I've had year and a half off from my train stuff. No layouts, no modeling, no nada. I've kept everything, but with a house change, then a house and state change and life getting in the way, I've really found no time for modeling. Until now. And now I find myself drawn into that sorrid romance with that "narrow" scale. HOn30. I've posted pictures of some of my equipment up here before. Even had a basic plan in place before I got to thinking about all the N scale stuff I had. And with the idea of building a large layout for ops, I wanted to have several N scalers over who would have issues with NG. So the HOn30 got shelved, and the N scale won out. But HOn30 just wouldn't go away. The box with my equipment just sat, waiting and for me to let my guard down.... Blackstone didn't help. Seeing that stuff would make a strong man want to cry. And On30, like it or not, is very seductive. And I have looked at both. Alot. Enough that the N scale fleet is looking at downsizing. But there are the hangups. Min radius is one. I don't have the room for the 18" loop. Really, I don't. And modeling a freelanced Central American railroad means you won't see alot of DRGW stuff there. But that's when HOn30 struck. And then Shapeways tipped the scales... Seen what's out there? Conversions for the Bachmann 2-8-0. And for cheap, like $40 total. And some nice passenger cars. But the killer? Cuban sugar cane cars. For someone whose railroad is on a Caribbean island and hauls sugar, that's a hard one to beat. And for a price that a fleet of them would not be a bank breaker. In an area not rife with modelers that operate, I'm left to my own devices. And for me, the devices are going to involve slim rails, 30" gauge and a relaxed feeling. As they say, "No worries mon..."
I sold off my On30 last winter. Just do not have the space, and honestly the prices have been creeping upward. I'm keeping my N Scale, and continue playing with in T-Trak. But I did dig out my remaining HOn30 and even added to it. I have been a fan since Thatcher's Inlet in RMC, forty years ago. Hayden & Frary do inspire, and I really like little diesel critters. Shapeways has been a big boost. Railway Recollections has done some interesting conversions. Funaro & Camerlengo have nice freight car kits. The re-introduced MiniTrains line has been popular and even is expanded. Plus there are others here and there. I have just used N scale track, as I have plenty at hand. Not worried about buying more proto type tracks, as this is just to make me happy!
Ken, I'm leaning more and more like you are. We do have a T-Trak club here, so I will keep some of the stuff. But I've got alot of cars I can do without and it won't kill me. As for track, I'd like to be more scale. So I'll be a tad more anal and built something closer. Might go with Peco track. But I'd like to run on finer size track. I don't know how many of you HOn30er's are on the Mail Car list, but there's some fantastic pictures out there of a modern Maine NG layout. Some really cool stuff to see.
With a couple of breaks, I have been on the list for many years. I am following the Fiddletown & Copperopolis topic, wondering about the passenger cars. There appear to be two varieties. Of course I want the two trucked version, if any, rather than the two axle. Am wondering about size. I believe someone, (Andreas), mentioned 100mm. Right now, I don't believe anyone is making any HOn30 passenger cars. I wanted those Railway Recollections makes, however they are out of stock. In a trade of emails about eight months ago, said he was thinking of reworking them, as the roofs were rather heavy, causing leaning to the side on curves. If I had the budget, I would go with Peco "Crazy" track. But I don't have the $$$. So will just use N, as in olden days of the scale, and ballast/scenic to disguise somewhat.
Narrow gauge is tempting, for me Maine logging operations or even the Peavine of the CB&Q in Knox county Illinois. Maybe someday once I'm finished with my N scale B&M and CB&Q projects.
Oh Jim. Don't even be in the same room as a Blackstone model. You'll get suckered in fast. I hear you Ken. I've got alot of code 70 and 55 rail, so I may just hand lay with PC board ties. I know I'm gonna build my own turnouts. So since I'm headed that way, might as well use up all the rail. At least it'll be finer in scale.
So have you decided what direction to take? HOn30? HOn3? There are also 2-6-0 conversions possible with HOn30....
Brooks 2-6-0s hauled a lot of flatland 3' gauge in the NG boom years. Also, I have a kit for a 600mm (2') gauge trench railway 2-6-2 tank in OO9 (1:76) that uses a Bachmann 2-6-2 chassis. On the topic of having to choose between N and HOn30; I wonder . . . . If someone were to use scale neutral scenery, could you get away with having modules that could be both N/HOn30? I realize that the ties, tie spacing, and tunnel portals would be problematic in appearance but otherwise, bridges, cuts, etc. could be pretty much the same. Okay, I know must be missing something with that idea. Andy Tetsu Uma
My memory is nagging at me that I have seen where someone did just what you suggested. But when, where would that have been? I am tempted now to consider the same, using some of my T-Trak modules.
Nope, there is clearance issues. I've tried running HOn30 on an fairly large N scale layout and the equipment is a little too big. About the only thing that did fit was the Railway Rec gas doodle bug I have. But it was cool! Ken, I'm going HOn30. I'm currently finishing a couple of projects in my shop right now so I can move things around and then start benchwork. I'm combining my work area so I can install a new woodworking bench ( I use hand tools so there's no sawdust everywhere) along with my modeling bench and my desk. I plan on getting it all done this weekend so I can start cleaning out some stuff and start working on rolling stock and whatnot. The first section is going to be the harbor terminal of the layout. I'm pretty excited to start working on it.
Sorry if I'm off base here but, a couple weeks back I was visiting my friends at a narrow gauge club in Pas., Ca. They had a test table set up with a loop of N scale track. I believe it was representing HOn2.5 (don't remember for sure). It was HO shells on N scale mechanisms. Of course the N track's ties are too short and too close to be HO NG. Why not do this but hand lay NG track and ties to N scale's gauge (9mm?) using N gauge mechanisms ? You certainly would be able to have a return loop as I believe N equipment can negotiate 12" curves.
I had been thinking of acquiring one of those doodlebugs. But Barry says they are out of stock, and he isn't going to make any more until he can find a chassis. He claimed the one it was designed for is unavailable. I tried to point out that they could still be found on the auction site, swap meets, etc. But I didn't make any headway.
Mark: Yep, pretty much what I'm going to do. HOn30 (what's also called HOn2.5) is 9mm wide. I'm looking at 11-13 inch radius for mine. So far, I'm only going to have 1 turnback loop. Ken: He used the Bachmann MDT switcher as a power unit. He still has the power train conversion on his site. Another option would be the Jordan railbus with Barry's drive.
Hmmm. He must have changed something? The version I was thinking about, he suggested the Model Power or Lifelike FA-2 chassis.
That was the doodlebug. The one I have is the rails with the power provided by a Bachmann switcher. He has the drive kit still available. I got mine years ago and have it detailed but not painted yet. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
Hmm. Guess I'm not remembering what Barry made which used the MDT diesel chassis. I recall the Mocalova kits, which used those for power. I have one of the Rail Rec Porter center cab kits, which uses the Bachmann 44 tonner chassis. Just need to get busy and put it together.
Here's a pic Ken. I need to add some details to it and I'm going to add a trailer as well. Make it a Goose wannbe.. I've got all the info on it on my blog.
