Lionel Solid T-Rail Track History and Installation on O Gauge Lake Shore Railway Layout No 140

[@johnfroio4910]

Your collection is amazing, and your videos are always entertaining and informative.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks, glad that you enjoyed it.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks

[@rrad8106]

I love the SOLID sound that the trains make riding those T-rails!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Yes T-Rail does provide a unique railroading experience compared to tubular track. It is a lot of work, but worth it. Thanks for watching.

[@stllines261]

Thank you for this informative and well-made video featuring Lionel's T-Rail. It is uncommon to see this type of track system, so it is always a pleasure watching trains run on it on your layout.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching.

[@georgebenson6036]

Excellent video as always. I wish they still made T rail. The operation of trains speaks for itself. Thanks for sharing.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Wind ups or electrics all run better and quieter on T-Rail. Thanks for watching.

[@TwistedMacGyversTrains]

Thank you so much for making this video. I didn't know that much about T-Rail. I can't believe that no one is remaking these solid T-Rail tracks. There is such a high demand for these tracks.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Yes there is demand, but several issues with remaking T-Rail........ As designed, it is not fully-compatible with digital / modern trains. T-Rail was never even fully-developed to it's own potential with operating track sections etc, due to the interruption by the war. Also, I doubt track of this quality could be made in China or Viet Nam. The result of such a project would probably be disappointing. I am just glad that I got as much as I did long ago in order to finally build my dream layout. Thanks for watching.

[@TwistedMacGyversTrains]

@@JFLionelT-RailOperator I really truly enjoy watching the wheels roll down the tracks on T-Rail. I could only imagine laying T-Rail on 2" foam. I'm always looking at flea markets for the rails with holes on the outside rails, original T-Rail track.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

@@TwistedMacGyversTrains I have never found T rail at a flea market, but I guess in certain areas anything is possible. I would be surprised if there is still any in attics of the original owners.

[@rogerletsom2127]

Thanks for the overview of Lionel T-Rail! I came across an old Lionel catalog featuring T-Rail some time ago and I was hooked. It was a very remarkable system. From what I've seen in just one video, your layout it really impressive!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching and for your comments. I have about 170 more videos of the Lake Shore Railway layout so you can see it in all seasons and from all perspectives.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks

[@kenmunozatmmrrailroad6853]

First time aware of T-rail… that is some beautiful stuff!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching.

[@philipmorris6551]

Mr. Flynn, Just a wonderful, very professional T-rail seminar. The cinematography and video are truly top-notch and could not be more comprehensive. Absolutely a joy to watch!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks Phil, a great compliment coming from a Hudson expert. I can only hope to know as much as you do about Lionel Full Scale as you do some day. Thanks for watching and always good to hear from you.

[@tommymartin4827]

You sure have acquired some great examples. I'm always amazed with your superb work. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching, glad that you enjoyed it.

[@joehall7869]

I never knew this existed. You have an amazing collection. Keep enjoying it.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching.

[@huntercoleman460]

Great T rail collection. Lots of people never even heard of T rail. Let alone seen it.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

T Rail was made for such a short period of time and its life was cut short by WWII. Thanks for watching.

[@huntercoleman460]

@@JFLionelT-RailOperator Chuck Roehm had a T rail layout.

[@knitterscheidt]

Thanks for the great video! I've never seen this track except in articles or videos. Great job!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching.

[@isaiahtheclassichistorian]

I’ve always wondered about T-rail for a while and never thought that there would be so many versions of this wellknown type of track released by Lionel. Not to mention putting it together is quite the challenge yet a rewarding one. Great video as always!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching. T Rail is challenging, but an acquired taste that I have developed from the late 1970's.

[@lucasquintanilla1673]

@@JFLionelT-RailOperator I had never heard of T rail until I saw these videos. In the past I had always used fast track

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

@@lucasquintanilla1673 T rail was created for Lionel's Hudson and scale series in the late 1930's. There was a lot of interest in Scale O and High-Rail at that time.

[@lucasquintanilla1673]

@@JFLionelT-RailOperator nice! Did you ever use fast track? I’ve heard that it’s rather easy to assemble, that being said, I definitely think there is a greater “charm” value to T Rail.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

@@lucasquintanilla1673 yes aware of Fast Track but prefer the vintage stuff

[@chuck7606]

I really enjoy watching your Lake Shore Railway videos. I noticed your Lionel T-Rail track on your layout sometime ago. I too have some nice Lionel T-Rail. These are super kool tracks aren't they ! Nice and smooth. Extra good electrical conductivity too.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching. T Rail is definitely worth the extra effort.

[@sandiflynn9712]

Interesting track info. Thank you. Loved the narrator

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Glad you liked it thanks for watching.

[@Thomas-fp5xf]

And yet another great video! This how-to of T-Rail is most educational. With all of the hardware and tools, it truly is an experience of "Working on the Railroad"! Plus, I always enjoy seeing every one of the various accessories, with the locos and cars, displayed or running on the layout. Thank you again for sharing!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching, yes it truly is "Workin' on the RR"

[@haroldsusanjones5001]

I have a lot of T Rail track and two sets of switches. I would like to talk to someone at Lake Shore. Harold Jones

[@raysrails2164]

Neat , i forgot about that track and never saw how its put together .great video .

