Guide To Identifying 3 Rail O Gauge Track

NOTE: This information is based on preliminary research and my own best guesses. There is no guarantee of accuracy.
(Please send all corrections and updates to antispamREMOVE@MEhvc.rr.com)

Unknown

I believe that this may be IVES pre 1929 becasue of the four cross ties.


Obverse 4 Tie bars vs 3 for Lionel	Reverse

Note the stepped tie bar	The tie bar is also tapered

027 Curve	Straight Section

See also this page http://www.railwaypages.com/index.php?t=2&id=17&p=3 for a 1 gauge example with 4 ties.

Chuck has been very help ful with his communications and his web site is an excellent resource.

According to a friend on the forums:
"... I was told that American Flyer made this track because they were having too many complaints of the engines flying off the curves."
In fact, it seems that several manufacturers used sloped or stepped rails around 1930.

Further information - this site: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Model-Railroads-2372/2008/11/Sloped-Banked-3-rail-1.htm shows a photo of extremely similar track having the same stepped ties. It does not however show how many ties there are (3 or 4). The site's track is American Flyer "20's through 40's", which although helpful and intriguing is neither completely conclusive nor definitive

IVES

On July 31, 1928, Ives was purchased by Lionel and American Flyer
In 1930, Lionel bought out American Flyer's share in Ives
Lionel dropped the Ives name in 1934 and although re-issues were occasionally made, the Ives name never re-appeared on the marketplace with any kind of regularity. (Wikipoedia)

IVES - Post Buyout ?


Straight and Curved O27

Note Tapered Tie Bar

Name Stamp - Obverse	Name Stamp - Reverse

Commercial and homemade pins

Lionel "Green" O27 Early 1930's








LIONEL Stamp	N Y Stamp

Two Mounting Holes

Lionel "Black" O27 Mid - Late 1930's?

Pretty much identical to the "green" variety of a few years earlier.


Straight and Curve	Profile

Length	Width

Lionel Stamp	N Y Stamp

Note rolling mill marks on the side of the rail	Rail Height (Same as "green" version)

Lionel O Gauge 31" Radius - Post War?


Straight and Curved	Note: Four mounting holes in tie bar (vs 2 for earlier O27)

Height	Length

Lionel O Gauge 31" Radius VS Lionel O27


O Gauge on Top - Wider radius but shorter sections	O Gauge at left. Narrower tie plate and 4 holes vs 2

Lionel O27 - Post War - Black Tie Plates


Straight and Curved Sections	Light weight tie plates with one hole each

Stamped name at top of tie plate (This varies - sometimes swapped)	Profile

Position and Orientation of the name stamp varries.	Reverse

Lionel O27 - Korean Era ? - Grey or Plated Silver Colored Tie Plates

I don't know if these are different years but suspect that the plated versions (looks like chrome) are 1960's

All three verseions are nearly identical except for the color of the tie plates and number of holes


Straight and Curved Sections	Light weight tie plates with one hole each

Straight section is 9" long	Curved section is 10-1/4" long

Profile	Chromed tie plate top (two holes). Grey tie plate bottom (1 hole)

Obverse with name stamp - color balance is off due to camera	Reverse

Meccano Clockwork 2 rail. Possible Ca 1920


Meccano England	Closeup of the name. the O is poorly stamped

Rail Height	Mounting Hole Placement and "England" at the Right

Rail spacing is 1-13/32" Seems wierd ... let's try a metric ruler	Rail spacing is exactly 35 millimeters pointing toward european design

Links:

A good textual early history page.