Howdy Folks! I'm one of the new On30 disciples, and wanted to see if y'all had any input on where to get equipment and supplies. I looked thru the TrainBoard advertisers' sites and really did not find any On30 stuff - now that's just an observation, not a complaint! After all they gotta engage in profitable activity to stay in business and On30 ain't exactly dominating the market, LOL. So far, the main sources I've stumbled across are: http://www.staubintrains.com/trainshop/default.asp# http://www.toytrainheaven.com/ the Uber Bay place, of course, probably more erratic though the Local Hobby Shop, mostly special order, not much in stock I'm gonna be doing On30, but there's other Narrow Gauges too, so feel free to mention anything that might help others too! a quick musical nod to Robert Palmer for the thread title, :note: :note2:
Silly me. . . . I forgot to mention the obvious niche scale options: Scratchbuilding Kit-bashing Just in case supplies for doing those might come from sources other than the ones I mentioned in the first post. :embarassed:
This is something I'd like to see expanded. I know there are some. And what we see today, reminds me a lot of the way N scale was, in the late 1970's. Which turned out to be very good. It was this scenario that brought us discount selling as we know it today. Along with a lot of evolution in cottage manufacturing. One sell I have seen noted, is named "The Favorite Spot." Another, but no web site, is John Weigel. I know there are more. Boxcab E50
Well lets see. Grandt Line is always a good source (they are including a lot of On30 conversions for their On3 models now). San Juan Car Company is a great source (spendy tho) for accurate rolling stock (again they have On30 conversions for their On3 models), as does Ye Olde Huff-N-Puff. Langley Models has a few, a fella in Las Cruces NM is selling thru his E-Bay store (Rio Grande Models) all kinds of cool Porter-sized rolling stock, and has recently added decals. A Yahoo group called On30Xchange does sales and trades. Valley Model Trains sells lots of On30 from Bachmann at good prices. Also St Aubin On30 Scale Trains. For parts and pieces also look at Echo Mountain Model Products. Also for decals see Republic Locomotive Works decal selection for O scale...awesome!! Of course there is EBay and I can tell you now that is where I get most of my stuff. Generally it sells cheaper than anywhere else, but you need to be careful and know what these things sell for on the commercial market. Also, look at the shipping and handling because some guys make a killing off that (some are very honest and only charge the actual cost). I look at EBay every day, I hunt and I shop. I am sure I have left some sources off and I will add them as they come to me. For any of the above listed companies, just Google them. John
Well, whaddaya know? Set the volleyball up high and close to the net and Doctor John spikes it real good! :teeth: It'll take me days just to follow up on all that info in a superficial way, clearly asking the right people pays off. Thank y'all a gazillion times.
Happy to share any time! Like I say, I think there are others I am forgetting, but I am sort of focused on my dissertation currently...Enland is only about a week away now...but as they come to me, I'll post more John
Off the top of my head: Backwoods Miniatures: http://www.backwoodsminiatures.com/ Rio Grande Models: http://www.riograndemodels.com/O.htm (manufacturer, not the same as the folks mentioned previously) Boulder Valley Models: http://hometown.aol.com/on30resinkits/index.html Foothills Model Works: http://home.inreach.com/jkitts/ International Hobbies: http://www.interhobmodels.com/ Morgan Hill Models: http://www.morganhillmodels.com/index.html -Cody
Jim, I guess this is what happens when you ask the right people the right question. I also appreciate, not only the question being asked, but also the answers. I'v been on the look out for good cheap-ish places for On30 stuff. This is a huge boost in the right direction.
Just thought of another: for REALLY nice figures look at Aardvark Aarts. Spendy but very detailed! John
The "Thank You's" continue! :teeth: One thing I have to remember about On30 is that the "n30" part gets me into narrow gauge and it's easy to get stuck mentally on that aspect of it. But the "O" part means O-scale, and while the tracks are narrower and the equipment a little smaller, everything else on the layout will still be O-scale: structures, scenery, etc. And that's got to mean a ton of places to check up on over time. The main "restricting" part of that is narrow gauge generally will mean earlier railroading rather than modern (with some exceptions of course). This is good.
Yeah O scale buildings are still big no matter what the gauge of the railroad is running by them. Greg
Yep, but there are ways around this too. In my case, buildings in Colorado mining towns were pretty small anyway, restricted by the terrain. I can further reduce space by condensing the building (instead of being wide I can make them a little narrower). Anyway, building flats also work well John
You took the words right out of my....uh....keyboard, I guess. I was also thinking building flats but you can also use buildings in your backdrop as distant structures. And don't forget mirrors. I've seen modelers use mirrors in strategic places to make a small layout look bigger. I saw one layout in MR where the modeler used mirrirs in a small HO scale building he made into "the largest parking garage in model railroading". There were only 3 cars in the whole building but the way he placed these mirrors made it look like there about 50. Ya just gotta be creative.
Oh yeah...Broadway Limited Imports!! I forgot about them too. They have GREAT C-16 type steam engines with sound that works EITHER in DCC or DC mode. These are great models and I highly recommend them. John
...And from the pages of your friendly Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette (July/August Issue) here are some more: Cache Creek Models (really cool rolling stock kits) Crystal River Products (Structure Kits) Rusty Stumps Scale Models (scenery details) Tru Scale Models (varied) G.M.E. (Grizzly Mountain Engineering) (Rolling Stock, Detail Kits and WAGONS!!) Western Scale Models (Structure kits) Wiseman Model Services (REALLY cool kits and details) Mesa Models (Structures and Accessories) Turner Model Works (COOL Structures) CedarHill Designs (Structure kits) International Hobbies (Rolling stock) Boulder Valley Models (Rolling stock/Structure kits) San Juan Decals (DRGW decal sets) Smokey Bottom Lumber Company (detail kits) Clover House (Dry transfers) JV Models (Trestle kits) Jays Trains (Logging kits) Frenchman River Modelworks (O scale details) Southwest Narrow Gauge (Engine/rolling stock retailer) Coronado Scale Models (Details and rolling stock) Caboose Hobbies (what DON'T they have?) B.T.S. (logging structures) Paper Creek Models (structures...and u can download a free outhouse model!) Rusty Rail (details) Driftwood Scenery Co. (wood) Scale Lumber Co (scale wood) Over loaded yet?? I guess you get the picture that this stuff is pretty readily available John
Geez, John! You got me pretty well "ballasted in" with info there! :teeth: And imagine my chagrin at not thinking about SL&NG Gazette and the 2007 On30 Annual as places to look (yet) even though I've got one of each? :embarassed: I need to get one of those magical recorders (or whatever) that you put under your pillow to absorb knowledge while asleep. I need about five years of study crammed into a couple of weeks. Ah well, it's all part of the fun.