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching, T-Rail is a life-long passion.

[@ChrisHessert]

The amount of T-Rail track required for your extensive layout is impressive! I've noted before how smoothly your trains run on it: very nice. After watching your videos, I'd love to add at least a loop of T-Rail to my future layout, but I know it's hard to find and pricey these days. Thanks for sharing!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

T Rail is out there, but yes its price can make it elusive. I was lucky to acquire most of mine many years ago, and finally have built it into my dream layout.

[@JohnETrains]

Very informative and enjoyable video! Thanks for sharing!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching, glad that you enjoyed it.

[@luis_ayala_134]

You post great videos and have an outstanding layout and collection. Its a shame Lionel got away with producing T-Rail track. I wish they would produce it again.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

JL Cowen made Lionel scale trains and track for a small segment of hobbyists, the Hi-Railers. It was "scale wanna-be" but far above the level of "tinplate". Abandoning of T-Rail was just one of the many decisions that such companies faced as they re-started production after World War II. JLC saw the toy market as where he needed to be in 1945, and Scale Trains and T-Rail did not fit that picture. I can't imagine what it would cost to produce today, and is not friendly with digital power and signal systems.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

Late to the party here, for some reason I didn't get a notification when this debuted three days ago. Who knows how these things happen? Anyway, a fine tutorial on T-Rail Jim! I'd heard about it but didn't know much about it. You trains sure look good running on it! Thanks!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching, better late than never, as they say. Party is still going, but the cake is almost gone. I think all trains look good running on it.

[@muir8009]

Fascinating. Wonderful insight video, good to watch and very informative. In the past before I went to std(wide) gauge I had a fair amount of super 0 with a dozen or so switches. But after seeing this video which rekindled some thoughts about it I honestly wonder why lionel bothered tooling for the super 0. If they were that hard out to use the new age plastic they could've just done the ties, but kept the rail profile tooling at least. They could've used the '35 style with the slide on fishplates (honestly, that nutting and bolting won't get annoying at all), maybe added a few extra ties but t rail is soooo much more than tubular they needn't bother. And if concerns about Costs t rail surely wouldn't have cost more than super 0 - that copper center strip can't have been particularly cost effective. Great video, glad you spent the time and effort to make it :)

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Yes this one did take some time and effort to produce. It was in the works for a while, finally came together. I am always receiving questions about T-Rail, so hope this answers most of them. I would compare Super O to an early attempt at Fast Track. Both were a complete departure from tubular systems, requiring all new terminals, connectors, switches etc. and combined a complete track system with roadbed and signal / accessory operation. T-Rail was aimed at "High-Railers" and bridged the gap between tinplate and Scale-O operation.

[@gbgstrains521]

Nice video! How are you able to run your prewar/postwar Lionel steam engines as double headers? I have never found a way to couple them together.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

I have added a front coupler to several locos that had damaged or modified pilots already. I have a front coupler on a postwar 675 and 1862 General, also on 2 prewar 226E locos. Thanks for watching. All of these locos are featured in multiple unit configurations in my videos.

[@gbgstrains521]

@@JFLionelT-RailOperator cool!

[@johnlazar7582]

Nice video, very informative!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching, glad you liked it.

[@chuck7606]

Nice video !

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching

[@rgary84]

Wow! Even a mention of the 772S 15" long T-rail insulated track! Never seen one, have you? For those interested in T-rail, "Classic Toy Trains", November 1998, did a story on a recreation of Lionel's 1937 spectacular T-rail layout, but this video is the very best!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching, glad you liked it. I have never had a No772S insulated track, never even seen one.

[@kbarr0021998]

I have a 1930-1932 era Lionel standard gauge “bild-a-loco” that was my grandfathers. He got it when he was 7. I have all the pieces and would love some help assembling and learning more about it.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

You may be able to find a copy of the assembly instructions on line. Original parts all have a number on them to aid in assembly. The original diecast wheels may give you a problem as they are often damaged by metal fatigue, cracks and swelling.

[@oglemansviews675]

thanks for this video, very informative. When did they start using the pins as a way to join the rails. That''s the T rail I know about.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching. If you mean tubular track joined by pins, that goes back to the beginning of sectional track. For Lionel, this was 1906. Their first sectional Standard Gauge track attached with 3 pins and the center rails had split-pins that mated.

[@MahoningDivision]

Great pike and excellent video. May I ask what you do for power hook up? UTC lock on or something else? Cheers!

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching. UTC and other track clips do not work well with T-Rail. I solder the center rail wire to a track clip between rails and for the outside rail I pinch the wire between the fish-plate and side of the rail, then tighten the nut. This gives a good connection. I also have secondary power leads to other areas on each loop to help prevent voltage drop.

[@brianturner8477]

I noticed yer 2 Hudsons on the TCAQ yesterday. Will u b @ York? Maybe we can exchange cordial greetings 😁. My son and I will be there on Friday.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

I wish that I could be at York. I made every show from 1977 through 2006, then only a few times since. A lot of great memories of collectors and trains over the years. Thanks for watching.

