Train Help

Cross posted with my LiveJournal account.

Also, for those of you who’ve left notes, I don’t have the bandwidth to reply – every time I try I time out – so I’ll do so when I’m home on Monday.

TRAIN HELP:
I know someone among my flist is a model train afficionado, but I don’t remember who. So this is a general plea.

In the brooder house at my husband’s family farm, we found a metric assload of old model trains. The vast majority of it is standard HO stuff, but there are some larger engines (O or N scale I think?) and track, and I can’t really identify them. Some of the track is three-rail with the middle rail being ‘live,’ like the old Marklin and early Lionel models, and then some is larger than HO, and two rail, but tall.

I’m fairly certain none of it is valuable, especially after sitting in a mouse-infested chicken coop for 20 years, but I’m curious to know what I have, because the metal trains are worth restoring, even if just to play with. And I was wondering if the three-rail compatible engines would run on the Marklin track I already own.

Can anyone help?

2 thoughts on “Train Help

  1. Sounds like scale 0 to me: larger than H0 and with 3 rails. When the wheels are 32 mm apart, it is scale O.
    It is my hobby to restore hopeless cases, see my blog and you will understand. Usually, I pick up old rusted toy trains at train swaps and Ebay and turn them into gems again: from trash to treasure. But with considerable expense and labour. It is not economic, but it is fun and I like it.
    First of all, I need some detailed pictures, then I can advise you.
    Greetings

    Egbert

  2. Perfect. Take it easy, trains in these conditions do not run away anyway.
    You said that you think that some of the trains are S gauge, well to make it a bit easier for you, measure the wheel-to-wheel distance if it is 1,25 Inch it is 0 gauge, if it is 7/8 inch it is S gauge and if it is 5/8 inch it is HO. Good luck!

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