks guys. Al keep the videos coming.

[@alpugliesetrains9753]

Hope you subscribe to the channel

[@davidstrainsandlego]

Im a 3 rail o scaler, and right now have a very toy train-esk layout, but am expanding into scale modeling, and love to see the appreciation of o scale modeling

[@karlfey]

Great interview. No problems here with 2 or 3 rail, hi rail or scale rail, toy trains or scale trains. It all has its place. What I look for is how creative people are with whatever they choose.

[@alpugliesetrains9753]

Lets bring new people into the hobby and dispel the myths of 2 rail O scale trains

[@luvindemtrains]

Agreed!

[@betsy662]

A lot of folks don't realize that one of the guru's of the O scale hobby was a 3 railer all along, the late John Armstrong, the track planning wizard himself, was a 3 rail modeler, his Canandaigua Southern was a 3 rail layout was a 3 rail layout, it was outside third rail, but it was a 3 rail layout, there are many ways to enjoy the O scale hobby, much of my own equipment is 2 rail as well, it runs on my 3 rail track just fine, (with the exception of course, locomotives), my railroad also runs on DC, Hmmmm!

[@HowardZane]

Outside O scale third rail has nothing to do with standard 3 rail (center rail) O gauge railroading. This was a well -accepted form of O SCALE model railroading during the 30's through possibly the 80's. Please remember that O standard model railroading comes in two basic flavors........O gauge which is center three rail and O scale which is two rail track and more known for more serious scale modeling.

[@betsy662]

@@HowardZane My point, like HiRail, outside third rail was still 3 rail, while true that it was more serious than most 3 rail operations, as many of those included the Mickey Mouse boxcars and Donald Duck cabeese, your average hi-rail modeler was just as dedicated to scale modeling as was the outside third rail guys, both accepted the third rail for the same reason, at the time, AC powered trains were considered much more reliable, and for the time, you could have what amounted to the bells and whistles, after all, Gargraves did bring their fine track to market for the hi-railers to at least have better looking more scale like track without everyone having to hand lay everything, kind of the way things were back then!

[@ThePTBRULES]

As a Member of the BSME, 2 Rail Onis gorgeous. It's so strange it's been neglected.

[@michaelrollo6518]

I saw your layout very lmpressive I grew up with american flyer s gauge and it was on a 4x8 plywood sheet and I loved it I would work on s scale just for the memories My friend had lionel and american flyer then I got a marklin ho and when they all ran together it was like running standard and 2 narrow gauge layouts great job john keep going did you know the german railways ran green and brown locomotives so it is no wonder why pennsylvania runs green and brown locos

[@asdfdsa45]

Lately, I've been noticing the subdivisions or classifications of O gauge trains going from tinplate toy, to O gauge toy, to High-rail and then High-rail scale and now, 3-rail scale where cars are modified to the correct ride height, pilots on diesels are fixed to the fronts and rears of the locomotives, steam locomotives are modified for visual appearance and correctness. I've always thought of an O scale layout which combines 2-rail and 3-rail tracks. As with the 2-rail trackage, the 3-rail would use code 148 rail with the middle rail being code 100, or even code 87. 3-rail equipment will operate beautifully on code 148 rail, smoother than on larger rail 3-rail track. This way, both the 2-rail and the 3-rail would match. I've watched Lionel and MTH, as well as the brass companies for a while now and wondered why, in building these high end scale models, why they didn't finish their 3-rail models out by giving them scale flanges. In 1937-1941, Lionel's scale 700e had scale flanges so why not? A scale flanged Allegheny can take a tighter curve than one might think. MTH did move in that direction, I don't know why the market didn't catch on quicker. For me personally, I don't care for the "pizza cutter" flanges (LOL!) I prefer the scale sized flanges. I pull 2-rail scale freight cars on my 3-rail tracks just fine. Some of my 3rd Rail locomotives have the Atlas scale electro-couplers which of course mate with Kadee just fine. For my locomotive which have the lobster claw, I use an "adaptor" car, one that has a scale couple on one end and and lobster claw on the other. I've known since the 1970's that Kadee's coupler is designed the way it is to actually mate with the Lionel lobster claw, and they can, but I really like Atlas' scale sized electro-coupler. I hope they will begin making them again.

[@barkonious]

Im have a On3 layout and it is a great use of space and detail. I also have a friend who has a basement that is full of brass in the box and he never takes them out but if there is a bent pipe he will avoid it no matter how well priced the model is.

[@jeffmurphree2937]

Ok... my 2 cents. There is O gauge and there is O scale. Totally different things. O scale, which is what I model and what I believe John models, is O scale, but on O gauge, 2-rail track. O scale is 1/4' equals one foot. That is scale modeling. It can be either 2 rail or 3 rail. O gauge, which measures only is the distance/width between the rails as being 5 feet. O gauge can be 5 feet, 2-rail and no one would know the difference. Proto 48 is excellent and is 1/4" scale modelling, but on track that is prototypical 4 feet, eight and 1/2" (4' 8-1/2") between the rails. The wheel flanges are also made to scale exactly like the prototype. Proto 48 wheel width is about 1/2 the width of what most wheels being made. Most of the old Lionel is not 1/4" scale, but actually 1:43 scale and is not accurate. These are the "toys" that a lot people associate with our hobby. Most scale modelers do not have freight cars that shoot rockets, or push milk cans onto a platform. One pet peeve of mine is that manufacturers try to bridge the gap between O gauge and O scale. Atlas track and turnouts are Coe 148. Unless all of your track is mainline, this is too big. Code 125 is much more prototypical. Lionel deserves a lot of credit for its efforts into modern scale modelling. Their new freight cars, i.e. 89' auto racks and ACF hoppers are excellent! Thank you for letting me vent. John, it would be great if you wrote an article on how to convert 3-rail locomotives to 2-rails, especially the wiring. I grew up next to Princeton Junction and your layout, with the Dinky, brings back many fond memories!