HOn3 vs Sn3 vs On3

I am relocating soon and starting to think about my new model railroad layout. Some members of my current club have convinced me to strongly consider narrow gauge. I would appreciate comments on the various popular scales (HOn3, Sn3, On3) with regards to availability of locomotives, track, rolling stock, and scenic accessories. What sort of space would be required for a respectable small layout? How are prices and availability for equipment and components? What makes sense for a guy who is 45? Thanks

 

Don,might I suggest that you check out 0n30. All the narrow gauges you have mentioned are mosty brass whereas 0n30 for the bigest share is plastic and quite affordable.

For the size issue 0n30 runs on HO size track and the trains themselves are consistant in size to HO.

 

I appreciate everyone's comments and feedback. I am looking at a space roughly 12x12 feet (an extra bedroom we managed to procure for a train layout). I am trying to balance size versus credibility. I find that as my eyes and fingers get past youth, the bigger stuff is more comfortable. Keep the comments coming.

My current club has a section on HOn3, which looks very nice. Our narrow gauge gurus do seem to favor larger scales such as S or O for home layout purposes.

 

If starting out in narrow gauage I would highly recommend On30. There is a lot of nice equipment available. Bachmann offers a nice variety of ready to run stuff that is very cheap but quite nice in appearance.

Recently I saw a Boulder Valley Model On30 kit that was built up. Very nifty stuff.

 

I have personally ditched all of the other gauges and went with On3O. Catt was a big influence as well as some other modelers.
the detail abilitys are tremendously pleasing.
the space well figure HO as the other guy's said.

 

I've been building an On30 4'X8' display layout. It's basically an oval with a return loop and 3 sidings. I'm using HO track, 18" radius curves, and Bachmann On30 equipment. I've been spending more time with it than my N scale layout! It's alot of fun. I'm scheduled to take it to a show in August. Hopefully I can have some scenery and structures on it by then. I understand the age and eyesite thing, being over 50. The On30 stuff is so much easier to put back on the track than the N scale!
A friend had an HOn3 layout and I find that it is almost as hard as N to put the cars back on track.
With On30, you can use any On3 equipment available and just change out the trucks and adjust the coupler height. I think On30 is the way to go.

[ 07. June 2003, 04:02: Message edited by: Conrailrad ]

 

' HOn30' is another gauge not dependent upon imported brass locomotives for prime movers. Check out Yahoo groups "HOn30" site for details. It would also pay to invest in some copies of your country's narrow gauge model press. There is also much readymade 'HOm' equipment available in Europe.

The NARROW GAUGE and SHORT LINE GAZETTE is the largest circulating such publication in U.S./Canada that devotes a great deal of space to the subject . The NARROW GAUGEand INDUSTRIAL MODELLING REVIEW , is published in England and available at hobby shops specializing in narrow gauge , and has a large readership in North America. The other mags on the subject ,are gauge specific, or devoted to specific kinds of industrial and narrow gauge lines (e.g. logging, war, mining).
I would not pick a scale to use until I had seen and talked to those operating in as many of the scales , and on as many as track gauges as you can encounter.

It will be disappointing and expensive to buy equipment in 'On30' , and discover when seeing 'Nn3' that this fulfills your wildest dreams of empire building in miniature. Or vice versa, for that matter.
Given the cancellation of the Train Show at this years NMRA convention, the best place for you to be is in Denver on September 3-6, for the Narrow Gauge Convention. There will be modellers from all over the world, demonstration layouts, and model equipment makers representing all scales and almost all gauges with which you can associate and get a view of the hobby. The Nat.NG Convention:
< http://www.23rd.nngconvention.com >

 

I tried modeling in HOn3, Sn3, and On3 many years ago. When Bachmann came out with their line of On30 equipment, I immediately switched over to that scale. I feel On30 is the best thing that ever happened to model railroading. It has the heft and detail of O scale and the convenience and cost of HO. The other narrow gauge scales, with the exception of G, are very pricey because all that's available is brass locos.

 

There is, at least, the Galloping Goose in H0n3 by ConCor. And the new MMI line by PSC is a bit less expensive thanks to a combination of construction techniques.

I wish there were snap tracks, to allow for a bit of instant playing without needing a permanent layout. In this respect, On30 is perfect. However, I recently bought some On3 tracks, in anticipation of an ordered K engine, and compared them to my H0 tracks. The difference in appearance is considerable! It's mainly the size and spacing of the crossties, that gives the H0 tracks a rather unreal appearance. So On30 is a compromize one has to think about before buying, too.

 

Ya know... I have been an On3er for a long time. Great stuff! I do love the RGS and D&RGW, but I do have a streak of freelance in me. And, I think... if I were starting out now, I would be doing On30. I first got turned on to narrow gauge by a Nov., 1962 article in RMC by David K. Gast and the Schwedler Bros.: "O Scale + HO Gauge = On2 1/2". I was in 7th grade and I literally carried that thing around until it fell apart! And I think On30 is the most Bang for the Buck, Fun for the Buck... I STILL may end up there (the new MMI K27 is STU-PENDOUS! As is the new Bachmann Climax and 2-8-0!!)!

Note(Small World Dept.): I called a hobby shop in Phoenix a couple years ago to order Vol. 8 of RGS Story. And I got into a conversation with a guy who was obviously very knowledgeable, re. narrow-gauge. I told him about the 11/62 RMC story and how it got me into n.g. Just then my doorbell rang. It was UPS bringing me a copy of the same magazine that I had been talking about and telling my friend on the phone about. I had found it on eBay and it chose to arrive at that precise moment! So I told the guy on the phone of the coincidence. He said, "That's nothing- I wrote it"! That's a paraphrase- I AM in the TV biz... but, anyway, it was Stan( or Sheldon?) Schwedler- one of the country's pioneer narrow-gaugers and one of the authors of that magazine article- that I had been talking to!

OK, OK... enuff- I know...

 

That's a cool story Joe.

 

Welcome to TrainBoard!!!!!!!

 

Micro-Engineering (formerly Railcraft) makes flextrack specifically designed for On30. It is available in codes 70, 82 and 100 with the correct tie width and random tie spacing appropiate for O scale narrow gauge. It is also available either weathered or non-weathered. Bachmann makes locos and is continuously expanding their line of On30 equipment. Bachmann On30 locos look great, run well, and are very affordable. They are all RTR with very good details. They can also be superdetailed with after-market detail parts if you wish. They will also operate on 18" radius curves. On30 equipment is available at some LHSs. Many on-line and mail order hobby suppliers also sell On30 supplies at 10% to 50% below MSRP. Grandt line, San Juan Car Co., Boulder Valley Models, Rio Grande Models, and others make On30 trucks - with the proper wheelbases and supplied with the proper diameter NWSL wheelsets - that are designed for the On30 modeler. They also produce rolling stock kits for On30. Using Atlas snap track is an economical and ideal way to make a test track or just to experiment with the equipment.