[@jimciancio9005]

!!!That's Crazy!!!! But So Cool! Lionel actually made a screw-together train track?!?! 😅 I guess in theory it's cool! But in reality after some time and heavy locomotives going over these joints, do these have electrical contact issues with the joints loosening up over time??? I don't know who still is actually running these style T rail tracks, so I'm just curious about how well they hold up over time and if there's any issues with them or electrical wise? I'd be soldering the rails together lol.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

I did have minor voltage drop in some locations, but control that with additional hot-side feeder wires. Most of the T-rail on this layout has been down for 4 years, and I have never had a connection loosen-up. Heavy Hudsons, 226E's F3 diesels, Trainmasters and everything else have run the main lines, and the T-rail has never creeped or moved, many areas are just sitting on the benchwork, not nailed down. I am sure that there are very few other T-Rail layouts out there. For me, a T-Rail layout has been on my "bucket list" for almost as long as I have been collecting, a dream that finally came true. Thanks for watching.

[@gusshadleythelunaticfromar7125]

I know this man who had a large track in T Rail, you know who iam talking about. He ran that loop on a 90 watt transformer now under the table, he had wire on every section. With jumpers going to 12 gauge copper bus wires running the entire railroad. It was perfect for the DCS systems,cause the huge copper buss acted as a antenna for the digital signal were old school analog, Co phase with the digital world.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks Guss. Yes some have tried to out-smart the limitations of T Rail. For me, keeping it totally Old School is fine.

[@trachemotac8309]

Is there any other track that I could connect to these such as atlas o scale due to the connector looks the same to the 1935 track

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

I have made conversion tubular track sections to mate tube with T-Rail. I suppose any 3 rail O gauge track could be manipulated into a transition piece that would allow other systems to connect with T-Rail.

[@trachemotac8309]

Oh the tubular transition track would actually fit in a pre war layout because there is barely any info I could find about these tracks

[@plunkervillerr1529]

Marx guy here, this is the first time I`ve seen this type of track. It must have taken forever to build a layout.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Good to hear from you, yes it took a while to build, but was something I have had my sights on for many years. Only now did I finally have the room to set it up properly.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

A piece of T Rail track was 50cents back when Model Railroader was 25cents.They would be $16 a piece today

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

I have seen some asking upwards of 25 per section for straights with connecting hardware. Thanks for watching.

[@davidkoehler136]

still the best rack Lionel made

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Yes I agree, not tech-friendly, but T-Rail is best looking and best for smooth operation. Thanks for watching.

[@ronalddevine9587]

Very smooth and quiet. Pity that they don't make this now, especially since they are making everything in China. I guess the nearest thing is Atlas 0 solid brass track.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching. I don't think production costs or demand could justify making T-Rail today, though the prices it goes for may argue otherwise.

[@genemanno1533]

I understand why it was replaced by tubular track. Number 1 is cost. The profit margin on tubular has to been 10 times more that the solid “T” section. Number 2 is ease for kids to put tracks together. And number 3 is manufacturability with less materials and less weight. In fact the 027 and “O” line of tracks made an economical reason for a light weight and standard tubular track profitable.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

T-Rail was a brief departure, as Lionel set their sights on the O-Scale market. Tubular track was first produced by Lionel in 1906 (standard gauge), and existed along with T-Rail between 1935 and 42. Tubular track was once again the norm after WWII, for many reasons including, price and market as Lionel abandoned their scale aspirations when production resumed in 1946. After WWII the scale market shifted to HO, so the O Scale market was no longer worth pursuing, from a business standpoint.

[@genemanno1533]

@@JFLionelT-RailOperator it’s a good thing Lionel stayed with 027 and “O” because i have no interest what’s so ever in ho.

[@OgaugeTrainsplusslotCars]

Nicev rails

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for watching.

[@robertthomas2001]

it's short sighted that nobody took the charge in reproducing this product with nut and screws included...for an enthusiast it would be a labor of love...a true generational track that could be more desirable than the trains themselves.

[@JFLionelT-RailOperator]

Thanks for your comments. I agree to a point, but WWII stopped production of this track system. Lionel showed some interest in continuing the scale and semi-scale line by showing the 703 Hudson and 403 B6 switcher in the 1946 catalog, however recovering from the war stoppage required some economy in production. T-rail and scale trains were too expensive and it was unknown if the market was still there, too risky for a recovery period. 1946 production was a high-point in quality with the introduction of new couplers and smoke, worm-drive motors and scale details. The line of trains and accessories expanded through the mid 1950's, and reasonable quality was maintained. We all know the story after that, as Lionel struggled to maintain profits from the late 50's to 60's. Bottom line, if T-rail and scale trains had been revived after the war, it would not have lasted into the 1950's. These are my favorite trains and I am thankful to be able to help preserve them for the future. I can't even imagine the expense involved in reviving this track system in the current era.

[@BAKU2K2]

While not from Lionel, but there is a company called Maldon who produces a modern equivalent to T-rail track. I am not sure they are 100% compatible though.