 Joined: 20/05/2023(UTC) Posts: 214 Location: Wales, powys
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im looking for ho models 3 rail of the commodore vanderbilt, dreyfuss hudson and mercury i ave found large scale and 2 rail in ho    hess
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 1 user liked this useful post by heinrichhess
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 Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,802 Location: Crozet, Virginia
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Good luck from a big US rail fan here. These are amazing locos but I am not aware of any 3-rail versions. Hopefully I am wrong and someone will correct me.  Good luck! Jim |
Regards,
Jim
I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time. |
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Joined: 05/12/2004(UTC) Posts: 2,976 Location: CA, USA
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The commodore vanderbilt JUST came out in 2 rail for the first time as a good commercially available model from Broadway Limited. I've seen it, and it is absolutely fantastic.
I have to wonder how hard a 3 rail conversion would be. Thoughts:
1- Electrically no problem, join the outer rail pickups and solder in a new center rail feeder
2- Mounting the pickup shoe I'd have to look at, I think the tender bogies are the only logical place to do so. Probably not terribly hard
3- Track behavior is the hard part:
- If you aren't running C track, I think its out of the question on anything more than an oval without turnouts, crossings etc.
- remember it is for 18" or greater radius.
- You will want to adjust axle spacing to the AC 13.8mm (easy with the correct tools)
- Assuming all of that works out fine, then you are good, but any surprise issues will be very difficult to fix/correct. Keep in mind the
manufacturer would not have tested anything for AC tolerances/flanges etc or marklin trackage
Hope that helps? |
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Joined: 20/05/2023(UTC) Posts: 214 Location: Wales, powys
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1 user liked this useful post by heinrichhess
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Joined: 20/05/2023(UTC) Posts: 214 Location: Wales, powys
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Originally Posted by: 5HorizonsRR  The commodore vanderbilt JUST came out in 2 rail for the first time as a good commercially available model from Broadway Limited. I've seen it, and it is absolutely fantastic.
I have to wonder how hard a 3 rail conversion would be. Thoughts:
1- Electrically no problem, join the outer rail pickups and solder in a new center rail feeder
2- Mounting the pickup shoe I'd have to look at, I think the tender bogies are the only logical place to do so. Probably not terribly hard
3- Track behavior is the hard part:
- If you aren't running C track, I think its out of the question on anything more than an oval without turnouts, crossings etc.
- remember it is for 18" or greater radius.
- You will want to adjust axle spacing to the AC 13.8mm (easy with the correct tools)
- Assuming all of that works out fine, then you are good, but any surprise issues will be very difficult to fix/correct. Keep in mind the
manufacturer would not have tested anything for AC tolerances/flanges etc or marklin trackage
Hope that helps? Thanks out side my skill set how ever adapting a shell to fit a BR 78 is in my skill set 
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Joined: 20/05/2023(UTC) Posts: 214 Location: Wales, powys
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just won a Rivarossi HO Streamlined Hudson so time for my firs 3 rail conversion   hess
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2 users liked this useful post by heinrichhess
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Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,802 Location: Crozet, Virginia
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Wow - that is one beautiful locomotive, well worthy of a conversion. Good luck and please share your outcome. |
Regards,
Jim
I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time. |
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Joined: 05/12/2004(UTC) Posts: 2,976 Location: CA, USA
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Hi all, I thought I'd update this thread, as I bought a Broadway Limited Commodore Vanderbilt  I couldn't help myself The locomotive is fantastic. As to conversion, I don't think it would be terribly hard (caveat- I did not open it to confirm this on the electronics end). My concern would be the RP25 DC profile wheelsets. Not a chance with M track, K maybe?, C would be your best shot due to the smaller rail profile. The loco body and tender shell are metal, and it has some heft, so it tracks well- I'd just make sure that trackage itself is flawless. Unrelated- I know Marklin and BLI shared costs on the UP 844 project, it was funny to see the packaging for this locomotive practically being a Marklin box! |
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Joined: 20/05/2023(UTC) Posts: 214 Location: Wales, powys
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Originally Posted by: 5HorizonsRR Hi all, I thought I'd update this thread, as I bought a Broadway Limited Commodore Vanderbilt I couldn't help myself The locomotive is fantastic. As to conversion, I don't think it would be terribly hard (caveat- I did not open it to confirm this on the electronics end). My concern would be the RP25 DC profile wheelsets. Not a chance with M track, K maybe?, C would be your best shot due to the smaller rail profile. The loco body and tender shell are metal, and it has some heft, so it tracks well- I'd just make sure that trackage itself is flawless. Unrelated- I know Marklin and BLI shared costs on the UP 844 project, it was funny to see the packaging for this locomotive practically being a Marklin box! i brought a Rivarossi Hudson the whees would work may be swap them over 
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Joined: 05/12/2004(UTC) Posts: 2,976 Location: CA, USA
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Those wheels might be marginally better, but in theory would give you the same trouble. RP25 (the DC standard) flanges are much smaller/shorter/"less deep" than Marklin's
I run DC for american prototype, so my loco is good to go as-is
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Joined: 20/05/2023(UTC) Posts: 214 Location: Wales, powys
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 hess
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 Joined: 02/04/2014(UTC) Posts: 94 Location: san sebastian
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I have that BLI Commodore Vanderbilt locomotive converted to 3 rails, and some others. They work perfectly on via C Marklin.
Regards
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1 user liked this useful post by joseluisvalde
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Joined: 02/04/2014(UTC) Posts: 94 Location: san sebastian
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5HorizonsRR wrote:
"- I know Marklin and BLI shared costs on the UP 844 project, it was funny to see the packaging for this locomotive practically being a Marklin box!"
Yes, it seems that there was a Marklin / BLI collaboration especially over the dynamic smoke issue.
I bought the Marklin UP 844 and the problems I had with the smoke made Marklin ask me to return it (after two repairs) and they returned my money, because they did not guarantee a good result.
I now have a BLI UP 844 that works perfectly with smoke.
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1 user liked this useful post by joseluisvalde
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