Narrow Gauges Between Gn15 and G=45mm?

[hoofe116]

Gurus of G Gauge:

Last week I became conscious of the existence of Gn15 for possible use in a mining section on my future RR, which will be an indoor G gauge in 1:20.3 scale--more or less. Further contemplation and exploration (after a question on this forum) determined that Gn15 is actually HO gauge track.

I harbor a mild bias against HO track. 'Fiddly', in a word, plus the fact I'll be handbuilding and laying my own strap-iron track. (Or facsimile thereof).

There is On30, which seems a tad large for trundling in and out of mineshafts, but appears to be an excellent gauge for a dual-gauge mainline, and a logging site.

Sooo, first: What gauges--if any--are larger than HO but smaller than On30, yet still have 'RTR' motive power? For example, for Gn15, I can buy an HO Porter, say, and use the drive mechanism. I understand B'mann builds On30 though I haven't investigated it, yet.

To put it another way, 'gauge' isn't important to me so long as it falls within the small 12 to 21" real-world industrial gauges of the past. Obtaining power bricks commercially is the crucial consideration. Regauging a hopper to be 'bashed, for instance, seems straightforward. Regauging a model motor is probably impractical.

Second question: What 'nonstandard' model gauges are out there that are used for narrow gauge simulations, and what is used for motive-power blocks?

I'm considering buying an HO loco, and one of B'manns On30's, just to get a feel for the sizes.

Thanks, Les

[kstrong]

One major fly in your ointment--On30 runs on the same track as HO. There's S gauge (.884" apart), which works out almost exactly to 18" in 1:20.3, and O gauge (1.25") which is just a hair over 24" in 1:20.3. Both gauges were very common on industrial and mining railroads. Note also that many mines used 3' gauge, too.

Later,

K

[Anonymous]

I racked my poor little brain about this for the mine shaft where the engine and cars are going in and said but the tracks was always smaller......did that for 2 months. What a hang up I had then said forget it cause I have track now that cost was cheap then to buy it so I will use it 45mm. I went to Ozark and found some cool non drilled spoke mine wheels which even will make the cars abit lower but hey buyn any more track for me at this point is way out of the question.

But then I thought, hand lay it......oh yeah how fun my fingers going to feel that....

Toad

[on30francisco]

I use Bachmann's On30 porters. I recabbed them and added other details to bring them up to G scale standards. The advantage of using HO or On30 track and components is that quality RTR is readily available at very reasonable cost. True, S scale track at 0.875" would be more appropiate for 18 inch gauge but RTR and other components are scarce and EXPENSIVE. You can use On30 track which is also readily available. Ozark Miniatures also sells some Gn15 supplies. The attraction of Gn15 for me is that it runs on HO standard gauge track.

I'd like to try Gn24 that uses O scale track, but like S scale, RTR is scarce and EXPENSIVE - and the minimum radii for O scale is BIG. 

[hoofe116]

One major fly in your ointment--On30 runs on the same track as HO. There's S gauge (.884" apart), which works out almost exactly to 18" in 1:20.3, and O gauge (1.25") which is just a hair over 24" in 1:20.3. Both gauges were very common on industrial and mining railroads. Note also that many mines used 3' gauge, too.

Later,

K

Thanks for the input. I didn't know On30 & Gn15 was, ah, incestously related so as to share the same gauge.

But, I made a misteak, which comes from composing posts at 0200 hrs Dark. I should have said 'O gauge', instead of On30, which I understood is a nice companion size for the 45mm gauge. My big problem is lack of 'hands on' experience. From what a couple of others have indicated, it looks pretty much like HO is going to have to be my default gauge. The kicker is not the gauge per se, but the available gauges of the motive power. And according to another poster, O gauge equipment is scarce and nearly as expensive as G. This, I was entirely unaware of.

The motivation here is to start building. It looks like room for my layout, in total, won't be available until late fall, due to the Inverted Pyramid principle I'm working under, what with house repairs/mods and just general life. So I thought I'd start a diorama, or module, which can be operated independently, then married into the benchwork as it grows around the room. At the moment, and for a good while, I have available two 6' x ~38" sections, located across the room from each other. I haven't settled on the bench width. If I'm careful, perhaps I can turn a 'U' into an 'E' shaped layout.

Les

[hoofe116]

I racked my poor little brain about this for the mine shaft where the engine and cars are going in and said but the tracks was always smaller......did that for 2 months. What a hang up I had then said forget it cause I have track now that cost was cheap then to buy it so I will use it 45mm. I went to Ozark and found some cool non drilled spoke mine wheels which even will make the cars abit lower but hey buyn any more track for me at this point is way out of the question.

But then I thought, hand lay it......oh yeah how fun my fingers going to feel that....

Well, Toad, I just got to have the little, narrow 'squincy' stuff going in and out of the tunnels. It's kind of like important to me. So I guess I'll bite the donut and get an HO engine and add big stuff on top of it. Hope it won't tip over sideways.

