Three-rail

A system with a centre conductor as the third conductor: current flows out through the centre conductor and back through the rails and wheels. Reversing loops therefore cause no short circuit.

Dutch

drierail

German

Dreileiter

Example

Märklin C, K and M track in H0 are three-rail in our catalogue.

Märklin C track: articles, geometry and the track planner

Articles using this term

• Rail joiners and joints: current and alignment
• DCC and Märklin Motorola: digital protocols
• DC and AC: two-rail and three-rail explained
• Analogue or digital control?
• Mixing Märklin and two-rail: why it does not work
• Sidings and buffer stops: why and where
• Train runs jerkily: dirty track or wheels
• Passing loop: how two trains pass each other
• Double oval: two trains at once
• Locomotive stalls on the frog
• Give your old box of track a second life
• The reversing loop: how it works and how to avoid a short circuit
• Märklin C track or Märklin K track: the differences side by side

See also

• Centre conductor
• Two-rail
• Alternating current
• Reversing loop