Peco set track over Hornby Dublo 3 rail crossover

[DCB]

I need a Hornby Dublo 3 rail test track.   I have devious plans for 3 rail compatible Triang and Hornby locos so  a standard radius  3 rail  oval inside a 2nd Radius set track oval on a 4 X 3 and a bit board on the kitchen table  (with scalextric the other side sounds good except I need a  2 rail siding which needs to cross the 3 rail.    Any ideas on a suitable diamond crossing or how do I 3 rail half a set track diamond.    Probably in the wrong section if not the wrong century.

[Il Grifone]

The crossing will need a section of centre rail pickup and switching to connect the running rails together. It will probably need insulated joiners all round.

 

My solution to this, back in the day, was to convert all the locomotives to 3 rail and run everything on Dublo 3 rail track.

It might be possible to cut the base of a Dublo diamond to insulate the rails? The large chunk of plastic in the crossing might cause problems however.

Or possibly some sort of wagon turntable affair?

 

P.S.   Problems may arise as Dublo 3 rail track is code 125 rather than the later standard of code 100.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Il Grifone

[Dagworth]

It doesn’t actually need the running rails connected together, only one needs to be the return, the other can be dead. Three rail locos will return current through either rail. 
 

Andi

[Il Grifone]

The two rail track will automatically do this, which is why the running rails will probably needed to all be insulated from the rest of the system.

 

Possibly irrelevant!

Trix 3 rail locomotives return current on one side only. Early ones have very coarse wheels*, but the later 'scale' stock is compatible (if you ignore the 1/80 scale).

 

* To work with Dublo they will require universal track and are also AC, but a bridge rectifier will sort that problem or you could use a Trix reverser (or just reduce the voltage to zero twice).

Trix reversers require adjustment of the brushgear so that the loco stops with a track voltage of six. The reverser then operates when the voltage falls below four, following the sequence forward - neutral/uncouple* - reverse - neutral/uncouple - forward.

* On the Pacifics. These and the 4-4-0s are passable models, whereas the 0-4-0s are firmly in the toy train category,

Edited April 14 by Il Grifone

[cypherman]

Do the Americans still use H0 3 rail track. If they do you should be able to use one of their crossings.

Edited November 22, 2023 by cypherman

[TinTracks]

On 20/11/2023 at 22:08, DCB said:

Any ideas on a suitable diamond crossing

 . Marklin C track or K track  have a plastic base. The Marklin system is 3 rail 'Punkt Kontact' just like the old 3 rail stud contact system . You would have to replace the Pukos (or sticky up pointy bits) with a bit of solid center rail as the Dublo spoon pick ups aren't too happy about bouncing over them. They're a bit expensive brand new but you can sometimes get a 2nd hand bargain.

 Regards, Rich.

Edited November 22, 2023 by TinTracks
Removed incorrect info.

[TinTracks]

On 20/11/2023 at 22:08, DCB said:

I need a Hornby Dublo 3 rail test track. 

 Very old short thread on the same subject. Sadly the  Garry Hall videos are not available. Worth a read to the bottom. 

 Regards, Rich

[TinTracks]

On 20/11/2023 at 22:08, DCB said:

how do I 3 rail half a set track diamond.    Probably in the wrong section if not the wrong century

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGLJyfepM60

 Here's a short video of a scissors crossing that Garry converted to 3 rail. Looks like he's gone over to TT about 6 or 7 years ago.His 3 rail  Dublo vids are  right at the bottom of his extensive youtube library.

 Rich

[Il Grifone]

Would a Märklin crossing be amenable to insulating the running rails for the two rail route?

Most of my Märklin track is 3 rail, so I'm not qualified to speak about it.

I do have an odd stud contact point with the operating direction indicator. The Italians call these 'marmotte' (marmots) as theirs (at least the earlier ones) bobbed up and down, but I don't know the German name. It is in the process of conversion to three rail and repair of the indicator which works, but waggles about.

[TinTracks]

3 minutes ago, Il Grifone said:

Would a Märklin crossing be amenable to insulating the running rails for the two rail route?

  Depends what kind of Marklin track. All of my Marklin track is the old M Gleis (metal track) system. Some is the early pre war 3600 system with a solid center rail (as copied by Meccano for the Dublo range) Most of it is the later 5xxx system with the ''Pukos'' or Punkt ( point) Kontact system similar to the old stud contact system in days of yore. Both types are traditional solid tin based 3 railtrack so would be a nightmare to try to 2 rail.

 However,the Marklin C track system and K track system are plastic based . The K stands for Kunststoff german for plastic. The OP has indicated that he is using set track hence my link to a long archived post on the subject in one of my earlier replies.

 Regards, Rich