Les

[Anonymous]

I racked my poor little brain about this for the mine shaft where the engine and cars are going in and said but the tracks was always smaller......did that for 2 months. What a hang up I had then said forget it cause I have track now that cost was cheap then to buy it so I will use it 45mm. I went to Ozark and found some cool non drilled spoke mine wheels which even will make the cars abit lower but hey buyn any more track for me at this point is way out of the question.

But then I thought, hand lay it......oh yeah how fun my fingers going to feel that....

Well, Toad, I just got to have the little, narrow 'squincy' stuff going in and out of the tunnels. It's kind of like important to me. So I guess I'll bite the donut and get an HO engine and add big stuff on top of it. Hope it won't tip over sideways.

Les

Les, Well I am going to use code 250 rail (rip the ties off the new old stock) but ratty looking old ties to make it look correct (some what) mine rail. Make since??? Just not HO.

Toadie in da Swamper

[hoofe116]

I use Bachmann's On30 porters. I recabbed them and added other details to bring them up to G scale standards. The advantage of using HO or On30 track and components is that quality RTR is readily available at very reasonable cost. True, S scale track at 0.875" would be more appropiate for 18 inch gauge but RTR and other components are scarce and EXPENSIVE. You can use On30 track which is also readily available. Ozark Miniatures also sells some Gn15 supplies. The attraction of Gn15 for me is that it runs on HO standard gauge track.

I'd like to try Gn24 that uses O scale track, but like S scale, RTR is scarce and EXPENSIVE - and the minimum radii for O scale is BIG. 

You betcha that O stuff is expensive. I posted last night--take a look at my answer to K-- and made a mis-statement in specifying what gauge I want that is less than G. I really don't care what gauge, other than, as I said, I find HO track to be 'fiddly' and hard to work with. Then I clomped over to Evilbay to see what the offerings in O were, and got a nasty shock.

But here's another kicker: on some of the boards, it is indicated that there are people out there modelling all sorts of gauges. It follows that they have to be either regauging motive power, or building their own motors. (Or buying special order)? Is this notion correct?

I had no clue, when I became enamored of G Gauge, that 45mm in the larger scales more accurately reflected American Narrow gauge. I shrugged it off and thought, "Going to learn something new."

I did find a new HO 0-4-0 for $9 +s/h, a sum that won't injure me to buy 'n try.

Thanks for taking time to share your insights.

Les

[Anonymous]

IF (BIG if) you can find it. Faller USED to make something called the " 'e' train " it was 32mm (O gauge) 2 rail 1/24th scale stuff. There was a German (quasi-Stainz looking) 0-6-0 with or without tender, a diesel, a boxcar, a coach, and (gasp) tipper ore cars... All were sold lettered for the D&RGW over here.  Since it is rather an oddity, the stuff usually isn't all that outrageous when you stumble across it...even on evilBay.

Down side(s)? I think there is only one radius of track available. Detail level isn't all that high (they were TOYS!) The locos are kind of wimpy pullers. And since they aren't made anymore you may have to buy sets to get the one or two pieces you actually want. (I'm in the market for a few stray cars and a tender, lol.

[cabbage]

I use PECO SM32 track. As a 16mm modeller you have really only the choice of: PECO, Brandbright and Tenmille.

regards

ralph

[bigswede073]

To add to what Kevin said about using HO or S gauge track in halfinch (or 1:20.3) scale.  The Bachmann On30 trolley motorblock is readily available and inexpensive.  It can be used in either case.  It is a smooth running, 4-wheeled mechanaism that is designed to fit under the body of the trolley.  Just a couple of screws frees it fron the On30 trolley and it is ready for Gn15 (HO gauge track) operation.  It takes about 15 minutes to regauge it to S-standard gauge making it easily adapable to 7/8" gauge track operations.  There are several vendors that offer conversion kits for Gn15 based on this powerblock. Tom Yorke, for one, has a free-lance, backwoodsy vertical boilered logging lokie for this powereblock.

Hope this helps.

[hoofe116]

Don,

Thanks for taking time to let me know about the trolley. I was fixated on the cheapie little 0-4-0T's that are out there. Learned a bit from a seller, who said Lifelike engines were very fussy unless new out of the box, so he sold 'em as non-runners.

I had a regrettable experience with HO scale: was buying stuff and putting it away for retirement. That time came and lo, I couldn't see the stuff. Thought, 'no way am I spending my hobby time staring thru a pair of magnifiers'. Sold it all at a stinging loss.

G gauge is the scale for me: I can still (barely) fit it in the house, and most of all I can work on it without going batty, not to mention blind. And the HO was forever crawling off the track--probably operator error.

I'll continue searching for a narrow NG that isn't HO, recognizing I might have to go with that any way. Someone mentioned 24", I suppose that would be Gn24? I've never ran across those numbers (probably because they're in metric).

Les W.