On30 is 2 1/2' and On3 is 3'. Imo, On30 is more toy-like and On3 is more to scale and yes, on the esoteric side as the locomotives are, (mostly) brass.
As noted, the gauge is your primary difference. On30 tends to be more whimsical in nature. On3 is more for the scale modelers, and $$$.
On30 runs on 16.5mm gauge track ("HO gauge") and On3 runs on .75" (19.05mm) gauge track. There is a marked (around 15%) difference in the gauges which would account for the different radius requirements.
Hmmm...On30 is "toy like" and On3 is for "fine scalers". I am glad that I don't have a dog in that hunt. Unless you are modeling "P something or nother" and running real diesels or steam then we are all playing with toy trains. Woodie C Greene
While there were not very many in this country, 30" gauge railroads abound in the rest of world. Mexico had a pretty significant 30" gauge branch, and there are (were?) a number of 30" gauge railroads in Africa and South America. In Europe, 75 cm gauge railways were built, very close to 30", and I seem to recall that there are still some in operation. I don't think it's a gauge question - it's attitude. You can build a perfectly logical and proportioned ON30 railroad if you want to. And what's more "toy-like" than a D&RG engine in "bumble-bee" colors?
They're ALL toys. It is just that some have more fidelity to a prototypical appearance and operation than others.
To throw something else at you all, there were more railroad trackage in Central American and the Caribbean than in the US at one point, and most of it was narrow gauge. As for which one is serious and more prototype, I agree that On3 is for more prototype modelers. But there is a club in California (Central Valley Modular On30) that one of the member's wives that could show pretty much every "expert" modeler out there how to do scenery. I mean this woman does some of the best scenery I have seen in any scale. I took lots of photos of the layout when I saw it and I know lot's of people saw her work at the Pasadena NNGS this year. Trust me, her work is on the same level as Furlow, Hayden and Frary. Mine, on the other hand, is not that good. But I'm not serious..
I have actually thought about buying a couple pieces of On30 to try my hand at narrow guage. I know some guys in the PNW On30 group. I might be able to convince them to let me build a module and join them in some shows. Ryan
If I was still a resident of the area, I would probably do the same. (We'd be living only a couple of minutes drive apart.) But I am far away, and sold off my On30 late last winter. Am focusing on my modules in both N and HOn30 now.
Yeah Ken it would be nice if you were still a resident here. I have only found a couple people here in the valley that are model RRers. Dan Olah being one, and there is a guy on the Ridge names Steve Haas. Other than those 2, I dont know a soul that is into model RRing. Ryan
There was a fellow who had started the On30 modular, in NB. But he folded up and disappeared. His name was Dave(?) if I recall. He was living in the newer housing subdivisions, east of where old Si View Park is/was located. (Is that park still there? I swam in the pool and played baseball, etc, there as a boy.) Then another fellow named Russ tried to pick it up. His last name began with an "S". (Segner?) I talked with him a few years back, at ISG, but lost track of him. Not sure who is doing it now. Is Steve Depolo sort of the driving force?
Yes Russ Segner has picked it up and has formed a fairly new and VERY talented On30 group. Russ has actually told me that if I want to build a module to knock myself out. I LOVE narrow guage and have thought if I could build a couple pieces of On30 it would be alot cheaper for me than going into Sn3, which would be my ultimate desire. Yes the pool is still there Ken. The city of NB went through about 3 years ago and rebuilt the park area, It is a very nice park area now.
Remember the fellow Steve had working at his shop, back in the later 1990's? Bob Christopherson (sp?) He was in Sn3, then switched to S standard. What ever happened to him? Last time I had talked with him, he was thinking of moving back to Minnesota or something. From what I am hearing and seeing, S scale standard gauge is in a softening phase. Sad, if true. There was a fellow in my area who was talking of On30 modular. We had chatted about building some. But that was when I fell ill, and by the time I was up and about again, he'd retired and moved to Arizona. On30 is something I just can't do these days. Wrestling around modules of that size just won't work. I need smaller stuff, which can be set easily on my work bench of the dining table. HOn30 has the same whimsy, but I can still handle the woodwork weights, etc. Plus, I can use items from my supply of N scale. If I can get out there again, I need to make a tour of the Valley, Upper and Lower. See what else has changed so much I cannot find it any longer. Maybe we can get together for a few minutes and see a few sights, or chase some railroad ghosts.
Ken, I dont know what happened to Bob. I can ask Steve next time I get to his shop. It is P.I.T.A. for me to get there now since he moved to Woodinville. If you ever get back here, PLEASE let me know. I would LOVE to meet up with you and talk about history of the valley. I just need a couple weeks notice so I can take the time off work. Maybe you can take the train out here for the UNW show? Ryan
I have wondered some about Steve moving to Woodinville. Must have been a big financial positive. Is there store also larger? He was supposedly going to have a layout in there, so it must have more space. I have not attended a UNW show since 1998. Miss being there, big time. Money this year was all eaten up by household repairs, a replacement car, etc. If I somehow get rich soon, I do want to come out. My adoptive mother wants me to come see her in Olympia. Etc, etc. If you see Peter or Keith, please tell them hello. Haven't heard from either a while....
As Editor of the On30 Annual, I DO have a dog in this fight, and I can assure you that the stereotype of the "toy-like" On30 modeler is not that much of a reality. Certainly, there are any number of practitioners of that style, but you might be interested to learn that 6 out 18 First Place or Best in Show awards given at the Nat'l NG Convention in Pasadena were awarded to On30 modelers…That's more than 33%…and if you count 2nd and 3rd place, the percentage goes up... As an On3 modeler for over 35 years and an On30 modeler for the last 12 or so, I feel I'm pretty qualified to discuss the differences. But to the original post/question, the reason that the On30 version of the Accucraft model has a smaller minimum radius than the On3 car is simple physics. All things being equal, the slightly narrower wheel sets and the slightly larger (if the underframe is configured correctly) truck swing, yields a smaller minimum radius. This is the reason why I switched from On3 to On30. I can use the same equipment, retain all the castings, figures, vehicles, structures and O scale fiddly bits and get the same detail, scenery and other items I want for narrow gauge in a space that the layout I wanted to build simply would not fit in On3. Chris Lane Editor-On30 Annual
